This month we talk with the founder and owner of Lowland Outfitters — who is also the IGFA all-tackle world record and Maryland state record holder for northern snakehead — Damien Cook. Our topic: snakehead fishing as fall sets in.
Q: First tell us about your go-to rig for snakehead fishing.
A: My go-to rig is one of my custom M.Fers Outdoors 6’9” MH moderate fast rods paired with a Bates GOAT reel spooled with 30-pound braid.
Q: What are your top three lures for fall snakeheads?
A: Chatterbaits, Dartspins, and inline spinners with a paddletail on the back.
Q: As the weather begins to cool what sort of changes in behavior do you see from the fish, and how do you react from an angling standpoint?
A: When fall hits you can find snakeheads a little farther off the cover. There will still be some up tight so cast up tight, but you’ll begin finding fish on channel edges and the edges of holes, too. I also prefer reed lines in the fall.
Q: Is there a critical water temperature at which you see things really begin to change, or is it a more gradual shift?
A: I’d say that when the temps start dropping back into the 60s the fall bite really begins to pick up as they feed up for the winter. They definitely get fatter in the fall. They also stack a bit more than they do in the summer, so staying put in one spot longer can pay off.
Q: Do tides have a big impact at this time of year?
A: Tides can and will impact these fish any time of year. That being said, it depends on where you’re fishing. Where we fish in Dorchester, for example, tide movement is minimal so it takes a back seat to wind, but very low or very high tides will position these fish. Low tides pull them away from shoreline structure and high tides allow them to get back there. On a falling tide, pay attention to choke points that bait will move through.
Q: What’s the biggest mistake you see snakehead anglers make?
A: Not putting enough casts in the right spot and moving on too fast.
Q: Open mic – what would you say to the average snakehead angler who wants to go fishing in the fall?
A: Keep an open mind because when you think you have these fish figured out they will prove you wrong. Above all else stay positive and patient, and also practice your casting. To me it’s a numbers game—the more often the lure is in the right spot the better the chances of hooking up. Think of fishing as a combination of luck and skill and the more you practice, the better your skills will be and the less luck you’ll need. Never think of a skunk trip as a bad one, because even if you don’t realize it, you’re learning.
You can contact Damien and book half or full day snakehead trips with Lowland Outfitters via lowlandoutfitters.com or by calling (410) 443-1528.