Latest snakehead adventure...

[3dkicker]

Was fishing a bass tournament but found some quality snakeheads instead......9.5, 8.6, and 7.8 lbs. Biggest one launched itself across the water like a tarpon. Amazing!

All three ended up on the dinner table of friends who had never eaten snakehead. Caught them on chatterbaits in 3' water or less.

[TN_Bassin]

Ahh snakehead... delicous and evil all at the same time.

[Captmikestarrett]

Very nice, Potomac new top gamefish.

Capt Mike

[walkeraviator]

Talk about aggressive..we had one of these in a 55 gallon aquarium once... it would come clear across teh tank to kill anything that moved...

[brushhog]

Jeez, those are huge... What's the biggest you've sen down your way 3D?

[dave]

I love catching them. 3D is right, they will fly through the air sometimes.

[BigBassin144]

Sounds like a lot of fun. Hope ya at least caught some bass for the tournament, lol.

Glad to see some people are eating them, much better than just killing them and throwing them on the shore. I've heard they're pretty tasty too!

BB

[nofearengineer]

I honestly think America will come to love the Snakehead, since they're going to fail at eradicating it. By all accounts, it is a delicious critter, and a heck of a lot of fun to catch.

Just give it a hundred years, and nobody will remember what it was like not to have them.

[TN_Bassin]

Originally Posted by nofearengineer

Just give it a hundred years, and nobody will remember what it was like not to have them.

Hmm will we forget about ever having the largemouth bass as a result?

[nofearengineer]

Originally Posted by TN_Bassin

Hmm will we forget about ever having the largemouth bass as a result?

Who knows? Funny thing is...the Largemouth Bass, while a native to most of the Eastern U.S., is certainly an "invasive" species elsewhere...it's just that people like it, so it's welcome. Heck, many of the impoundments where they have flourished aren't natural.

If people decide to like the Snakehead (and think about it, it has some good qualities to go with all the bad), then the Largemouth would certainly have to adapt to a less dominant role.

In a hundred years, how we feel about it will be a moot point.

[TN_Bassin]

Originally Posted by nofearengineer

Who knows? Funny thing is...the Largemouth Bass, while a native to most of the Eastern U.S., is certainly an "invasive" species elsewhere...it's just that people like it, so it's welcome. Heck, many of the impoundments where they have flourished aren't natural.

If people decide to like the Snakehead (and think about it, it has some good qualities to go with all the bad), then the Largemouth would certainly have to adapt to a less dominant role.

In a hundred years, how we feel about it will be a moot point.

The reason that the largemouth is considered invasive in some westerly waters along with some international ones is simply because the people wanted it there... where are the people actively wanting the snakehead in our ecosystem?

And no i certainly don't deny that the snakehead has some aspects that would seem attractive to some. Whether it be it's tasty meat or strong fight. I'm more worried about the fact that the snakehead can spawn 3 times a year in optimal conditions, and North America, climactically speaking, for the most part exceeds that optimal capacity. Plus, since it would have no natural predator to challenge it here and it's paternal insticts that would make it attack anything that got near it's nest or fry, it would decimate the local species: bass, crappie, bluegill, shad populations, all of the sunfishes, some of the catfish species, etc.

I'm just saying with a shmorgazboard of opportunities that any of the snakehead species would have, it would be a most undesireable consequence of not taking action to prevent it from further contaminating our river systems. Providing, however, the damage is not already done. Hopefully, the fish 3dkicker caught were recent releases in the system and not those of a generation of American Snakeheads.

[zooker]

i am not sure of snakeheads forage base. but if the pot' is like other southern basin waterways.that have a shad kill every winter. the snakeheads could possably stop this..as for taking away crappie or bass forage only time will tell...

and the picture above proves even ol iron hand can catch them...

zooker

[Captmikestarrett]

In optimal enviroments they can breed 5 times a year. Live born so no need for nesting also. But LGMouth eat them up like french fries. So far all the snakehead has done is eat killfish and small bluegill. None with LGMouth in there stomach have been found..

In Japan they stock LGMouth to control the snakehead.

Capt Mike

[nofearengineer]

I think we need to catch them all and have a big fish fry.

