![]() ![]() Starting your snakehead hunt is as easy as finding that info online and choosing a body of water you want to target. State game agencies have information on bodies of water that hold snakeheads. Where to Find Snakeheads Snakehead habitat Scott Einsmann This fish was caught off a grass point that extended into the channel Scott Einsmann But if you catch a fish and don’t want to eat it, you can snap a photo and release it in the same spot you caught it. This is to prevent spreading the fish into new bodies of water. So, if you’re keeping a fish for the table you can’t keep it alive. Read your state laws carefully, but in my home state of Virginia, the law states you must kill a snakehead if you move it from one location to another. Harvest them if you want to eat the meat or release them if you don’t.ĭespite what you might hear on Facebook, you can legally release snakeheads. There’s no need to kill every snakehead or throw them up on the banks in the name of saving bass. We might as well embrace them in those fisheries and enjoy the new resource. ![]() What we do know is that we aren’t getting rid of snakeheads in bodies of water that have an established population. The long-term impact they would have on a smaller body of water is unknown, which is why biologists urge all of us to not introduce them to new water. It’s a large and diverse waterway, which is a far cry from the small lakes and streams where snakeheads have recently been found. The Potomac River has had a snakehead population for over 20 years, and according to, Virginia DWR biologist, John Odenkirk, snakeheads haven’t negatively affected game fish populations. While snakeheads can survive out of water for short periods of time, they cannot walk on land. And no, they aren’t walking on land to new bodies of water. But, people continue to move these fish into new waters despite the urging of biologists. Bucket biologists can face a $2,500 fine and up to one year in jail for illegally stocking snakeheads in Virginia. Introducing a non-native species is never a good thing for a natural ecosystem, and wildlife agencies have tough penalties for anyone caught spreading snakeheads to new water. Snakeheads are a species native to east-Asia, but have been introduced to countries around the world through the pet trade and illegal aquaculture. What Anglers Need to Know About Snakeheads Snakeheads live in shallow backwaters and mostly eat small baitfish Scott Einsmann If these fish now swim in your home waters and you want to experience their topwater blowups, here’s how to catch snakeheads. Those states are also full of anglers who have adopted snakeheads as their new favorite game fish. Most notably, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. waters) in Crofton, Maryland, and that range has since expanded so widely that they are now regularly caught in eight states. In 2002 there was a relatively isolated population of northern snakehead (which are non-native in U.S. You don’t need a ton of specialized gear or electronics to catch them. Snakeheads are the ideal warm water game fish: They reliably eat topwater baits with explosive bites. ![]()
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