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Mattawoman 9/11 - the "I'm gonna need a bigger net" report

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  • Mattawoman 9/11 - the "I'm gonna need a bigger net" report

    Another great afternoon on Mattawoman with not another person in sight. I arrived around 2pm on a falling tide and fished 'til dark. The snakehead were quite active in the shallows. I managed multiple blowups on a frog and by 5pm I'd gotten two in the cooler, both ~24". Towards early evening low-tide the snakehead activity tapered off. I switched to a finesse worm and focused on deep water cuts next to lily pads. The water clarity was such that I could see numerous fish cruising under the Versa Board, including a number of nice largemouth. In one area the bite was so hot that I hooked five fish on five casts. They were all largemouth in the 3-4lb range and were a ton of fun. One charged my paddle board and came up underneath for a jump that ended up being a paddle board "head-butt". That move, while likely painful, proved effective as he came unbuttoned from the finesse worm hook. In addition to the two snakeheads I kept one largemouth that was gill hooked and bleeding. I'm planning to try out Gyotaku printing this evening, inspired by the artwork of Virginia kayak angler Rob Choi.

    The real action of the day came at sunset. I had forgotten my headlamp and was planning to paddle out a little earlier than usual, knowing that portage would be required in a few spots at low tide. As I was paddling along the baitfish activity in the center of the creek channel picked up considerably. The weed growth at the creek edges are so thick at the moment that it seems most of the fish are forced to congregate towards the center during low water periods. In one particular area I spooked some VERY big fish. I suspected carp however just to be sure I stopped paddling and began casting the frog. On the third cast... *boom*. It hit like a giant largemouth, consuming the entire frog in one big sucking motion. I gave it a one-count pause, set the hook, then thought "wow, this thing feels too heavy and lifeless - he must have run under a log and fouled me up." Then I feel a big head shake.. "uh oh." I start fumbling to adjust the drag as he makes multiple, big *POWERFUL* runs in the thick grass. I can feel the kicks of the tail a'la a big bull redfish. He makes a turn and heads my way. It's a HUGE snakehead and he buries himself in the grass directly beside me. I was using a 7'3" heavy power rod with 40lb braid and a 15lb fleoro leader. As much as I tried I simply couldn't apply enough pressure to lift him off the bottom. I grabbed the line with one hand (gloves on) and put the rod in the rod holder with the spool set to free. Using both hands I was able to lift the line and pry him loose. The weeds were matted around his head and that seemed to have him momentarily subdued. I managed to get the net on him and breathed a short sigh of relief. Then I realized that I'd brought a knife to a gunfight. My net is a large-sized version that is meant for largemouth. It has a built-in measuring tool that goes to a maximum of 28", assuming the fish is laying perfectly along its length and fills the net. This guy was "in" the net along with a lot of grass, but over 2/3 of him simply wouldn't fit and was hanging over the side. I conservatively guesstimate him at 35"+. I'm an average build at 5'9", 165 lbs and his girth was easily the size of my thigh. It was also at this point that I realized the pliers were back in the vehicle alongside the headlamp. My only tools to wrangle him were an undersized net, plastic fish grips, and a pair of pruning shears. I took a moment for a deep breath, chuckled to myself and scratched my head. I hadn't fully brought hand-to-head for the scratch when he decided to take an alligator-death-roll. The 15lb fleoro had done all that it was designed to do, had done it well, and could do no more. After the splash I resumed chuckling and was also able to finish the full head scratch motion. On the quiet paddle out I startled a giant buck with an impressive set of head gear. I do love that place.

    In addition to Gyotaku, today's to-do list includes ordering a gaff along with a double-extra-large net.

    IMG_2719.jpg
    Last edited by dinscore; 09-14-2013, 02:00 PM.
    ========================
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  • #2
    So why are you keeping largemouth bass to eat?

    The only reason I would keep a bass would be if the fish got hooked deep or hooked in the gills and died.

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    • #3
      Yep, as I relayed in the report the largemouth was gill hooked, bleeding, and likely not going to make it. I'm normally a catch-and-release only person (with the exception of snakeheads) but decided he was a good one to keep as a Gyotaku candidate (Japanese fish printing).
      ========================
      Hobie Pro Angler 14
      Hobie Outback
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      • #4
        He said it was gill hooked and bleeding. Regardless I don't think it's illegal to harvest LMB.

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        • #5
          Congrats on the Snakehead and nice write-up! Ill be sure to try the finesse worm next time. Ive also wanted to try out the fish printing, but haven't been motivated enough to do it yet.
          2013 Yellow Hobie Outback
          Kayak Fishing Blog - Cymbula Piscator

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          • #6
            Originally posted by dinscore View Post
            Yep, as I relayed in the report the largemouth was gill hooked, bleeding, and likely not going to make it. I'm normally a catch-and-release only person (with the exception of snakeheads) but decided he was a good one to keep as a Gyotaku candidate (Japanese fish printing).
            Gotcha. I was too lazy to read your report.
            The Japanese fish printing thing is interesting.

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            • #7
              HokieDJ, I didn't claim he was doing something illegal. I was too lazy to read his post and was pondering why he had a bass in his cooler bag.

              I fish for recreation. I enjoy catching fish. I enjoy letting them go to potentially catch them again.

              Anyone that regularly keeps and regularly eats largemouth bass, I encourage you to throw them back instead.

              Best wishes to all and good fishing.
              Last edited by DanMarino; 09-12-2013, 02:19 PM.

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              • #8
                LMB are kind of nasty tasting fish anyway. Throw in the contaminants of Blue plains in DC and I wouldn't touch them, but to each his own as long as you're following the regs.
                Hurricane Skimmer 128
                WS Pamlico 100

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                • #9
                  Agree, release the largemouth whenever possible and let them fight another day. However take all the snakeheads out in order to keep their invasive population in check (though given how prevalent they're becoming I'm not sure we're all making much of a dent). And if you haven't tried snakehead then put your Potomac contaminant concerns aside at least once and give them a go. They're showing up at high-end restaurants all around the area. Watermen are also getting more per pound for them than rockfish. Here's a few shots of a roasted, salt-crusted Mattawoman snakehead that I cooked up this summer. I found the recipe online and it's evidently how they're served in Thailand...

                  IMG_2497.jpgIMG_2499.jpgIMG_2502.jpgIMG_2503.jpgIMG_2504.jpg
                  ========================
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                  • #10
                    So was the big one a snakehead? Thanks for the report!
                    Ryan
                    Blue 2016 Hobie Outback
                    Chesapeake Bay Kayak Anglers, Inc

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                    • #11
                      Vietnamese people cook them in a similar way also. We just throw it on the grill until it's cooked, then peel the scale and skin off and the meat will just fall off the bones.

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                      • #12
                        Yep, didn't realize I'd failed to mention it was a snakehead. That's a fairly important detail. I'll make a quick revision
                        ========================
                        Hobie Pro Angler 14
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                        • #13
                          First attempt at Gyotaku from yesterday's snakehead catch... IMG_2720.jpg
                          ========================
                          Hobie Pro Angler 14
                          Hobie Outback
                          Hobie Mirage i11s
                          Check out all my vids at www.yakvids.com
                          Follow on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp...eAiuK2n9i5RFNg
                          Follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/yakvids/

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                          • #14
                            Your report was great. You reminded me that I have to go back to Mattawoman to catch my first snakehead. The fish on the grill looked great. As for contaminates in snakeheads, I think they are pretty low, since they are a fast growing fish, so they do not have a lot of time to get the contaminates in high concentrations. I guess they are one of the healthier fish to eat....LOL.

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                            • #15
                              That looks delish!

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