Found answer to where all (or most) of the bowfished Snakeheads end up...

[Snakehead Hunter]

I know many people keep them on stringer till they're done fishing. I usually keep them on stringer till i'm done fishing then I cut the gills to bleed them and paddle back.

[Runnin]

Kill em all. They don't belong here. Bass in DC section of Potomac are no where close tohe numbers they used to be.

[BassMoore]

Not where they used to be ?.. the # of 5 lbs in the Potomac has doubled from the last study they took since snake heads.. the amount of small bass is up as well.. and that's with more people keeping the fish

[FL Boy]

Me and my wife are moving to Waldorf and while we where up their looking at houses I saw a lot of boats rigged for bow fishing. I was wondering what people are bow fishing for in MD. It makes sense now.

[NukeMD]

I am not saying I know the answer, but is it legal to sell fish to a market and/or restaurant without a commercial fishing license? Personally, I really enjoyED catching snakeheads. Haven't caught one in over a year, so going to Mattawoman is becoming less attractive to me and my fishing buddies since it is so far away for us. While I can catch LMB or SMB closer to home, I liked going way down there just for the snakeheads. I wish people would practice moderation so others can enjoy catching those toothy monsters as well. Reminds me of living in Pax River in the early 80's when the commercial fishermen were running their nets deeper than normal and catching just about everything before it had a chance to run up the Chesapeake. I wonder if these are the same people who go to a Starbucks and take all the Splenda packets because they are free and leave nothing for the other customers? Just kidding...sort of.

[Mike]

Like the snakehead or not, the reality is it's here to stay. There's no feasible way to eradicate a population this large and geographically spread out. And remember, the largemouth bass is not a native fish either, it's just been here a lot longer. There seems to be a lot of angst reserved for the snakehead, but the blue catfish is doing a lot more real damage yet I don't hear the same outrage over it.

Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, common carp, bluegill and brown trout are only some of the common nonnative species that dominate freshwater fisheries in the Bay watershed. Without introductions, "freshwater sportfishing wouldn't be much of a sport or viable industry," said Don Cosden, director of inland fisheries for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Some popular nonnatives such as largemouth bass and rainbow trout continue to be reared in hatcheries and stocked around the Bay watershed.
The blue catfish expansion, though, has been rapid. They are now established in all of Virginia's tidal tributaries, and have colonized and are rapidly expanding in the Potomac.
http://www.bayjournal.com/article/bl...ver_ecosystems

[clm]

They ran some need articles locally on Blue cats a month ago. They had a tournament, taught kids and adults how to catch them, served a bunch of them cooked various ways at Smallwood state park. They are urging people to keep them, but they did not mandate a kill on sight decree like they originally did with the SH. I fish for cats a lot. I keep a lot and give a lot away. Coworkers and the guys on the bank that aren't doing as well. If I catch a whopper though, 20 lbs and up, I plan on taking a pic and releasing him. I talk to the glitter boat guys when I come in and they say they are catching the cats on their lures. Yeah, they are spreading fast. I love catching them. I can't see myself killing anything unless I'm going to use it.

[buzz]

Lets clear something up. Although largemouth bass and snakeheads are non-native species there is a difference in how and why they got here.

Largemouth bass, although invasive by definition are not considered an invasive species in the Potomac watershed because they were officially introduced here. Sure, maybe not much thought was given to how they would affect the ecosystem, but that was 150 years ago. I would never expect someone from 150 years ago to be as environmentally aware as we are now. And at no time did DNR (or any DNR predecessors) decide that we need to get rid of or control the population of LMB.

Snakeheads, on the other hand, were illegally released into local waters by the same kind of idiot that dumps their overgrown pet alligator in the local pond. And as we all know, snakeheads are on the DNR's hit list.

[VuDism]

from here on out i'm keeping every legal size bass i catch.

[Snakehead Hunter]

from here on out i'm keeping every legal size bass i catch.

I keep 5 biggest one

[BassMoore]

I keep 5 biggest one

thats pretty pathetic from both of you really..

bass arent doing anything to hurt people..
snakeheads arent doing anything to hurt people.. people are trying to bow them for a quick dollar.

its a damn fish.. isnt the whole reason we go out to fish to have fun?.. how can anyone have fun if all we are worried about is keeping these fish.. just doesnt make ay sense to me.

everyone eats fish.. i eat fish.. mainly just perch and rock.. i let all freshwater fish live.

its fun to catch fish.. if 100 people in maryland had your philosophy to keep the 5 biggest bass they catch.. in 1 day thats 500 fish... in one day... and we all fish more then 1 day

your taking away from the kids, or people who will or are getting into fishing..if your just keeping fish out of spite.

u know what gets people hooked... catching a big fish.. not just catching dinks... u keep all these fish.. snakehead of bass... your taking away from some one else...


a couple bow hunters are NEVER going to decimate the # of snake heads in the Potomac. netters have destroyed rock fish counts.. but u know what.. theres MILLLLIONNNNNNSSSS of babys... but they dont hang out in the bay that often anymore.. any idea why?.. bc some people.. and some corporations are effing slobs... and the bay is destroyed.. poluted.. fish dont want to stay in here.. they move to clearer water...

you dont have to go and get all deffense bc a couple people are trying to make a living on snakeheads.. u do not have to kill a snakehead if u release it in the same water..

just go out and have fun fishing, even if u catch a 4-5 lb bass.. or a 30 inch snakehead.. lets be honest most people dont eat fish 2-3 days a week.. so if arent going to eat it.. release it.. let some one else get a thrill ride of catching that big fish..

