Invasive Snakeheads Are Loose in SE MO.

[tjm]

Per  the USGS they are in a few other AR drainages as well  some of them are Big & Little  Piney Creek Caney Creek Cache River Lower White Lower Arkansas Little Red

[FishnDave]

Its unfortunate that we have a new non-native species that wasn't intentionally stocked.  There's so much fear-mongering associated with this one.  I saw a post on FB or IG about this.  One commenter made several posts freaking out about them "walking on land!!"  They aren't coming for your pets or children.

Their range is expanding, they definitely will spread further into Missouri.

Online info says they've been in Arkansas since the first report in 2008.  16 years!  Still, most Arkansas anglers have never seen one.  "Accidental release/escape from a commercial fish farm."  Isn't that how Bighead, Silver, and Grass Carp all became established as well?  Snakeheads were Federally banned in 2002, why were they allowed to continue farming them in 2008?

Fish already compete with other fish for food.  Add another predator, the fish populations will balance out to accomodate it.  I don't feel snakeheads are going to eradicate other species. We've stocked muskies in lakes... they don't eat all the bass.

They have a preferred habitat, which seems to overlap most with Bowfin.  Even their spawning is similar.  Maybe that's why the 2 species look so much alike. I like catching Bowfin.  Will snakeheads displace Bowfin?  I hope not.  So far, on the East Coast, the 2 often inhabit the same waters.

@Ham introduced me to a few.  They were interesting, kinda pretty, challenging and exciting to catch on fly!

Northern Snakehead:

Eyetail Bowfin:

 

[BilletHead]

            Tonight, on the outdoor channel are repeat episodes of Wildfed. I like this show and DVR it to watch when I get a chance. I just watched snakehead and Shiso. It will be repeated throughout the evening into the wee hours of the morning. It along with this discussion is worth watching. 

WildFed - Outdoor Channel      (Need to right click at least on my laptop to open the link or google up wildfed and search the listing)

   I know some introduced species have found a positive niche in nature. Many have actually but why take a chance? if they were meant to be here, they would have evolved here. As many invasives that have worked out there is on the other side of the coin really changed things to the worse.  If I ever get the chance to catch one, I will kill it and eat it. 

        

[FishnDave]

They are here, and not ever going away.  Why malign the fish?  They didn't ask for it, but are surviving the best they can.  We can stress and worry and freak out about this thing we have no control over.  Or go catch some and enjoy the experience.  Maybe an over-reaction would be to now introduce Wels Catfish and Arapaima to try and eliminate the Snakeheads?  😜

There's been articles about Flathead Catfish INVADING Georgia.  GEORGIA!!  omg, they might affect the prized Redbreast Sunfish! (Redbreast Sunfish are cool... but I saw an article that actually gave that as a reason to fan negative emotions towards Flatheads.) Please... Flatheads are native to our continent.  They are never found in huge numbers ANYWHERE throughout their extensive native range.  Top level predators generally help keep the entire ecosystem HEALTHY.   

These invasives are a concern, but since it can't be reversed, and nothing is going to be done about it.... why stoke sensationalistic claims that they will take over and eliminate native fish stocks...of which many already may not be truly native.  Blue Cats were stocked in NE U.S. and now are affecting Chesapeake Bay fish and shellfish.  That's a legitimate concern.  HUMANS are responsible for that fiasco, and now we blame the fish?  Cripes....

[tjm]

The fish deserves no blame, nor does it deserve any quarter. Kill as many as you can. It's not blaming the fish to eat it, that is the whole entire purpose of a fish's existence. Fish spent zillions of years evolving to be perfect when baked or fried, we shouldn't let all that development be wasted.

[snagged in outlet 3]

1 hour ago, tjm said:

Fish spent zillions of years evolving to be perfect when baked or fried,

Poached in butter please...

[jdmidwest]

How long is a Zillion?  Snakehead are surely aliens from another world......

[Linhardt]

On 6/3/2024 at 8:15 PM, BilletHead said:

            Tonight, on the outdoor channel are repeat episodes of Wildfed. I like this show and DVR it to watch when I get a chance. I just watched snakehead and Shiso. It will be repeated throughout the evening into the wee hours of the morning. It along with this discussion is worth watching. 

WildFed - Outdoor Channel      (Need to right click at least on my laptop to open the link or google up wildfed and search the listing)

   I know some introduced species have found a positive niche in nature. Many have actually but why take a chance? if they were meant to be here, they would have evolved here. As many invasives that have worked out there is on the other side of the coin really changed things to the worse.  If I ever get the chance to catch one, I will kill it and eat it. 

        

I watch that show all the time.  Seemed like great recipes they had for those snakeheads even their eggs.  They also seem to think it is a great tasting fish.  Would be interesting to try to catch and eat one some time just to see.

[Johnsfolly]

On 6/4/2024 at 11:02 AM, FishnDave said:

Blue Cats were stocked in NE U.S. and now are affecting Chesapeake Bay fish and shellfish.  That's a legitimate concern. 

Was going to bring this one up but saw that you did. I don't worry about flathead like I do the effects of those big blue cats. The young striper recruitment has been dismal the last few years in the bay. Could be warmer water temps but also increased predation in the spawning creeks and rivers that didn't have a large predator like blue cats previously. As agressive as pickerel might be they aren't really going to make a big impact on juvenile stirper numbers. Those young fish were more likely to be eaten by other stripers once they got into the bay. Now there are blue cats in all of the big rivers and almost all of the smaller tributaries on both sides of the bay. Snakeheads have expanded into those same areas as well. I saw four the other night while I was out fishing a small creek for darters. Had to kick one out of my way as I headed upstream. Also they have been finding crabs in the stomachs of blue cats and over the last few years the crab populations are dropping as well. I found out that there isn't the processing plants locally that can handle the blue cats. So there isn't a real viable commercial utilization of those fish yet.

[Johnsfolly]

5 hours ago, Linhardt said:

I watch that show all the time.  Seemed like great recipes they had for those snakeheads even their eggs.  They also seem to think it is a great tasting fish.  Would be interesting to try to catch and eat one some time just to see.

We do like to eat them when we catch them.