Snake Head Invasion

The snake heads are here—and this is one fish you won’t want to release unharmed. Like many other non-native species (these are from China), the snakehead can destroy natural ecosystems, and as a top-level predator, out-compete local fish populations through predation and displacement. What’s worse, it has the ability to spread like wildfire. In fact, snakeheads are known as a “walking fish” because they have the ability to live for days at a time out of the water, and can wallow through mud to other lakes, rivers and streams.

According to the USDA, Northern snakeheads were first discovered in the wilds of North America in a Maryland pond in 2002, and have since spread to 11 states as far away as California. Officials suspect the invasion began when fish kept as pets were released into the wild, and despite a heavy-handed eradication and education program, these illegal aliens survived all efforts at containment. Bass Pro Shops even put a bounty on the evil critters, offering store gift cards of $10 for fish under 12 inches, $25 for snakeheads 13 to 24 inches, and $50 for snakeheads over 24 inches. The program ended when a pair of anglers walked through the doors of their Hanover, MD store with buckets full freshly-caught snakeheads—over 80 of them—worth about $4,000. (Bass Pro denied the anglers their due, claiming that since some were caught in nets instead of on hook and line, the bounty didn’t apply).

What can you do to help rid our waterways of this scourge? Catch them, of course! They fight well and are considered a delicacy in Asia, so feel free to fill the cooler—catch limits do not apply.

Snakehead Fishing Tips:

1. Look for them in warm, scummy, weedy, shallow bodies of water.
2. They’ll feed on just about anything that moves, but are known to be particularly attracted to frogs.
3. Round, dish-like Snakehead nests can be seen in the shallows during April and May. Cast a lure into them, and the fish will attack out of protective instinct.
4. Snakeheads are protective of their fry, too, and can be seen swimming alongside schools of them shortly after the eggs hatch. When you spot such behavior, rip a crankbait right through the baby fish and the parents will usually attack.
5. When rains swell ponds and ditches, snakeheads can sometimes be observed “crawling” up the banks. Nets and frog gigs are effective ways of removing them.