01-29-13 Tidal Potomac Report

[Traveler2586]

OK, southern Maryland got a 60 deg day today so I decided to exercises the boat and check out the river temps.  Due to other requirements I didn't hit the launch at Sweden Point until 14:00L on a low tide, and I had to break ice to launch at that.  Water temp at the dock was a steady 39 deg with ice hanging just around the launch area and docks.

 

Moving out to the main channel of the Mattawoman saw temps climb to 46 deg, and that held while heading out to the main channel of the Potomac. 

 

Turning south, I set Aquia Creek as my destination and chose the VA side of the Potomac to reverify something I've seen over the years. 

 

Generally, depending on wind direction, between the Mattawoman and Aquia the VA side of the river has been colder than the Maryland shore, and today was no exception; with a average temp of 45.5, with low spots of 44 deg.s and a high spot of 47. Aquia Creek was a steady 46 deg. up to the train bridge.

 

On the return trip I chose the Maryland side of the river and found temps of 54.5 at Mallows Bay and Blue Banks, but generally the run was a steady 52.0 deg.s

 

On a side note, the wind was down and therefore the river was soft and flat; I was the only one on the main river.  I did run across a boater in distress in Aquia Creek, his I/O was over heating and he was letting it cool before making another attempt to reach his launch; a quick tow and he was at the dock.

 

Hopefully, tomorrow will be a good day also, I hope to get a line wet.

 

 

 

 

 

[Sam]

Good report.

 

Do you think the cold water will kill off the snakeheads?

 

Did you do any fishing?

 

Any grass coming up on Arkendale Flats or Aquia Creek?

 

We are getting winds up to 55MPH in Richmond today (January 30) so please be careful if you venture out on the Potomac. You know that river can be as rough as the Chesapeake Bay with big rollers and white caps.

[Traveler2586]

Good report.

 

Do you think the cold water will kill off the snakeheads?  No, they're established now, and have been you many years; they're here to stay.

 

Did you do any fishing?  No, I just went out to enjoy the day and exercise the engine.

 

Any grass coming up on Arkendale Flats or Aquia Creek?  I didn't see any and think it's way too early.

 

We are getting winds up to 55MPH in Richmond today (January 30) so please be careful if you venture out on the Potomac. You know that river can be as rough as the Chesapeake Bay with big rollers and white caps.  X2 on that; I decided to stay in today due to the forecast and lack of sleep.

Exercising the engine yesterday did show me a small problem which I took as fuel related.  On my first hole shot I found the engine was running rough and the alarm sounded.  This continued until I put the engine into neutral.  My second attempt at a hole shot gave the same results, so I sat in place and ran the throttle up until I hit 4K RPM's; in about 15 - 20 sec. the engine smoothed out and ran fine for the rest of the day.  So, bottom line is it may have been a fuel issue, but it was also a reminder that it's time to have the engine checked out, the water pump impeller replaced, lower unit changed, etc.

Better to be safe than sorry, I could have easily been the one being towed rather than the one doing the towing.

[spropro]

Traveler I fished the occoquan the same day. Wanted to see if there was any green grass around. Ended up on the flats of Belmont bay at low tide, water was under 2 feet with small junks of ice floating around. I did catch 2dinks on a senko. I was surprised to find them in such shallow cold water. The next day I caught a junky 3 pounder at the ramp at pohick.

[Traveler2586]

Traveler I fished the occoquan the same day. Wanted to see if there was any green grass around. Ended up on the flats of Belmont bay at low tide, water was under 2 feet with small junks of ice floating around. I did catch 2dinks on a senko. I was surprised to find them in such shallow cold water. The next day I caught a junky 3 pounder at the ramp at pohick.

 

Ya, the only ice I saw was in the Mattawoman, with small chunks in the Matt's main channel and out to the Navy dock area.

 

I didn't try to fish, I just wanted to enjoy a ride on the water.  But the boater I helped reported he had a good day fishing but didn't say what he caught.

[PABASS]

Good report.

 

Do you think the cold water will kill off the snakeheads?

 

Did you do any fishing?

 

Any grass coming up on Arkendale Flats or Aquia Creek?

 

We are getting winds up to 55MPH in Richmond today (January 30) so please be careful if you venture out on the Potomac. You know that river can be as rough as the Chesapeake Bay with big rollers and white caps.

There are many types of snakeheads that are feral, as I understand it the ones in Patomoc are a eastern species capable of withstanding the cold.

[Traveler2586]

Here is something from VA Tech.edu at http://fishwild.vt.edu/snakeheads/habitat_use.html

 

The Snakeheads are here to stay.

