Snakehead Bowfishing

July 22, 2019August 27, 2019 Mosto 0 Comments bowfishing, fishing, snakehead

Bowfishing for snakehead has exploded in popularity over the past few years. Using a bow to hunt for this invasive species can be both exciting and very effective. A lot of people have mixed feelings about bowfishing because you can’t practice catch and release with this fishing method. Bowfishing for snakehead is particularly popular though because they are invasive and many people view bowfishing as a way to protect their local watershed ecosystem. Snakehead also happen to have the added bonus of tasting delicious fried or making a great blackened fish sandwich.

Snakehead Bowfishing — Freshly caught northern snakehead

Virginia Bowfishing Regulations

The first thing you’re going to want to do is make sure you know the bowfishing rules in Virginia. The basics are that bow and arrows (including crossbows) are permitted to be used for common carp, grass carp, northern snakehead, and gar. The only exception is that you’re not allowed to bowfish for these species in stocked trout waters. There are no restrictions on day or night hours but you do need to follow the published creel limits for those species. However, snakehead are an invasive species so there is no creel limits. You just have to kill any snakehead that you have in your possession. In order to bowfish you’re also going to need a Virginia Fishing License. You can read the full Virginia Fishing Regulations HERE and you buy a Virginia Fishing License HERE.

Virginia Snakehead Fish — This snakehead was caught out of Aquia Creek

Where to Bowfish for Snakehead

Bowfishing is great because you can pretty much do it anywhere that you can find snakehead. Most people bowfish from a jon boat with a shallow draft that can get up in the weeds. This is definitely your best chance of finding a lot of snakehead. If you don’t have access to a boat you can also bowfish from shore. Bowfishing from shore means you’ll be much more limited in the amount of water you can effectively hunt. The best areas to bowfish are going to be tributaries of the upper Potomac River. Look for areas that have a lot of vegetation. Aquia Creek, Occoquan River, Dogue Creek, and Pomonkey Creek are all great spots for snakehead bowfishing. Having said that though, pretty much any tributary with a lot of vegetation in this region of the Potomac should have large snakehead populations. Snakehead have spread to other rivers, such as the Rappahannock, but the Potomac River Basin still has the highest population density by far.

Snakehead Bowfishing Technique

The hardest part about bowfishing for any species is getting used to the phenomenon of refraction. Refraction means that light waves travel at different speeds in water and air due to the different densities of these mediums. This effects the way your eyes see what’s underwater. So the fish will appear in a different location than where it actually is. Aiming directly at the fish will usually result in a miss due to the effects of refraction. In order to nail your bowfishing shots you’re going to want to aim lower than where you think you should. For a fish just below the surface you should aim around 3 inches below it for every 10 feet away the fish is. Aim even farther below if the fish is deeper underwater.

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Best Snakehead Bowfishing Gear

Here are two of the best bowfishing package bows currently out there on the market. The nice thing about bowfishing for snakehead is that most any bows will work. The most important part

Cajun Bowfishing Sucker Punch Bow Package

The Cajun Bowfishing Sucker Punch Bow Package is a great overall option that will work well for beginners as well as more experienced bowfishers. It has a 50 lb draw with a draw length range of 17-31 inches. It also has a 60% let off to help keep you shooting smoothly. The bow is 32.25 inches tall. This bow is good for quick, snap shooting.

AMS Bowfishing E-Rad

Another good snakehead bowfishing option is the E-Rad (Eradicate) by AMS Bowfishing. This compound bow model has it all, including a draw weight range between 30 and 60 pounds and a draw length range of 15-31 inches. The bow is 35 inches long and weighs in at 3.5 pounds. The built in reel comes with 35 yards of 350 lb test line. The bow package comes with a TNT reel and 35 yards of 350 lb test line. With those types of numbers it will have no problem handling even the largest snakehead you’ll come across.

Cajun Bowfishing Fish Stick Bow

The Fish Stick is the best bang for your buck option for when you are first getting into bowfishing for snakehead. It is a take-down bow as opposed to the compound bows mentioned above. Take-down bows are a much more simple design and are great for bowfishing beginners. This bow is also significantly cheaper than good quality compound bows so it’s a good place to start for snakehead bowfishing. The bow has composite limbs and an aluminum riser center piece. The measurements come in at 56 inches long and a 45 lb draw weight.

Other Snakehead Bowfishing Equipment

Other than bows, there is a lot of other equipment that is important for snakehead bowfishing. Here’s a few other pieces of equipment you should have ready to go.

Boat

While it’s possible to bowfish from shore, you are going to be extremely limited in the amount of water you can survey. You’re going to need a quiet, shallow draft boat to really have a shot at finding some snakehead. The boat should also be stable enough to stand in even when your weight is quickly shifting during the heat of the moment. The most popular style is definitely a jon boat with a wide standing platform on the bow.

Lights

A lot of bowfishing is done at night, and bowfishing for snakehead is no exception. There are lots of different popular lighting rig setups. Most people prefer to install a rack of floodlights facing outwards in all directions from the bow platform. The best bowfishing lights are going to be BRIGHT and designed for water penetration. An important factor to consider when deciding on a light system is how to power the lights. Bowfishing lights are either powered by a portable generator or run off a charged battery. There are lots of light options out there to choose from. The

Fishing Net

You’re going to want to bring a good quality fishing net when you go bowfishing for snakehead. It should be strong enough to lift a heavy fish out of the water. The netting should be strong enough to not tear with a large snakehead and an arrow wrapped up inside it.

Bug Spray

Bug spray is a must if you plan to go snakehead bowfishing at night. The vegetation covered waterways that snakehead love are also home to thousands of bugs. You might be alright if you’re fishing during the daytime, but it’s a different story when you’re out there are night with the floodlights on.

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