# bladensburg snake heads



## surfnsam (Apr 28, 2008)

went to bladensburg water front park to hunt down some snake heads saturday. 4 of us in our kayaks searched the area for about a mile and a half and only hooked in to 1 but the angler couldnt land it he said it made a hell of a mess out his mouse lure another guy pulled in a 19" catfish, and myself and the other yaker got skunked fished the piers hard and all the cuts down stream but nothing.

come to find out that the EPA came in on thursday and electro shocked around the area and removed like 40 snake heads that sucks they should leave them for us to catch:beer:


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## JPChase (Jul 31, 2010)

electro shocked? Not very sporting!


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

They're wasting their time, and quite frankly, it's hilarious... You're never gonna get rid of those things.


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## Fresh/Saltmaniac (Apr 17, 2010)

solid7 said:


> They're wasting their time, and quite frankly, it's hilarious... You're never gonna get rid of those things.


We're never gonna get rid of them but at least we can control their numbers and minimize the damage they're doing, so no, they're not wasting their time. Still, I agree with surfnsam, they deserve to be caught by anglers, in my opinion they're great sportfish.


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

Fresh/Saltmaniac said:


> minimize the damage they're doing, so no, they're not wasting their time.


I'm still waiting to see this quantified... I've seen biologists even downplaying the so-called "impact".

Game fish. Fish on.


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## catman (May 28, 2001)

To date there's absolutely no scientific proof that SH's have adversly affected the population of other fish. It's simply the natural order of things.


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## Stinky_Pete (Mar 28, 2011)

The DNR has gone too far!


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## Twinkies (Jul 1, 2011)

solid7 said:


> I'm still waiting to see this quantified... I've seen biologists even downplaying the so-called "impact".
> 
> Game fish. Fish on.


Here we go again.


Nice job DNR! Without the help and support of DNR and everyone, there would be an infestation problem. Let them lose and you WILL see an impact. No limit fishing must be fun.

Thank you Florida people for keeping them under control. Keep up the good work. They fail to see an impact because they are doing everything in their power to keep them under control. Thank you Florida scientists for failing to see why they are under control and not have a "catastrophic" impact.


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

Twinkies - You specifically said you weren't posting anything else on snakehead issues. I can prove it! (liar)

But I'm glad you got your emotional word in edgewise. To be perfectly honest, my best guess is that the snakehead population is being kept in check by manmade global warming.


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## surfnsam (Apr 28, 2008)

i think the woman that runs the rental place called them. she told us that she was attacked by one while she was in her kayak, must have gotten too close to a nest. as nasty as the water looks it was pretty clear i could see the bottom in 2+' of water and the wildlife i pretty awsome too. bald eagles, heron, geese and a lot of snapping turtles, they should be able to control the snake heads im sure the have eaten a few


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## the pyromaniac (Oct 9, 2011)

People need to remember that the iirrational hate is pretty stupid. Largemouth bass are also introduced/invasive and nobody has a problem with that...


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

the pyromaniac said:


> People need to remember that the iirrational hate is pretty stupid. Largemouth bass are also introduced/invasive and nobody has a problem with that...


That's right. But largemouth bass have a huge lobby, and numerous fan clubs. (legions of guys who can't catch moderately challenging fish) Until snakeheads have that kind of money riding on them, they're anathema to every other creature, invasive or not.


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## catman (May 28, 2001)

I think it's great that the snakeheads are quickly gaining the image as the Badboys of the river. They're our next great fishery folks. Viva La Snakesheads.


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## Tracker16 (Feb 16, 2009)

OK guys get serious, DNR shocks fish to get an estimate of the population in a certain body of water. It does not kill the fish but only stuns them for a few minutes. They were only getting a head count not trying to erradicate the species.


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

Tracker16 said:


> OK guys get serious, DNR shocks fish to get an estimate of the population in a certain body of water. It does not kill the fish but only stuns them for a few minutes. They were only getting a head count not trying to erradicate the species.


That kind of logic has no place in a snakehead conversation. Let's make an immediate U-turn back to fearmongering and paranoia, with a good dose of hero worship (governmental wildlife agencies) thrown in for good measure.


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## Tracker16 (Feb 16, 2009)

solid7 said:


> that kind of logic has no place in a snakehead conversation. Let's make an immediate u-turn back to fearmongering and paranoia, with a good dose of hero worship (governmental wildlife agencies) thrown in for good measure.


!!!Snakeheads are coming!!! Run for your lives !!! Hide the children and the dog. Ya know I heard just the other day a snakehead jumped right into this guys boat and bit him right in the neck. Plum near bit his head clean off. Lucky for him DNR saw it all happen and saved the day and kilt that nasty snakehead....How's that for fearmongering and hero worship


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## dena (Jun 20, 2010)

Tracker16 said:


> OK guys get serious, DNR shocks fish to get an estimate of the population in a certain body of water. It does not kill the fish but only stuns them for a few minutes. They were only getting a head count not trying to erradicate the species.


It depends.... Did DNR release the stunned snakeheads? Or did they scoop them up, and remove them from the river?

