They seem to be spreading rapidly, anyone here catch one yet?  I feel like it's only a matter of time before they make it into my local waterways....

I watched most of it...  I was amazed (in a bad way) by the snakeheads.  I hope things aren't as bad as they seemed from the show, they made it sound like the snakeheads could populate pretty much anywhere.  Hopefully they find a way to control or get rid of them.

Rondef has caught several here in Virginia.

I get the idea now that many people are realizing they aren't as serious of a threat as they were first made out to be.

Rondef has caught several here in Virginia.

I get the idea now that many people are realizing they aren't as serious of a threat as they were first made out to be.

I dont understand what you ment by your statement. this is a very serious threat this could destroy all fresh water eco-systems as we know it. and leave nothing left for are childrens children in the way of fresh water fishing...

They seem to be spreading rapidly, anyone here catch one yet? I feel like it's only a matter of time before they make it into my local waterways....

yeah they suck i have tons of them in my back pond...they put up a good fight...i havent noticed any harmfull effects yet(still have loads of big bass and others)

Rondef has caught several here in Virginia.

I get the idea now that many people are realizing they aren't as serious of a threat as they were first made out to be.

I dont understand what you ment by your statement. this is a very serious threat this could destroy all fresh water eco-systems as we know it. and leave nothing left for are childrens children in the way of fresh water fishing...

This isn't new for my area. People around Wash DC have been at the center of the "snakehead invasion" for years with some of the earliest snakehead sightings and some of the most developed snakehead populations (just ask Rondef, I think he caught something like 8 this summer alone from tributaries of the Potomac)

Your response is exactly what I mean. When they first were introduced in the DC metro area (some ponds in MD and eventually some creeks in the Potomac) people went nuts with anticipation of the end of those fisheries. The local media whipped up pond panic and everyone freaked out. But what they say would happen hasn't happened. Even the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has started to realize there isn't really anything we can do about it and still the ecosystems remain unchanged for the most part. Population numbers from other fish haven't changed enough from average to indicate a negative impact from snakeheads.

they have done nothing.  the news reporters just want to scare people.  and no they can't walk ;D

This guy caught a 10lb snakehead in a stren series tournament on the potomac.  Plenty more were caught that day to.

http://stren.flwoutdoors.com/photo.cfm?id=32119

I have still yet to catch one on the potomac, but it is only a matter of time.

they have done nothing. the news reporters just want to scare people. and no they can't walk ;D

youre supposed to kill them where i am...illegal to put them back

they have done nothing. the news reporters just want to scare people. and no they can't walk ;D

youre supposed to kill them where i am...illegal to put them back

That's pretty much the same everywhere.

I dont understand what you ment by your statement. this is a very serious threat this could destroy all fresh water eco-systems as we know it. and leave nothing left for are childrens children in the way of fresh water fishing...

That just hasn't been the case in the Potomac. They've been around for awhile now. They seem to have found a niche. That's not to say that the same outcome will happen elsewhere, or even that it won't develop into a bigger problem in Maryland. However, based on what I've experienced I highly doubt that snakeheads will universally destroy all fishing as we know it throughout the country.

I dont understand what you ment by your statement. this is a very serious threat this could destroy all fresh water eco-systems as we know it. and leave nothing left for are childrens children in the way of fresh water fishing...

That just hasn't been the case in the Potomac. They've been around for awhile now. They seem to have found a niche. That's not to say that the same outcome will happen elsewhere, or even that it won't develop into a bigger problem in Maryland. However, based on what I've experienced I highly doubt that snakeheads will universally destroy all fishing as we know it throughout the country.

That is exactly what I meant. The media has built up this hype that made everyone think snakeheads would destroy recreational fishing and it just hasn't happened and people close to the problem have seen that to be the case.

The bass fishing on the potomac has not changed for me, since snakeheads were found in the river.  I agree with you guys, I doubt they will cause any big problems in the potomac.  I even heard that someone caught a yellow perch with a baby snakehead in its mouth lol.

so i guess zebra muscles arn't a problem either. and if the snakehead is to be killed and not thrown back(as requested by conversation dept) i see no problem with them.sorta like the cane toad and the africanized honey bee that turned deadly.(I realize the bee and toad were brough on by human interference)but never the less there is a problem with them and it got out of hand quick.

 If you introduce a agressive speices into a invierment with no know predators that spieces will multipli very quickly and become a problem

If you introduce a agressive speices into a invierment with no know predators that spieces will multipli very quickly and become a problem

Yeah, but the Potamac has plenty of predators to keep the Snakehead population in check.

Exactly, the potomac has tons of other predators that will make sure that the snakeheads do not take over completely.  But in other waters, or lakes, snakeheads could be a bigger problem.

In Virginia, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has been studying the snakehead since it was discovered here some years ago.  So far, the Frankenfish has turned out to be little more than a curious addition to the river systems where it is located. The DGIF has determined the following:

1)  There is a self sustaining population of Northern Snakeheads in Virginia tributaries of the Potomac.

2)  Snakeheads are not competing with bass.  Snakeheads prefer niche environment not favored by bass - extremely shallow, weed choked water low in oxygen.

3) The largemouth bass population in the Potomac and its tributaries has been unaffected by the Snakehead.

4)  Bass will feed on young snakeheads.

5)  The preferred food of Virginia snakeheads is killifish - a soft-rayed fish found in the niche environment the snakehead prefers.  Snakeheads eat their prey tail-first and seem to be avoiding hard-rayed fish.

6)  Most large snakeheads captured by the DFIG show evidence of Osprey attacks.  Apparently, Snakeheads prefer a niche environment that favors them being caught by Ospreys.

7) A sport fishery is starting to develope with guide services that offer trips specializing in snakehed fishing.

Now, the sitution is still being analyzed.  But so far, it's hardly the monster fish people thought it would turn out to be.

It looks very similar to what we call a Dog Fish here in Michigan..

When we would catch these my Grand Dad would

cut there guts open and throw um back.

We would catch um on live bait when fishing for Walleye & Pike way back in the 70s.

Jeff

 

New Jersey Fish and Wildlife wants to be notified if you catch one, does not want them released. Same for flathead catfish.

Upper midwest guys - a little help here, correct me if I'm wrong. Wasn't the goby considered an invasive species when it was found in your waters ? I've heard it's now a major food source for smallies. BPS even sells goby baits.

natures has ways of dealing with this stuff even if it was manmade problems might take a while but in teh end nature rules its called survival of the fittest  i think snakeheads cant handle extremely cold water and Maryland aint had a deep freeze in 20 yrs 79 or 80 i think it was