Fishing Forum

I'm trying to gather as much information as I can about fishing for these invasive fish so that I'll do some catching instead of just fishing.

I was planning on using a wire leader to avoid losing so many lures, lest I be advised against it.

I don't know very much about the lures/technique required for these fish. I've heard they'll hit just about anything, but that sounded too good to be true.

Thanks in advance.
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Good man!



most deffenantly as with any toothied swimmy thing I use steel leaders and trebbles.

being on top of a food chain dose mean it eats anything that swims in the water, and I dont doubt that they would not hesitate to take a bite out of swimmers.

If they were any where's near me, I would be taking my toll on them as well. There are food banks, gardens, and friends who could use these fish. so you will have no problems getting rid of them.

I am both sorry and glad I cant give you any more info on them since they have not made them up my way.

We would apreciate your keeping score and sharing photos of any you are able to harvest, and please dont throw any back.

I know steel leaders can get expencive, so if you find that you are going though them, concider making your own.

[url "http://biggreenasianegg.wordpress.com/tag/snakehead-recipe/"]snakehead Recipe[/url]
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[quote davetclown]\
There are food banks, gardens, and friends who could use these fish. so you will have no problems getting rid of them.

We would apreciate your keeping score and sharing photos of any you are able to harvest, and please dont throw any back.
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It's a federal offense to keep any snakehead alive in the US. I'll be gutting on scene I believe.
I've also got a voracious appetite, similar to the snakehead. Makes this fish a fitting meal I'd say. One very hungry creature trying to eat a population of another very hungry creature, hahaha. I want to have plenty to go around.
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a club and a cooler full of ice will solve any issues of holding live snakehead [:p]

you dont want to be dumping innards back in to the water. you will be creating all sorts of problems.
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I think I'll just go the icepick-through-the-brain route just to be sure. I was going to make my own steel leaders just by taking leader wire and putting a swivel and a snap swivel on it. Similar to how I make shark rigs just...smaller.
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Whenever I fish for invasive species (which always seem to be in possession of a great number of highly dangerous teeth) I tend to either change my bait or bring with me a used icebox.

If you choose the bait method, I would recommend using something such as toadfish, sikkin-thash, or some other form of toxic sea dwelling fish. The advantage of which is that, upon being brought onto the boat, the fish will be disoriented by the toxins and will die within the hour, rendering their potential danger near to zero.

A used Icebox will also do the trick. If you can catch a few snakeheads, then all you have to do is shut them in the icebox for a few minutes and wait for them to die.

If you have the time and resources to do so, however, I would recommend using a SW1911 Pro Series. It's a very effective fish killer, and you can even go about using it on the fish in the water if you come equipped with a pair of concave glasses to neuter the effects of water distortion.

