Love or hate invasive snakeheads, their popularity as a leisure objective solely continues to develop. All via their fluctuate on the East Coast, snakehead fishing tournaments are correctly attended, additional lure corporations are making snake-specific baits, and further individuals are figuring out that “dragons” make for a superb barbeque. Have to be a part of the hunt? For many who’re capable of hit the swamps, bogs, creeks, and backwaters this season, listed below are the perfect snakehead lures that you just utterly ought to have in your arsenal.
How I Picked the Best Snakehead Lures
Given the possibility to fish for largemouth bass or snakeheads, I’ll chase dragons every time. I’ve been fishing for snakeheads up and down the East Coast for years with among the many biggest anglers inside the sport. What follows is a gaggle of lures that work in numerous conditions. Contemplate this as a snakehead starter package deal.
Be taught Subsequent: Discover ways to Catch Snakeheads
Gap-Physique Frog
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I don’t care what anybody says, in case you’re concentrating on snakeheads in prime season—which suggests when the air and water are warmth—there isn’t a such factor as the next or additional versatile lure than a hollow-body frog. So, what’s the perfect one? As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t matter. There are tons of of frogs within the market. Some have rubber skirt tails, some have shiny spinner blades for legs, whereas others have anatomically proper kicking legs. I’ve used frogs made by Japanese corporations which will set you once more nearly $20 and value vary frogs I nabbed for $3 from an overstock outlet retailer. Snakeheads have pounced on all of them. Proper right here’s why.
It’s my opinion {{that a}} snakehead in wanting mode that’s cruising spherical close to the ground in search of to make a kill isn’t too picky. There are exceptions to that, the truth is, notably in areas the place snakeheads see a wide range of frogs. Nonetheless by and large, the fish goes to simply react to the sound and movement. I personally suppose black frogs catch additional snakeheads, nevertheless on the same time I’ve caught plenty on neon pink, yellow, white, chartreuse, and every coloration inside the rainbow. So, don’t overthink your frog choice.
What truly makes frogs the perfect, nonetheless, is that they’re one in every of just some lures which will perform inside the sloppy, mucky, weed-choked, pad-filled areas snakeheads select. And finally, on a non-public phrase, what attracts me to snakeheads is their vicious flooring strikes. When you’ll be able to positively catch them sub-surface, I don’t get the an identical rush as soon as I stick them this vogue.
Finesse-Sort Tender Plastics
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Actually one in every of my all-time favorite sub-surface lures for snakeheads is a 5 1/4-inch Zoom Large Fluke in white or chartreuse. Any coloration will work, nevertheless I gravitate to delicate tones because of they’re less complicated for me to hint in the midst of the retrieve—and if the white Fluke impulsively disappears in darkish water, I do know to swing away. I usually have a second rod pre-rigged with a Fluke each time I’m snakeheading in case I see an inactive fish laid up on the underside or if a fish tracks a frog on the ground nevertheless doesn’t commit. In that state of affairs, a quick flick and twitch of the Fluke often makes the rebound. Nonetheless all these bait produce different benefits.
Like hollow-body frogs, a finesse-style soft-plastic will run cleanly and snag-free by the use of vegetation and over picket. You moreover don’t need to sustain fastened motion to convey them to life. A Fluke will sink slowly on the pause, and shimmy with the slightest twitch of the rod tip, allowing you to take care of it in a snakehead’s face longer than completely different lures. Merely remember to rig it on a heavy-gauge wipe gap hook that obtained’t bend when you set.
Chatterbait
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Chatterbaits are comprised of a weighted jig with a rubber skirt tail that waves, wags, and wiggles in the midst of the retrieve. On the nostril of the lure is a hexagonal blade which deflects water if you reel, inflicting the bait to shimmy and quiver whereas inserting out an excessive amount of flash and vibration. Like hollow-body frogs and finesse plastics, the Chatter Bait has develop right into a trusted staple amongst snakeheaders because of it would in all probability run by the use of some nasty cowl and doesn’t get hung up in exhausting building merely.
I do know quite a lot of snakehead junkies who declare chatterbaits will rack up numbers of fish earlier than frogs in the midst of the summer season season, which could be true, nevertheless as soon as extra, they rob you of that killer flooring smash. Nonetheless, I’ve saved many journeys with a chatterbait. All through chilly fronts or when the water is off-color, these lures stands out as the one issue that makes the play. And when a snakehead hits one, it hits exhausting.
Be taught Subsequent: Discover ways to Fish a Chatterbait
Buzzbait
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The sound of a buzzbait’s propellor slicing by the use of the ground might be very extremely efficient. As a result of it spins, it moreover creates a bubble path that fish can adjust to to the skirted jig utilizing just below that loud, fast-spinning blade. Though buzzbaits can battle a bit in extra-thick vegetation, they kill alongside weed and pad edges that hungry snakes patrol. The hits are massive, which form of presents a problem.
The one drawback of buzzbaits is that many you’ll uncover on retailer cupboards aren’t strong adequate for snakeheads. Their mouths are lots harder than these of largemouth bass, so it’s common for them to bend or break upon the hookset. Even in case you survive that half, a spinning, leaping snakehead can twist a buzzbait like a paperclip. A super alternative is the In-line Octane Buzz from Extreme Octane Custom-made Lures. It’s constructed notably for snakeheads and features a heavy-gauge hook and thick wire usually current in muskie lures.
Honorable Mentions
- Spooks. Though strong to utilize in vegetation, Spook-style surface-walking baits are killers in open water eventualities.
- In-Line Spinners. If the realm you’re fishing is evident adequate for treble hooks, an enormous in-line spinner can put a hurt on snakeheads.
- Spinnerbaits. Whereas largely outshined by chatterbaits as of late, fundamental spinnerbaits decrease by the use of grass correctly and get a snakehead’s consideration fast.
- Swimbaits. Lures identical to the Storm Shad or Keitech Swing Affect are good selections for early and late inside the season when the vegetation isn’t in full bloom.
Final Concepts on the Best Snakehead Lures
Snakehead fishing at its best is a topwater sport, a minimum of individually. It’s exhausting to beat the fun that comes with that violent slashing strike on a frog or buzzbait. Nonetheless I’ll always have subsurface lures alongside for my snakehead missions, too. Because of, to be truthful, all snakehead bites are thrilling.