So I need a little help.....

[3dkicker]

I got a gift card from LBF (http://www.landbigfish.com/) and I'm looking to spend $40. So I was thinking to see what you guys can come up with. Who thinks they know me best and can come up with the best combination of baits that I may use???? Remember I mostly fish tidal rivers and we've got these snakehead fish to deal with. I've already put together a list but two items they don't carry so I have a little room. What do you think??? I'll post my final list soon.....

[Captmikestarrett]

Some new braided line..

Capt Mike

[bassboogieman]

4" - 5" hollow bodied swimbaits (white) - a good change up for frog in the pads for the Potomac Pike and bass eat them also. A couple RED lipless cranks for the coming spring river fishing. Don't forget a chatterbait (white/red for the Potomac) or two and if you have any money left the obligatory bag of Senkos (I like watermelon with red flake in the spring)

[3dkicker]

Who needs new braided line? The old stuff lasts forever!!! Mike you think the snakeheads made it through the winter???

Boogie - I'm liking what you're thinking. You're on the right track....

Kick in an extra $10 to the amount. Free shipping with $50 order!!!

[Captmikestarrett]

They did by watching Harry Potter and using Gillyweed. (best answer)

Most creeks never froze over and if they did it did not last long. (real answer)

Capt Mike

[joedog]

How about a Titanium leader or two?
I also have a Pike challenge and tieable and titanium leaders have eased the losses and really seem to keep the lures integrity in tack.

Plus you get to keep your other purchases....longer anyway.

[3dkicker]

I've never had a snakehead break me off or cut my line. And I've caught a bunch over 8lbs with biggest being over 12lbs. If I was losing baits it would be a good idea......but they do mangle baits pretty good. Normally they tear the tails off swimbaits or trailers.

Mike - most of the VA creeks were iced over solid for a couple days. Except Occoquan. All of the main bays were sheets of ice. From what I've been told the snakeheads move out to main river points or main creek points during the winter. So if those froze over then maybe they didn't make it. And I'd guess a few small ones hung out around the warm water discharge areas.

[mikechell]

Unfortunately, the snakeheads that have populated the U.S. North East are not the "tropical" species. The cold weather will probably not have a major impact.

[bassboogieman]

I've never had a snakehead break me off or cut my line.

I find that true also, although I haven't caught all that many and none over 10# yet. I think the characteristic of the snakehead of really slamming a bait and clamping down so hard after they hit a bait that the line doesn't make a lot of contact with the teeth. Unlike other fish that jump and try to throw a hook with mouth open and shaking head, the snakehead will jump but it keeps it's mouth shut unwilling it seems to get rid of something in it's mouth once it has tried to eat it. It's not easy getting a gripper in it's mouth to bring it in the boat, much easier to whack them in the head (I use a hatchet) then gut them and either into the cooler (1st choice) or discard the carcass (in MD you must kill a snakehead when caught, you cannot release it or transport it alive).

[Captmikestarrett]

Not to ruffle any fins here but you can release snakeheads in MD. You will not get a ticket for doing so. However if you transport them in your boat they must be dead. Same in VA.
The funny thing is the book that comes with your license reads (As an angler you know what to do)
As an angler I release them if they are not going to be eaten. Killing for fun is a waste.
http://www.eregulations.com/maryland...asive-species/
Capt Mike

[Captmikestarrett]

Also the iced over areas may see some mortality if no air is under the ice. The fish hibernates in the winter on mud flats and requires very few visits to the surface for air. Several days in that state in fact.

Capt Mike

[bassboogieman]

I wasn't aware the regulation in MD regarding the Northern Snakehead had changed. I haven't heard that and I haven't heard about it on any of the other boards I frequent and stories of catching snakeheads are common, this is the first. Thanks for sharing, and I agree killing a fish needlessly is not something I'm fond of doing. My own opinion is the snakehead is established in the Potomac and no matter how many anglers kill and discard the species is now entrenched and eradication would be impossible. They are fun to catch and I will keep a few for eating but as of now I'll leave it to the bow hunters to attempt to control their numbers.