Here's a recent article on the WTOP website on a world record Snakehead. Pay special attention to the part I bolded.

'Frankenfish' found in Potomac River may break world record

Wednesday - 5/16/2012, 9:36am ET
snakehead
Snakeheads have invaded local waterways, and are getting bigger and bigger. (WTOP)

Michelle Basch, wtop.com

WASHINGTON - A stunning new world record may have been set in the D.C. area.

A northern snakehead fish, which some people call "Frankenfish," was pulled out of a tributary of the Potomac River by a Woodbridge man. The fish, which isn't supposed to live in the D.C. area, weighed in at more than 18 pounds.

"We have an unofficial world record that was caught here on the Potomac River, over 18 pounds. And that's pretty big," says Potomac River bass fishing guide Steve Chaconas.

The current world record, set in Japan in 2004, is 17 pounds, 4 ounces.

The certification process is underway to determine if it really is an official International Game Fish Association all-tackle record.

"I caught a 14-pounder just a few weeks ago," Chaconas says. "And I thought that was big."

The fish is an invasive species that has only been seen in the area within the past 10 years.

*However, Chaconas says fears that the snakehead will harm native species in the Potomac haven't panned out.

"They're getting bigger and bigger, while at the same time we're not really noticing a significant change in other fish populations," says Chaconas. "Whether it's bass or crappie or any of the yellow perch. So they seem to be coexisting pretty well."

Although he's a bass fishing expert, Chaconas also regularly fishes for snakehead with biologist John Odenkirk of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries so both can keep tabs on what the snakeheads in the Potomac are up to.

Odenkirk says it's clear the Potomac is now home to many, many snakeheads.
*
"The numbers of fish out there seems to be increasing, although it was flat last year for the first time since I've been doing surveys and since 2004. So we're not sure if that was an anomaly," Odenkirk says.

"Maybe it's a variability of the data, or in fact maybe they've topped out in some of the initial creeks where they were colonized. What that might mean is there's an equilibrium that's been established, but so far it's too early to say for sure."

Both men are encouraging people to catch snakeheads and eat them. Odenkirk says there shouldn't be concerns with catching the fish from the Potomac River.

"Snakeheads are a fast growing fish. They're not going to bioaccumulate the toxins (like) some other fish (do), so I think it's definitely a good, nutritious way to deal with this issue," says Odenkirk.

Anglers in Maryland and Virginia are asked to report their snakehead catches. In Maryland, anglers can report what they catch and send in photos to the Maryland Angler's Log. In Virginia, contact the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

Well, there you go.

Of course, we'll need someone to pip in and ask what the hell that guy knows...


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## Stinky_Pete (Mar 28, 2011)

The DNR ALWAYS kills the snakeheads, EXCEPT for the few that get tagged.


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## greasemonkey54 (May 12, 2010)

if this is true we must kill them before this happens...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2S7zB6OoeI


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## Stinky_Pete (Mar 28, 2011)

greasemonkey54 said:


> if this is true we must kill them before this happens...
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2S7zB6OoeI


Horrifying!!!!! THEY ARE GOING TO KILL US ALL!!!!!!


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## cnerem (Dec 29, 2011)

Theres a few ponds over in laplata off of 225 with a bunch of SH. gotten bites but could never hook


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

greasemonkey54 said:


> if this is true we must kill them before this happens...
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2S7zB6OoeI


It is true. That's not a movie, it's a DNR documentary.

Just ask "Twinkies"


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## 9 rock (Nov 30, 2008)

IMHO they are ruining what could be a potential game fishing paradise , bring on the snake head and the blue cat and let the fun begin 


9


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## surfnsam (Apr 28, 2008)

OMG thats the Bladensburg water front park where that was filmed :beer:


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## Stinky_Pete (Mar 28, 2011)

Snakeheads are evil creatures.......they have no hearts; instead, oil runs through them, pumped by tiny radiators. Their brains are full of mustard and god did not even give them a soul. They are made in secrete government laboratories and are infected with viruses to help control the human population. They do not even have DNA and instead, have a 'scanner' stamp. If you catch one - do not look it in the eyes! It will steal your soul.


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## jaymal (Feb 22, 2012)

i b thr jus abt every day. they hang around the boat slip and under the floating docks. they r also up towards the right under the foot bridge and thecar bridge. i shot two with a cross bo and gigged four of them under the walkway to the pier. the other day i gigged a monster but the gig broke off n him from him fighting and i never got him bc he was deep down n the leaves.







tryna post this pic but idk if its workn.


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## jaymal (Feb 22, 2012)

.


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## Stinky_Pete (Mar 28, 2011)

jaymal said:


> i b thr jus abt every day. they hang around the boat slip and under the floating docks. they r also up towards the right under the foot bridge and thecar bridge. i shot two with a cross bo and gigged four of them under the walkway to the pier. the other day i gigged a monster but the gig broke off n him from him fighting and i never got him bc he was deep down n the leaves.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Jaymal!!! How goes it, brother?!? Caught any SH lately?


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