Snakeheads are the heavyweights of freshwater fishing in South Korea. They can grow as long as your leg and they are at the top of the food chain in some bodies of water, often shared with largemouth bass. Think of them as a cross between a muskie, a carp and some kind of reptile. Strikes on topwater flies or lures are savage and quick.
Caption: An angler from Daegu caught this snakehead (click for full-sized image) by accident while fishing in a bass tournament.
Native to Asia, they have permeated some river systems in the United States leaving fisheries biologists and conservations groups worried that they will eat all of the native fish and disrupt the balance of the ecosystem. A reasonable theory since they are carnivores that can grow big.
A reverse scenerio is present in Korea: non-native largemouth bass have throughly populated many watersheds and lakes and have found their place among the snakeheads and other native fish. Korean environmentalists are rightfully concerned that largemouth bass are decimating native fish populations (however they are lax to note that overfishing, pollution, and the destruction of coolwater habitats are larger factors for any decline in native fish populations).
Fishing for largemouth bass and snakeheads share very similar techniques and strategies since they are both predator fish that live in the same kind of warm water environment. While fishing for both over the years, I’ve discovered that usually an angler will catch many more bass than snakeheads, perhaps around a ratio of 25 to 1. If you are trying to exclusively pursue snakeheads, it can be frustrating (but fun) shaking off all of the bass that attack your fly or lure.
A recent study came out noting that snakeheads don’t appear to be the dire threat that they were once thought to be:
“Study Says Potomac Snakeheads Not Hurting Bass Populations”
“Invasive ‘Walking’ Fish Not Wreaking Havoc Yet, Scientists Say”
More about fishing for snakeheads can be found here: “Hunting the Snakehead: Angling Tactics from Asia”
James,
I’ve never caught one of these, but I am sure I’ve hooked into a couple though. I’ve had it happen a few times where I was bass fishing with plastic worms, and something grabbed my worm and took off like a bat out of hell, only to end up breaking/cutting the line within a few seconds. And in each of those instances, whatever it was, was strong. Snakeheads are the only fish over here I know of that could do that.
I haven’t caught one yet either, though I’ve caught Sogari and Catfish while bass fishing. I enjoyed your snakehead article published in the U.S. last year by the way.
I know that snakehead fish have teeth like a musky, so wjere do I ever find steel leaders to try to catch them with? I’m in Suwon & it seems the tackle shops have no idea of such things. I see some blonde (?) Korean guy catching them on FTV & he drags them out as if they were cars being yanked out of a lake by a wrecker. PS: I would really appreciate good fishing locations for anything but carp near Suwon to my e-mail. gelynch52@yahoo.com or add me to Yahoo IM at the same ID.