Snakehead: A Different Point of View

What's the Snakehead talk all about? Let me explain a different point of view that will surely interest any fisherman...

Recent Snakehead Caught by Marek Rich by Chain Bridge, D.C.
You can view this catch on the DNR Angler's Log.

Yep, Snakehead are invasive. What does invasive mean anyway? It means that an introduced fish has substantial impact on how things work in the ecosystem, and can reproduce very quickly. Oh, Snakehead eat everything, they can breathe air, they can walk on land, etc. The media portrays the fish as horrible, ever seen River Monsters with Jeremy Wade. Well, in that episode they have a short clip portraying a Snakehead traveling on land, and eating a baby. Yes, they have some big teeth, not much bigger than a Walleye's though. Maybe they can walk on land and stay out of water a little bit, but not much. One of my friends have tested this on land; all it did was sit there. You can argue a point (and be correct) that Brown Trout and even Rainbow Trout are invasive because they have impacted the ecosystem, especially the Native Brook Trout. Well, you say "they eat everything!" Guess what...every gamefish in the world eats "everything." Snakeheads eat mice, so do Bass. Snakeheads eat Snakes, well so do big Bass. Yeah, the DNR wants you to kill them and I agree. But you will never ever get rid of the population of Snakehead. It's kind of like Largemouths, you can never get rid of them no matter how many you keep. It is not illegal to release one back into it's "new home" but you cannot take it alive or transport it alive to anywhere. Out West they have poisoned whole watersheds just to get rid of a certain type of fish, I am positive that won't happen here.

So, take it all in, next time you catch a Snakehead, think of it as an accomplishment, it will soon become a gamefish where people are targeting Snakehead solely.

To wrap it all up, I do agree with the Maryland DNR that Snakeheads should be removed and are having a negative impact on the ecosystem of the Potomac. I wish they could all be gone, but they do give a mighty hard pull on your line and hit lures aggressively, we Marylanders will have to get use to them.


Here is an article from the DNR...
Source: DNR Fisheries News

Catch a snakehead and win a prize worth up to $200

Annapolis, Md. (March 28, 2012) – Anglers who catch a snakehead fish could win prizes worth up to $200 in the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) second annual snakehead contest. Anyone who removes at least one of the invasive, non-native fish from the Chesapeake Bay’s watershed has the chance to walk away with prizes from Bass Pro Shops at Arundel Mills, the Maryland Park Service, the Potomac River Fisheries Commission and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. To enter, an angler should submit catch details and a photo of their dead snakehead online through the DNR Angler’s log, a popular social fishing site, atdnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/fishingreport/log.asp.

“We do not want snakeheads in our waters,” said DNR Inland Fisheries Director Don Cosden. “This initiative is a way to remind anglers that it is important to catch and remove this invasive species of fish.”

The Northern snakehead is a non-native, invasive species that someone illegally introduced to the Potomac River. Since its introduction, the population has expanded because of the fish’s ability to adapt to the ecosystem. Snakeheads now prowl the Potomac River and many of its tributaries from Great Falls to the mouth of the river. Anglers have found the fish as far away as the Rhode and Nanticoke Rivers. As top predators, they rely on other species for food and could negatively impact the ecosystem and other valuable fish populations.

“These fish clobber any type of moving bait you throw,” said Rodney Hose of Lexington Park, who won the Bass Pro Shops gift card in last year’s contest. “When they smash into your lure, be prepared for a fight- especially if they are around some sort of cover.”

Hose caught his winner along the Occoquan River shoreline in September.

Three lucky anglers will win from a random drawing. The prizes include a $200 gift card from Bass Pro Shops, a Maryland State Passport, which provides unlimited day-use entry for up to ten passengers in a vehicle, unlimited boat launching at State Park facilities and a 10 percent discount on State-operated concessions and boat rentals, or a Potomac River Fisheries Commission fishing license. DNR staff will randomly draw the winner on November 30, 2012.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is providing an embroidered “Snakehead Control” ball cap for anglers who report tagged snakeheads through the (800) 448-8322 line.

To learn how to identify and kill a snakehead, watch a short video at, dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/bass/index.asp.

“We don’t expect that anglers will eradicate the snakehead population,” said Joe Love, DNR Tidal Bass program manager. “We do believe this promotion and inspiration of anglers can help control the snakehead population. The information we gain from the Angler’s Log reports are also helpful in assessing the abundance, spread and impact of these feisty fish.”

DNR reminds anglers that it is illegal to possess a live northern snakehead in Maryland. Additionally, Federal law prohibits the transport of live snakeheads into the U.S. or across State lines.