[Memory Maker]

Lets clear something up. Although largemouth bass and snakeheads are non-native species there is a difference in how and why they got here.

Largemouth bass, although invasive by definition are not considered an invasive species in the Potomac watershed because they were officially introduced here. Sure, maybe not much thought was given to how they would affect the ecosystem, but that was 150 years ago. I would never expect someone from 150 years ago to be as environmentally aware as we are now. And at no time did DNR (or any DNR predecessors) decide that we need to get rid of or control the population of LMB.

Snakeheads, on the other hand, were illegally released into local waters by the same kind of idiot that dumps their overgrown pet alligator in the local pond. And as we all know, snakeheads are on the DNR's hit list.

HUH ? ......... They were both illegally brought here .......... except back then there was no DNR ........ just like trout out west ........ they were introduced from the water supply's of trains by people that wanted to see them in the waters of the west ........ They may be on the hit list but I think that is changing ........ no longer required to kill them and you can release them ......... now there is a survey by the Feds I think ( could be DNR) asking if they should be made a game fish

[Memory Maker]

thats pretty pathetic from both of you really..

bass arent doing anything to hurt people..
snakeheads arent doing anything to hurt people.. people are trying to bow them for a quick dollar.

its a damn fish.. isnt the whole reason we go out to fish to have fun?.. how can anyone have fun if all we are worried about is keeping these fish.. just doesnt make ay sense to me.

everyone eats fish.. i eat fish.. mainly just perch and rock.. i let all freshwater fish live.

its fun to catch fish.. if 100 people in maryland had your philosophy to keep the 5 biggest bass they catch.. in 1 day thats 500 fish... in one day... and we all fish more then 1 day

your taking away from the kids, or people who will or are getting into fishing..if your just keeping fish out of spite.

u know what gets people hooked... catching a big fish.. not just catching dinks... u keep all these fish.. snakehead of bass... your taking away from some one else...


a couple bow hunters are NEVER going to decimate the # of snake heads in the Potomac. netters have destroyed rock fish counts.. but u know what.. theres MILLLLIONNNNNNSSSS of babys... but they dont hang out in the bay that often anymore.. any idea why?.. bc some people.. and some corporations are effing slobs... and the bay is destroyed.. poluted.. fish dont want to stay in here.. they move to clearer water...

you dont have to go and get all deffense bc a couple people are trying to make a living on snakeheads.. u do not have to kill a snakehead if u release it in the same water..

just go out and have fun fishing, even if u catch a 4-5 lb bass.. or a 30 inch snakehead.. lets be honest most people dont eat fish 2-3 days a week.. so if arent going to eat it.. release it.. let some one else get a thrill ride of catching that big fish..

Well said Zach ........ +1

[VuDism]

thats pretty pathetic from both of you really..

bass arent doing anything to hurt people..
snakeheads arent doing anything to hurt people.. people are trying to bow them for a quick dollar.

its a damn fish.. isnt the whole reason we go out to fish to have fun?.. how can anyone have fun if all we are worried about is keeping these fish.. just doesnt make ay sense to me.

everyone eats fish.. i eat fish.. mainly just perch and rock.. i let all freshwater fish live.

its fun to catch fish.. if 100 people in maryland had your philosophy to keep the 5 biggest bass they catch.. in 1 day thats 500 fish... in one day... and we all fish more then 1 day

your taking away from the kids, or people who will or are getting into fishing..if your just keeping fish out of spite.

u know what gets people hooked... catching a big fish.. not just catching dinks... u keep all these fish.. snakehead of bass... your taking away from some one else...


a couple bow hunters are NEVER going to decimate the # of snake heads in the Potomac. netters have destroyed rock fish counts.. but u know what.. theres MILLLLIONNNNNNSSSS of babys... but they dont hang out in the bay that often anymore.. any idea why?.. bc some people.. and some corporations are effing slobs... and the bay is destroyed.. poluted.. fish dont want to stay in here.. they move to clearer water...

you dont have to go and get all deffense bc a couple people are trying to make a living on snakeheads.. u do not have to kill a snakehead if u release it in the same water..

just go out and have fun fishing, even if u catch a 4-5 lb bass.. or a 30 inch snakehead.. lets be honest most people dont eat fish 2-3 days a week.. so if arent going to eat it.. release it.. let some one else get a thrill ride of catching that big fish..

I was actually just trolling. I don't even like Bass meat like that. . .

as expected though... i get frowned upon for saying i'm gonna keep LEGALLY caught Bass...

[Snakehead Hunter]

Why should I feel ashamed? I'm not keeping illegal fish? I went fishing for SH and get nothing but 10+ bass. Bass eat SH fry, taking out bass will help SH. I go fishing for fun too but catching no fish is no fun. Bass is more of a trash fish to me.