Finally, It's not likely that you will be able to eradicate the population of snakeheads in your area. Despite being a tertiary predator (and thusly less populous then primary consumer fish such as trout or whitefish) the likelyhood that you will catch a significant number of the fish is so small that it is not worth attempting. If I were you, I would ignore the snakeheads and attempt to catch more profitable and more fun fish whilst they still remain in your area.
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Hahahahaha. Yes a SW1911 would definitely do the trick, but I'm more partial to Sig Sauer myself. I do more saltwater fishing, so removing a treble hook from a mouth full of teeth is something I have down to something akin to a science. I just had a big idea though. I'm going to be working on this one for a while.
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I can't wait till they show up around my fishing area,west Kendall,I'll do my part,though I'd only take what I'm going to eat,maybe an extra one for all the cats around the block.
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[#804000]Well Paulpro, I wouldn't want my area even get those lousy critters. I know what you really meant, but, I wish these things never gotten into our waters. Just as bad as those China Carp in Great lakes, and the Lampreys. We have so many different types of fish and other types of water critters it's taking over. We need to stop it some how.[/#804000]
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In the future they will give us more of a reason to fish,Catch,weigh,measure,photo,eat.My neighbor is an indian chief,I have great respect for you all,after all this is your land.,here is another invasive species which has now reached the everglades,their habitat is normally central Fl.and north of that.Imagine if those snake head reach the gladesI converted my jonboat,I hope you like it,converted to bass boat"no livewell"I removed the center seat,now I have almost 5 1/2 feet of deck space,plus the bow mount conversion,enjoy,with my 54 on the bow,I can mount another motor at the stern for more torque and top end speed,I got a 34lb thrust motorguide after this vid,and my buddy has another 54.I use an extra long extension handle to steer the motor at the stern,incase you are cofused,I reversed the head on my 54 motorguide,it used to be a regular transom mount trolling motor,its nice to steer from the front plus I can fish from there too.I always wanted to be part native american.Keep those lines tight Paulpro
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I watched your video about catching that needle nose gar, nice size and length they really give a good fight. I suggest that you buy a spring wire that it fits in the mouth of the fish and keeps it open. Then when your ready to release it just squeeze it and turn it side ways and pull out. Lifting that fish out grab it behind the head or the tail, just make sure using gloves so it won't slip out of your grasp. I caught plenty of them and Muskies and Northern Pike and Walleyes, also caught those snake heads and just tossed them into the trash can for the dump. I called the Fish & Game and told where I caught it and where it is now.
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Hau and Philamayaye,thats not me though,thats some locals,I don't fish for gar,but on the other hand longnose gar are a good fight.I was just trolling a lure when I got mine,using 6lb suffix braid,I freaked out to say the least when I saw it,it was my first time seeing a gar this big.This is a longnose gar 2nd biggest of the gar species,we just drove by there today,on 8st,we continued on to a place called Big Cypress,there's a landing just around the bend,water came up about 2" from last trip,just me and Alfred,he beat me again 13 to 16,we fished barbles today but probably shouldn't of,we do that normally when there are alot of fish,yea,I weighed my gar long after it was dead,only reason I had gloves was incase I felt like rowing,these gar are cool though,I really like the scales on them,my gar had a shattered scale on each side of him, most likely from a gator.Heres 2 vids and some pics,me and my new old motor an 84, yet new condition,for every generation to enjoy. Tokhi waniphika ni and Wiyushinyan wanchinyankelo
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You'll find the snakehead in common areas you would find any other predatory fish. Just make sure you don't confuse them with the native Bowfin, or around here, we call it a mudfish.

In regards to steel leaders, that's most certainly not necessary. Look at the definition of a snake heads teeth. They are long and pointy, versus shorter with a long cutting edge. The snake heads teeth are designed to grip for swallowing whole; where as it's not equiped to cut or rip pieces of flesh off would-be prey. keep that in mind when you fish for them, as a bait too large would more than likely deter them from biting, and on a hard day, they would most likely shy away from a bulky and easily seen steel leader. I'd probably use a carolina style rig with a fluorocarbon leader, and fresh cut bait. Snakeheads are not sensless eating machines. Be prepared to implement specific tactics in regards to your surroundings, and be prepared to down size tackle to tempt bites.

In regards to keeping them and such, regardless, NEVER let any of them loose to swim another day. I suspect your local Department of Natural Resources would like a count, and maybe a few specimens for research purposes. But, someone mentioned "only keeping what they'll eat." Well, that's a fine and admirable way of looking at things, but in this case, they all need to be removed and youthinized. Simply tossing them up on the bank is just fine, but i'd put my fillet knife through thier head first. They will not go to waste. Coyotes, foxs, wild pigs, and what ever else will make sure of this. Letting them go is the abosolute worst thing you can do, regardless of what your belief system is.

I wish you luck, but don't set your goal too high. Unless you have a particular hot spot for snakeheads, you may find them more of a challenge than you think. But, i hope you remove a bunch of them. Luckily, i've never seen a snakehead in our local waters; and i hope I never do.
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I wonder if last winters freez killed any,,I need to stock Big Cypress reserve with Peacockbass,we plan to reintroduce them by taking a pair every trip,we caought 400 one trip,3 of us,2 with fly rods,I alone caught over 60 on a lure,mostly small ones and usually one big guy every trip,cold killed them all,also the Oscars and Warmouth.I wouldn't mind spearfishing for snakeheads.As a fisherman,its hard for me to kill a fish,anyfish at that matter,maybe unless I'm being payed .For know I'll leave it the government to do my dirty work, they can kill fish like no other,remember all the alligator gar they killed back in the 60's or,70s electro fishing.I used to kill for fun,but I changed my ways
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its not a good idea to take fish from one body of water to plant in another.. you risk the chance of introducing all kinds of bacterias and other parisites that may not be there..

It is one thing to take home to a privet pond that has no conection to any main bodies of waters like river streams drainage ditches or lakes where the risk is nill of contaminating any main bodies of water. Introducing something that isnt already there as you know can be devistating. Just look at the flying carp in the mississippi. Those are big enough to see, small things can be just as devistating to native species.