Of course, in this political climate, there will probably be some governmental agency protecting them, a la the Burmese Python in Florida.

I was watching TV where they actually prohibit the killing of burmese pythons in the everglades. They have to be captured alive, and then be "humanely" euthanized by the authorities. Can you say "doomed to failure?"

And we wonder why we can't seem to make headway.

[TN_Bassin]

Originally Posted by nofearengineer

Of course, in this political climate, there will probably be some governmental agency protecting them, a la the Burmese Python in Florida.

Actually quite the opposite, if you catch a snakehead it is actually illegal to release it back into the water.

And to my knowledge the snakeheads that are in the U.S do not give live birth. They lay eggs just like a bass. They will also spawn anywhere the bass will. While the male bass protects the fry to some extent the snakehead actually have a sort of defense plan, and attack anything and i mean anything that threatens their fry.

As far as there havent been any cases of the snakehead consuming largemouth bass. I'm sure they have but it's kind of hard to get an angle on a fish that is hoisted to the top of the food chain in a day.

Hmm if that was just a net... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUEXF71hHYM

Another aquarium situation so not much credit to it but a snakehead will eat a bass. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPGmv...eature=related

[Captmikestarrett]

TN you are right they do lay eggs that hatch within 3 days..

Here is a great link to them.

http://www.fishwild.vt.edu/snakeheads/index.html

Capt Mike

[Cavs1123]

Nice Snakehead!!!

[3dkicker]

Originally Posted by brushhog

Jeez, those are huge... What's the biggest you've sen down your way 3D?

State record is 14+ the last time I checked with VDGIF's John Odenkirk who's the state expert on the fish. One of the guys in the club has caught one that size too. Biggest I'd seen before these was a 8.2 caught by a friend.

These fish are very close to bowfin which are native to VA so I don't think the bass or any other species is in trouble of being wiped out by them. If they were I think the bowfin would have done it long ago. The Chickahominy and James river have bowfin and the bass are doing well in both bodies of water.

Yes I did catch some bass on Sat when I caught the snakes but not many keepers. Did much better on Sunday and weighed 13.7lbs and took 2nd. Big fish was 4.5lbs.

[nofearengineer]

It's funny you bring up Bowfin. Even though they are not closely related at all (despite having a similar appearance), they behave in much the same way, especially when defending their fry. I hear about people wading in shallows who keep getting chomped by a Bowfin on their ankle because the school of fry wanders too close.

[Bassboss]

Sweet snake head man!

Originally Posted by walkeraviator

Talk about aggressive..we had one of these in a 55 gallon aquarium once... it would come clear across teh tank to kill anything that moved...

Including fingers!

[TN_Bassin]

Originally Posted by nofearengineer

It's funny you bring up Bowfin. Even though they are not closely related at all (despite having a similar appearance), they behave in much the same way, especially when defending their fry. I hear about people wading in shallows who keep getting chomped by a Bowfin on their ankle because the school of fry wanders too close.

Do Bowfin breed in the same fequencies as the snakehead? I'm not sure. If not, then that would be why they don't counterbalance the ecosystem.

[nofearengineer]

Not sure about the frequency. Just their parental instincts.

[3dkicker]

I can say that the snakeheads aren't really aggressive when it comes to me sticking my hand/arm in the livewell. I had to clean the livewell pump screen multiple times during the day and I always came back with all five fingers. Same with removing them from the livewell. Reach down, grab them by the gill slit, and lift them up.

Pretty much the same with bowfin too. I've caught some good size bowfin and never had a problem getting them out of the livewell either.

[keithdog]

If'n we decide we don't appreciate the snakeheads entering this country illegally, and realize that they are a real problem, then maybe we should call Arizonas Gov. Brewer and ask her for advice.

[Jim80]

Kinda have to face the fact that we are gonna be stuck with them . And they will pretty much eat anything they can catch I was watching a show on Nat Geo A week or so back and they were showing the snakeheads in Fl stomach contents , they found pretty much every native species of fish plus turtles, small birds , snakes , frogs , and lizards throughout the study .


Btw 3d nice fish


Jim