Abstract

The northern snakehead (Channa argus) is a large piscivorous fish that is invasive in eastern Europe and has recently been introduced in North America. We examined the seasonal habitat selection at meso- and microhabitat scales using radio-telemetry to increase understanding of the ecology of this species, which will help to inform management decisions. After the spawning season (postspawn season, September–November), northern snakeheads preferred offshore Eurasian water-milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) beds with shallow water (~115 cm) and soft substrate. In the winter (November–April), these fish moved to deeper water (~135 cm) with warmer temperatures, but habitat selection was weak at both scales. Northern snakeheads returned to shallower water (~95 cm) in the prespawn season (April–June) and used milfoil and other cover. Habitat selection was the strongest at both meso- and microhabitat scales during the spawning season (June–September), when fish preferred macrophytes and cover in shallow water (~88 cm). Our results help to identify habitats at the risk of invasion by northern snakeheads. We suggest that control efforts and future research focus on shallow waters, and take into consideration the seasonal habitat preferences.

Reference

Lapointe, N. W. R., J. T. Thorson, and P. L. Angermeier. 2010. Seasonal meso- and microhabitat selection by northern snakehead (Channa argus) in the Potomac River system. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 19:566-577. (PDF)

 

Also found this at http://fishwild.vt.edu/snakeheads/index.html

 

Summary

Northern snakeheads (Channa argus) are a fish native to eastern Asia (Courtenay and Williams, 2004), and were recently introduced to North America. The first reproducing population was found in Crofton Pond, MD, in 2002 and was eradicated that year when Maryland DNR poisoned the pond with Rotenone. In 2004, northern snakeheads were discovered in the lower Potomac River. Early analysis of the age structure of the population suggested that snakeheads had been in this system since approximately 1998 (Odenkirk and Owens 2005). Since then, reproducing populations have also been established in ponds in FDR Park, Philadelphia, PA, and Flushing, Queens, NY. In 2008, reproducing populations were discovered in the Hudson River drainage, NY, and the Mississippi River drainage, AR. Both state agencies are involved in massive eradication efforts to prevent northern snakeheads from reaching the main rivers of these drainage basins.

Based on their broad environmental tolerances, northern snakeheads have the potential to greatly expand their range throughout North America. Current analyses of potential northern snakehead distribution suggest that much of North America from Mexico to Hudson Bay may be suitable habitat (Herborg et al. 2007). Most of the traits of successful fish invaders are shared by northern snakehead, suggesting the threat of spread and impact is high (Courtenay and Williams 2004). Such traits include wide geographic range, tolerance of adverse chemical conditions and temperatures, ability to spawn multiple times per season, parental care, wide diet breadth, and large body size relative to competitors. In addition to their gills, northern snakeheads are able to breathe air, allowing them to survive in waters with low dissolved oxygen where other fishes would perish.

Our research, funded by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF), and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDDNR), has focused on understanding the basic biology of northern snakeheads, so that interactions with and impacts on native species can be inferred. We explored the habitat use, movement patterns, dispersal ability and home range size of northern snakehead by capturing fish from the Potomac River, implanting them with radio tags, and releasing them. These fish were tracked from October 2006 until September 2007. We also collected data on feeding habits and diet of northern snakehead by capturing fishes by boat electrofishing in 2007 and 2008. Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), yellow perch (Perca Flavescens), longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus), and American eel (Anguilla rostrata) were captured to study diet overlap between northern snakehead and North American species. After extracting gut contents from northern snakehead, genetic samples, and otoliths (for determining age) were extracted and sent to the USGS Leetown Science Center and VDGIF, respectively, for further analysis. In the course of conducting this research, we collected information on northern snakehead growth rates and spawning habits, and on juvenile feeding habits, schooling behaviour, habitat use, and growth and development. We are continuing to analyze our data and will report our final results on this website as they become available.

Reference

Courtenay, W. R. Jr., and J. D. Williams. 2004. Snakeheads (Pisces, Channidae) - A biological synopsis and risk assessment. U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1251. (link)

Herborg L. M., N. E. Mandrak, B. C. Cudmore, and H. J. MacIsaac. 2007. Comparative distribution and invasion risk of snakehead (Channidae) and Asian carp (Cyprinidae) species in North America. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 64:1723-1735.

Odenkirk, J. and S. Owens. 2005. Northern snakeheads in the tidal Potomac River system. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 134:1605-1609.

[DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only]

Thanks for posting this.  Now I know why they dont like my black and blue jigs.
 