If you would like to see them back in the waters you fish, contact your local fish regulatory and discuss it with them, they may have a sorce where you can buy cleen healthy fish to re-introduce.
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The Peacock bass were already here in the glades ,but for some reason they died in the area of the glades were we fish after our last cold spell,yet they are ok here in the lakes,and canals,maybe cause its deeper?We just want to help them repopulate quicker,they will eventually show up like in the past.This same area was good fun,we caught 400 one trip,2 guys with fly rod caught double figures,I got over 60 on spincast,mostly small ones,I even used a sabiki with just 3 hooks,I pulled up three at a time.Alfred called me a commercial fisherman,he was the one who mentioned putting some in after this winter.Its not like i'm bringing fish that are not native,but thanks for the info,I'd hate for a parasite and Bio war to break out, these waters are used to these fish[]
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there is another reason for doing as I sugested, that is finding out what has happened,

[ul][li]it is posible there is already a contation, [/li][li]posible environmental hazzard [/li][li]oil flow in or other leaks of other types from unknown sorces[/li][/ul]we had an fuel oil spill on my lake 5 years ago up in the river about a mile before the lake. One morn I woke up to the smell of fuel oil, once you smelled that stench onece you remember it for life. I live a hundred yards off the lake.

I walked down to the lake and it smelt horible. not seeing any oil, I got in my car and drove along the shore until I came to the river, and the stench was stronger.

so I drove up to the nearest bridge crossing the river half a mile up, sure enough there was a sheen of desil on top the river, so I drove to the next crossing and saw no oil,

I found a place to park, and walked around, the stench was like walking in an oil refinery, I went to the foot bridge and found the oil again, now it was just a matter of backtracking to the sorce. Behind a long abondoned store shop that was bult right on the bank of the river I found a fuel oil tank had lost its concrete footing due to under wash and it had half fallen in to the river spilling its load slowly.

Needless to say I sounded off the alarm. and the fish are just now slowly showing back up after five years.

My guess is that during high tide you got some oil that came in the glades and drove the fish out.

This is what happened on the river in fort myers florida. The fishing has not returned to normal there yet.

It would be foolish to asume that is the cause even tho it is most likely what the problem, to just asume that is is would cause one to let go any other reason that may not be related...

any time a fishery it interupted you should allways contact your local fishery regulatory to report it, I am not just talking about a bad day of fishing, we as avid anglers know that bad days are the rule, but we know when the good bites are on and if no fish are found in the area with sonar detection there is a problem that must be addressed. Just bring in a fish is like putting a bandaid on a gaping wound..

If it is from the oil spill as I figure, placing fish there will be a futile effort in that the fish will not stay where there is no food. It takes time for nature to heal it self, aka oil seep back in to the ground.

we found that on my lake the fished moved away from the mouths of the river delta due to lack of food. I found that buying comercial fish food and placeing it in the area helped to jump start the area again, the comercial fish food not only feeds fish, but it also feeds all the other aquadic critters who have lost thier dietary supply because of the oil..

In short, it is always good to investigate, find out why they are not there before taking action.
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Way to restore your waters,since Peacockbass were brought into S. Fl,cause they are from a warmer climate originaly,they seem to get affected by sudden freez,the largemouth did fine during that cold spell,and after[]
Thanks for the advice,if anything were to happen to the largemouth,I will call the warden immediately..
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this shit came from China (what else good came from there?).
i read that they pour fry to the rivers of country where they decide to penitrate.
that monster eats EVERYTHING.
my friend was fishing overseeas in former USSR republic he put peace of soap on hook and got that fish.
that shit stil alive even w/out head and guts, and i heard can survive and reproduce themselv.
so... idunno how we can fight that invasion.
this is task for our geneticists - invent smtg that kills that creation but harmless for other forms of life.
what else?...
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Bass+Muskie=hybrid that will eat everything along with be an even better game fish, that's semi native. Haha but, in all honesty, good luck to you and all others fighting off these monsters. If what they say, and I've read, I don't need to worry much about them getting into Wyoming/Colorado area. Then again scientists, biologists, ecologists, and the US government could always be wrong.

Personally, if I was in your boat (it's punny) I would just go with a basic muskie/pike rig. Steel lead, and some top waters with size two razor point trebble (correct me if I'm wrong please but you get the point.) with a big hook, at least you have less chance of catching smaller fish. Minnows work too, all fish like fish dinners, and all carnivores like meats next to them mashed potatos.

Again, sorry for the rant. Probably repitionson as well. But good luck, kill them off for the rest of America.[reply][/reply]
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