How bad is the snakehead problem?

[progressive816]

I'm in the midwest, but have been reading articles about the Potomac snakehead problem. Anybody have any thoughts about it? I sure hope it doesn't invade my waters. Or has it already?

[TOPWATER]

I have caught them in the Detroit River, which connects Erie to St.Clair.

[SPAZ]

Someone has caught one in Lake Michigan.

http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/il/1 ... _lakes.htm

We already have issues with Goby's. So far we haven't seen enough to worry about them in our waters but the Potomac is in really bad shape.

[Sof]

If I ever hook into a snake head its not going back in the water thats for sure. I've also notice the carp population in my area has gotten bigger and there are less small mouth bass around, its sad. Damn those invasive species.

[tournament]

i heard there is a big tilapia problem in the the cen-texas lakes... i fish stillhouse a lot, and most people think that there are only the fish that the core of engineers site says, but i got a chain pickerel late tourney, reminds me of georgia. tore up my jig skirt too...

[Scot]

They are still being caught in the Potomac...even the southern end where they hadn't been before. I met a guy that targets them specifically and catches his share of them. Our DNR has signs posted to kill them and contact the office about location etc. The funny thing is...when I met this guy he said he heads to the shallow backwaters and fishes for them with a jointed Rapala....I fish all the same locations (I'm a shallow water fisherman), and the jointed Rapala is my No.1 bait...you'd think I'd have hooked into one being as though I'm on the River about 150-175 days of the year but not so...go figure. The Gar come in about this time every year THICK...in fact I caught one about 5/6 lbs. with my Pixy tonight. I personally don't think it will damage the Potomac yet I'd sure like them gone just in case. This River has a very long history of different species...at one time it was supposedly loaded with Sturgeon...they are GONE! The oyster beds are too....it was the white man that did it ...many an Indian tribe lived along this river and stayed fed. ...this river has quite a history.

[promax]

Yes and also we had green turtles very plentiful which ATE jellyfish around here from what i heard 40 or so yrs ago the japanese came into the BAY and caught most of um now we have jellyfish like crazy

[Sean T York PA]

Snakeheads are established in Phila area. Franklin Park and surrounding wetlands are full of them. The PA Fish Commission doesn't say a thing about it. they put out a press release saying they are there and established and that was it. My father works on the water front as a long shoreman. One of the guys lives in S. Philly and caught 7 last year. He didn't say how big. He did say that he saw huge pods of fry and dip netted them out. All were snakeheads. In a few years I'm sure they will be further up river. The Delaware River is largest river in the Eastern US without a dam. It only a matter of time before we see more of them. Theory behind how they got there is the huge Asian American population in that area of the city may have put them in for foodsource.

[LuckySamurai]

Guys,

I read about your snakehead problems... here is a suggestion to make good a bad situation... snakeheads love poppers and top water lures, ... also they love logs and snaggy areas.. (duuuuuh).. so give try fishing for them... you would love the explosive takes and the surge during their initial takes.... get ready for line being busted off and a load of fun....

[Stan Wright]

I agree, the Punji (snakeshead) have an explosive strike. Watch out for the teeth. Our bass fishermen here in Hawaii have had lots of expensive lures chewed to pieces.

The best part is they taste great. Brought to Hawaii as a food fish, they are almost gone and are rarely caught because of over fishing.
If you are lucky enough to catch one... watch those teeth while cleaning.
and enjoy a great eating fish.
Aloha,
Stan

[iangler]

Snakesheads aren't very big spawners, but they will grow in numbers gradually if the conditions are right. They also prefer warm water. But they sure are a blast to catch. They will hit spinnberbaits, frogs, smaller-sized swimbaits, and many other bass lures. Their favorite habitat are lillypads.

If you decide to kill one, make sure you don't just throw them on land because they do have lungs.

i heard there is a big tilapia problem in the the cen-texas lakes... i fish stillhouse a lot, and most people think that there are only the fish that the core of engineers site says, but i got a chain pickerel late tourney, reminds me of georgia. tore up my jig skirt too...

The mexican lakes don't seem to have problems with tilapia. It's just more food for lunker bass

[va175txr]

As stated above they're still being caught in the Potomac. The fish and gamery boys were out shocking for them near the Dogue Creek area by Ft. Belvoir and said they had thought the population was going down, but it looks like they're migrating more. Migrating more? Of course. They would surely hunt. Dogue creek was infested with them about 2 years ago just before it dumps into the potomac. Ever since a pond up in MD was discovered with them and shocked clean, the mass media coverage of it has brought out copycat's doing it for mischievous thrills. Maybe they'll eat the male bass with female eggs out of the Potomac for us.

[Snidley]

Snakeheads look like a Bowfin with some different colour markings. Their behavior seems very similar as well. Bowfin are GREAT sportfish far superior to LMB or even Smallies. Only problem with bowfin is their rarity. Snidley

[senkoman85]

I've met a few guides that target snakeheads specifically in the Maryland/DC area. They are great guys but it takes a while of knowing them to get HONEST answers. The fact is, they have a hard time finding the snakeheads consistantly.

I am personal friends with a very "famous" fishing guide in the PA/MD/DC area who I will refrain from naming...but if you're from the area you've most likely heard of him. A year or two ago, he caught a snakehead and alerted the press to "disspell" some myths about the fish being able to "walk" on land and breathe air. I was at the boat ramp with him when this was on display...he took the snakehead out of the livewell and placed it in the grass. It flopped....like a fish. A news reporter said it's because the grass was slick, so it was placed on the pavement. It flopped.....like a fish. No walking, no backflips, no traveling... As for it breathing air, after 45 minutes outside the water, the snakehead was dead. Longer then most fish? Probably so. But the potential to hitchhike down 95? Nope.

The Snakehead is an invasive species and while I'm sure it does have impact on bass and other species, look at it from the REAL perspective...

The largemouth bass is not a native species, nor is the smallmouth bass to much of the United States. These fish are now fully established in our rivers and lakes, are very common, and have a multi-billion dollar industry based around them. This is causing (I believe) much of the up-roar about the snakehead. I wonder how the natives to the river felt when the largemouth bass first took hold in the waterways. Other invasive species include HYDRILLA which has done wonderful things for the Potomac river, as many of you potomac fisherman know for a fact. Zebra Mussles (invasive in the great lakes) have done a wonderful job in cleaning up the dirty waters of Lake Erie. The Brown Trout is a very sought after gamefish/foodfare, but it originates in Germany and was brought over as an invasive species.


With all that said......I'll still kill any snakehead I see. Just shining the light on the OTHER side of the subject.

[whofan]

Snakeheads look like a Bowfin with some different colour markings. Their behavior seems very similar as well. Bowfin are GREAT sportfish far superior to LMB or even Smallies. Only problem with bowfin is their rarity. Snidley

I have caught a bowfin before. We call them dog fish were I live (Michigan UP). Can you eat bowfin of should I say are the good eating?

How about snake heads are they good eating? I like Walleye myself.
Superior to bass, is that table fare?