 

 

Jay-

Here is something from VA Tech.edu at http://fishwild.vt.edu/snakeheads/habitat_use.html

 

The Snakeheads are here to stay.

Abstract

The northern snakehead (Channa argus) is a large piscivorous fish that is invasive in eastern Europe and has recently been introduced in North America. We examined the seasonal habitat selection at meso- and microhabitat scales using radio-telemetry to increase understanding of the ecology of this species, which will help to inform management decisions. After the spawning season (postspawn season, September–November), northern snakeheads preferred offshore Eurasian water-milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) beds with shallow water (~115 cm) and soft substrate. In the winter (November–April), these fish moved to deeper water (~135 cm) with warmer temperatures, but habitat selection was weak at both scales. Northern snakeheads returned to shallower water (~95 cm) in the prespawn season (April–June) and used milfoil and other cover. Habitat selection was the strongest at both meso- and microhabitat scales during the spawning season (June–September), when fish preferred macrophytes and cover in shallow water (~88 cm). Our results help to identify habitats at the risk of invasion by northern snakeheads. We suggest that control efforts and future research focus on shallow waters, and take into consideration the seasonal habitat preferences.

Reference

Lapointe, N. W. R., J. T. Thorson, and P. L. Angermeier. 2010. Seasonal meso- and microhabitat selection by northern snakehead (Channa argus) in the Potomac River system. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 19:566-577. (PDF)

 

Also found this at http://fishwild.vt.edu/snakeheads/index.html

 

Summary

Northern snakeheads (Channa argus) are a fish native to eastern Asia (Courtenay and Williams, 2004), and were recently introduced to North America. The first reproducing population was found in Crofton Pond, MD, in 2002 and was eradicated that year when Maryland DNR poisoned the pond with Rotenone. In 2004, northern snakeheads were discovered in the lower Potomac River. Early analysis of the age structure of the population suggested that snakeheads had been in this system since approximately 1998 (Odenkirk and Owens 2005). Since then, reproducing populations have also been established in ponds in FDR Park, Philadelphia, PA, and Flushing, Queens, NY. In 2008, reproducing populations were discovered in the Hudson River drainage, NY, and the Mississippi River drainage, AR. Both state agencies are involved in massive eradication efforts to prevent northern snakeheads from reaching the main rivers of these drainage basins.

Based on their broad environmental tolerances, northern snakeheads have the potential to greatly expand their range throughout North America. Current analyses of potential northern snakehead distribution suggest that much of North America from Mexico to Hudson Bay may be suitable habitat (Herborg et al. 2007). Most of the traits of successful fish invaders are shared by northern snakehead, suggesting the threat of spread and impact is high (Courtenay and Williams 2004). Such traits include wide geographic range, tolerance of adverse chemical conditions and temperatures, ability to spawn multiple times per season, parental care, wide diet breadth, and large body size relative to competitors. In addition to their gills, northern snakeheads are able to breathe air, allowing them to survive in waters with low dissolved oxygen where other fishes would perish.

Our research, funded by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF), and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDDNR), has focused on understanding the basic biology of northern snakeheads, so that interactions with and impacts on native species can be inferred. We explored the habitat use, movement patterns, dispersal ability and home range size of northern snakehead by capturing fish from the Potomac River, implanting them with radio tags, and releasing them. These fish were tracked from October 2006 until September 2007. We also collected data on feeding habits and diet of northern snakehead by capturing fishes by boat electrofishing in 2007 and 2008. Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), yellow perch (Perca Flavescens), longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus), and American eel (Anguilla rostrata) were captured to study diet overlap between northern snakehead and North American species. After extracting gut contents from northern snakehead, genetic samples, and otoliths (for determining age) were extracted and sent to the USGS Leetown Science Center and VDGIF, respectively, for further analysis. In the course of conducting this research, we collected information on northern snakehead growth rates and spawning habits, and on juvenile feeding habits, schooling behaviour, habitat use, and growth and development. We are continuing to analyze our data and will report our final results on this website as they become available.

Reference

Courtenay, W. R. Jr., and J. D. Williams. 2004. Snakeheads (Pisces, Channidae) - A biological synopsis and risk assessment. U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1251. (link)

Herborg L. M., N. E. Mandrak, B. C. Cudmore, and H. J. MacIsaac. 2007. Comparative distribution and invasion risk of snakehead (Channidae) and Asian carp (Cyprinidae) species in North America. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 64:1723-1735.

Odenkirk, J. and S. Owens. 2005. Northern snakeheads in the tidal Potomac River system. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 134:1605-1609.