POTOMAC - SNAKEHEADS

[GALAZIO]

They look a little like the BOWFIN and have some of the same features...
I caught an 18 pounder in Santee Cooper, SC years ago. Though I had a world record bass for a minute. Ugly Mo Fo's.

The bowfin has sharp teeth that will make hamburger of a careless thumb. Although flesh heals, a stout leather glove, well-wetted before touching the fish, is recommended and preferable to Channellocks. Just past those teeth on the lower palate is the hard gular plate.

The bowfin has a tiny pair of barbels above the nostrils.

Average size depends on locale. In warm southern waters better than 25" long and 5 pounds is the norm, while up north you more likely to catch 3-5 pounders. The current World Record, from South Carolina, is 21 pounds, 8 ounces.

Juveniles and males typically have a dark spot just ahead of the full, rounded tail; this spot is lacking in adult females.

Although Bowfin are primarily gill breathers, they do have a primative lung and can breathe air. They can be seen gulping air at the water's surface. For more on this unusual behavior, see the Science pages.

[SARGENT OF ARMS]

M.D. DNR needs to have a tournament . give money prizes for the biggest & most !

[Squidnation]

M.D. DNR needs to have a tournament . give money prizes for the biggest & most !

They Do. Not sure if it is DNR but there are a couple organizations that have sneakhead tournament. They also have shocked some of the lakes in crofton where there were quite a few found. I remember as a tropical fish store owner we would buy them in bags of 50 and sell them for 19.99 each. The are a beutiful striped red fish. really one of the prettier freshwater fish. But just like kittens-they don't stay cute forever. Like patudo said they can suppliement their oxygen with surfice air. The first one i ever bought as a kid jumped out of my tank the first day I owned it while I was at school. Damn think was hard and almost crusty. I threw it back in the tank and it lived. couldn't believe it.

[Hallnass282]

They Do. Not sure if it is DNR but there are a couple organizations that have sneakhead tournament. They also have shocked some of the lakes in crofton where there were quite a few found. I remember as a tropical fish store owner we would buy them in bags of 50 and sell them for 19.99 each. The are a beutiful striped red fish. really one of the prettier freshwater fish. But just like kittens-they don't stay cute forever. Like patudo said they can suppliement their oxygen with surfice air. The first one i ever bought as a kid jumped out of my tank the first day I owned it while I was at school. Damn think was hard and almost crusty. I threw it back in the tank and it lived. couldn't believe it.

I can remember my uncles launching themselves outta his tank and laying on the steps.The remind me of tog ... they live forever outta water.

[whowantstoknow]

I can remember my uncles launching themselves outta his tank and laying on the steps.The remind me of tog ... they live forever outta water.

So the question is....SINCE THEY LIVE FOREVER AND REPRODUCE AT AN ALARMING RATE.......SHOULD WE CONSIDER THIS AND ISSUE.......YES!

they are on the evasive species list....im kinda scarred..their is no natural predator to them....im kinda having a "we got to do something about this" moment...i dont know about you but i still want to be able to Bass fish in 5 years....

is anything being done about these parasites?

[Moe Fishintime]

My father caught something that looked alot like thet thing about six years ago off the beach at Fortescue N.J., Delaware Bay.Nobody around there knew what it was back then. I sure hope I'm wrong about that.

[whowantstoknow]

My father caught something that looked alot like thet thing about six years ago off the beach at Fortescue N.J., Delaware Bay.Nobody around there knew what it was back then. I sure hope I'm wrong about that.

they are fresh water fish..not salt water..so i think you guys might be in the clear......but it could possibly become a bigger issue than we ever imagined....

[Marlinmate]

I live about 30 minutes from the Potomac and about 3 years ago, they were the talk of every news article in the media. It has since tapered off. Bass Pro Shops even offered a $50 reward for every snake head brought in.

A few locals found a creek south of DC, where in one evening, they cast-netted hundreds of juvenile snakeheads. They were filling up giant marine coolers with them. Bass pro has since stopped the reward program (probably due to this)but this certain creek, apparently is the breeding spot every year for thses critters.

From what I understand, they can live out of the water for extended periods of time and can walk across land to find other water.

Could become the zebra mussel epidemic of the mighty Potomac.