[3dkicker]

Saw a facebook post on a recent VGIF shocking trip on the river and they found the snakeheads alive and well.


Now back to my original post......

#1 Choice is a Furbit. These baits are deadly for the snakeheads and bass on the river. Now the question is color.....black or frog???

#2 ????

[Captmikestarrett]

Ok what is a furbit? Is it like the chatter bait I have never used?

Capt Mike

[WatterBoy]

Originally Posted by Captmikestarrett

Ok what is a furbit? Is it like the chatter bait I have never used?

Capt Mike

http://store.optimumbaits.com/c/frogs_furbit-the-frog

http://store.optimumbaits.com/c/frogs_poppin-furbit

[Captmikestarrett]

Thanks for the links.. Why does it have a spinner bait blade pooping out of it. ?

Capt Mike

[WatterBoy]

Originally Posted by Captmikestarrett

Thanks for the links.. Why does it have a spinner bait blade pooping out of it. ?

Capt Mike

From the description at the Tackle Warehouse site...see the very end.

"In a watery world of look-alike hollow rubber frogs "Furbit the Frog" is a refreshingly individual amphibian. Many other hollow rubber frogs you see out there today look a lot like each other, and perhaps Furbit does too. Until you get to its legs! It's two legs are soft supple strips of rabbit fur. Furbit's legs ripple and flutter in a manner that synthetic rubber or plastic legs never will.

The long soft thin rabbit fur legs flutter and shutter, wriggling in an S-like movement of the two tails. When you move the Furbit in short stops and starts, the hairs on the legs pull out and in like a breathing action. Nothing artificial comes close.

Furbit has a molded-in belly weight and weighs 5/8 oz. The Furbit also has a ball bearing swivel and colorado spinner blade attached beneath it. The blade adds flash, vibration and best of all causes the Furbit the frog's entire body to tremble."

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Optim...cpage-OFF.html

[MallenManson]

Never used one, but Ive heard good things about the Furbit

[3dkicker]

Originally Posted by Captmikestarrett

Ok what is a furbit? Is it like the chatter bait I have never used?

Capt Mike

Just another bait that the Snakeheads and Bass love on the river and you don't have in your tacklebox.......

Unfortunately they no longer make the all black ones. Went with the Natural Frog Poppin' Furbit and had to go with Shad color for the second one. The guys at LBF actually called me to let me know that the manufacturer had stopped making the black ones.

#2 Berkley Power Bait Rib Shad......

[bassinbob]

I never wanted to try a furbit but maybe will this year. After reading WaterB oys post. good luck.

[3dkicker]

It's a very heavy bait that sits low in the water. My buddy, the Major, uses one all the time and prefers the Poppin' version. It's a big heavy bait that can be cast a long distance and works it through grass, pads, and laydowns pretty easily without hang ups. Bass eat them and snakeheads love them but rip them up pretty good.

I got my two in the mail yesterday. Still waiting on the rest of the stuff I ordered. Christmas in March!!!

[3dkicker]

Here's the Furbit's that I picked up. Got the new Berkley baits in too. Much bigger than expected and probably not going to work as trailers for chatterbaits.

[woody]

I have had good results with using 3 inch Big Hammer www.swimbait.com as trailers. my 2 cents.


-Mark

[3dkicker]

Originally Posted by woody

I have had good results with using 3 inch Big Hammer www.swimbait.com as trailers. my 2 cents. -Mark

Nice. Similar to the one I use but a little shorter and the tail is a little different. Big key for me is the thickness of connection between the body and tail. Too thick or too thin and the tail just doesn't work right. Working on getting a 3.25" custom mold done for mine but looking at a 3.5" mold as well. Once we start pouring my custom colors I'll post some pics.