How to Catch Snakehead

Inside Florida’s Most Explosive Urban Fishery

It was 7:15 in the morning and already 85 degrees. The canal I stood beside looked like something you’d ignore on your commute — shallow, still, rimmed with algae and overgrown grass. But I wasn’t there by accident.

I was frog fishing for snakeheads.

In Florida, especially in Broward and Palm Beach counties, canals like this are home to one of the most aggressive and misunderstood freshwater predators in the country: the Bullseye Snakehead. If you know how to find them, these fish will give you the topwater explosion of your life.

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The Rise of the Bullseye Snakehead

Not long ago, nobody in Florida talked about catching snakeheads. Now, they’re the talk of bait shops and the subject of growing YouTube channels. The Bullseye Snakehead (Channa marulius) is a Southeast Asian invader that thrives in warm, shallow water — the kind of water Florida has in spades.

They showed up around 2000 and have since taken hold in South Florida’s suburban canal systems. What started as a conservation concern quickly turned into one of the most exciting new fisheries in the state.

Ask any angler who’s tangled with one: snakeheads hit hard, fight dirty, and haunt your dreams.

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An Unlikely Fishing Ground

There’s a strange beauty to snakehead fishing in Florida. You’re not in the Everglades or some pristine nature reserve. You’re behind shopping centers, under overpasses, beside drainage ditches.

I’ve caught snakehead steps from traffic lights, while curious joggers asked if I was really fishing “in that?” Yes — and that overgrown corner of runoff produced a 6-pound snakehead that almost ripped the rod out of my hand.

This is urban fishing at its finest. You don’t need a boat, fancy electronics, or even a truck. You just need a rod, some topwater lures, and a willingness to explore the overlooked spaces between concrete and cattails.

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The Strike That Hooks You for Life

I’ll never forget my first snakehead. I cast a white hollow-body frog tight against a culvert, gave it a single twitch, and paused. That’s when the surface erupted. No splash, no tap — just violence. Water everywhere. A hit so loud it echoed under the bridge.

The fight was primal. The fish ran under a mat of vegetation, twisting like a snake (hence the name), pulling braid across cement edges. When I finally got it to shore — long, thick, glaring up at me with prehistoric eyes — I just stood there, stunned.

Snakehead fishing doesn’t just challenge your tackle. It rewires your brain. You start scanning every canal and pond differently, wondering, Could there be one in there?

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So, How Do You Catch a Snakehead?

While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, catching Florida bullseyes comes down to three things: location, presentation, and persistence.

Find the Right Water

They prefer:

• Slow-moving or still canals
• Areas with overhanging branches, vegetation, or culverts
• Warm water with low oxygen (they breathe air!)

Use the Right Lures

Topwater is the name of the game. Frogs dominate the snakehead scene because they can be worked over weeds and skipped into tight cover — exactly where snakeheads hide.

Other productive baits:

• Buzzbaits – excellent at dawn and dusk
• Soft plastic swimbaits – especially rigged weedless
• Spinnerbaits – A great bait to fish subsurface when the fish are deeper

Expect to Work for It

You might fish for an hour before even seeing a strike. But when it happens, it’s worth the wait. Keep moving, hit shady spots, and always watch for surface movement or snakehead air-gulps.

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One Thing to Remember

Let’s not forget: Bullseye Snakeheads are invasive. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) allows releasing snakehead, but only immediate where caught. They can not be transported alive.

I generally don’t keep snakehead as I prefer to release them to be caught again. However, they taste fantastic. Their firm, white meat holds up in frying oil or on a grill, and many anglers prefer it over all other freshwater fish found in South Florida.

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Ready to Give It a Shot?

Catching snakeheads in Florida isn’t just a fishing trip — it’s a story. It’s an encounter with a fish that doesn’t belong here, but has made itself right at home. It’s about finding wild moments in urban places. It’s a reminder that adventure doesn’t require a plane ticket — sometimes it’s just behind the gas station.

So if you’re wondering how to catch snakeheads in Florida, the answer is simple: go where no one else thinks to fish, cast into the shadows, and hold on tight.

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