Snakehead

[AbuMasgouf]

I'm hopeful that something like this is the start of accepting the fish and regulating it like other sport fish. They taste phenomenal and it's a shame bow fishermen are allowed to just go out and decimate the population. Seems like VA is the one usually leaning more towards acceptance, so I'm surprised this is coming out of Charles County!

[buzz]

Acceptance? No thank you.
If they were wiped out of our watershed I would not shed a tear.

I grew up catching smallies on the upper Potomac. Accepting snakeheads would be then end of the smallmouth bass in the Potomac.

Kill 'em... kill 'em all

[Jambone]

Acceptance? No thank you.
If they were wiped out of our watershed I would not shed a tear.

I grew up catching smallies on the upper Potomac. Accepting snakeheads would be then end of the smallmouth bass in the Potomac.

Kill 'em... kill 'em all

I may be wrong, but I don't think there's any evidence that the Snakehead population increase has had any direct impact on the bass population. If so, I'd love to read some studies on this. There is a lot of excitement about the potential revenue for businesses and the state. It also may relax the stress already on some of the other sport fish in our area. I haven't heard any good arguments for deleting them from our waters. I have heard they can destroy the ecosystems of ponds but I'm not sure about bigger water like the large rivers in our area. Any thoughts on this?

[M_Duong60]

I think they are here to stay and like it or not people are just going to have to accept that they will be part of the ecosystem now.

[sparky1423]

I have been reading recent articles from 2012 and 2013, the results have been mixed. Some are stating the snakehead and bass are coexisting, actually one article stated the bass population rebounded in 2012 inside the Potomac river. Other articles are reinforcing the danger of the largemouth bass virus that the Northern Snakehead carry. The virus is spreading throughout the Virginia and Potomac areas. Who knows if the Snakehead are the nasty monsters they are portrayed to be. I love to catch them, I love to eat them...if they showed up in my neck of the woods, it would not upset me one bit!

[PigPen]

If we're suppose to kill them onsite, then why did DNR post that there are tagged snakeheads in the water. Seems like they've already thrown in the towel or they would have popped those fish in the microwave. I'm looking forward to catching some this summer.

[DOGFISH]

Its part of a study of their movements.

[Redfish12]

Can you provide more info on this alleged virus? I am pretty sure I have heard that one before and that the virus was actually present in the watershed prior to the arrival of the snakeheads and only hypothesized to be carried by snakeheads. Some largemouth tournament nuts started that one awhile back.

Long live the Potomac pike!

[Southbound_60]

I caught a very small on on the Occoquan(?) just down from the resivior dam in Woodbridge. That's Ben 6 years ago. On of my yearly new fish target species. Going to slime my new Tuna with one!

[Memory Maker]

Can you provide more info on this alleged virus? I am pretty sure I have heard that one before and that the virus was actually present in the watershed prior to the arrival of the snakeheads and only hypothesized to be carried by snakeheads. Some largemouth tournament nuts started that one awhile back.

Long live the Potomac pike!

The article said that Snakeheads have it and then went on to say that there were massive fish kills in places that don't have snakeheads .......... so it begs the question .......... did the bass give the virus to the snakehead?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/nation...637_story.html

[Jaspratt]

I plan to shoot some snakeheads with my bow from my pa, i think that would be pretty awesome.