Snakehead Tourny

[mg4u2nv]

Just looked on the JDs website and saw there is a snakehead roundup this saturday the 11th!  I actually have off and plan on fishing.    Anybody else plan on fishing?

 

Matt

[CountBassula]

I was going to but now I'm not sure if I want to contribute to Snakehead extermination :-/

[Shane Procell]

I will no longer particpate in snakehead bludgeoning tournaments/roundups.

[00 mod]

I will no longer particpate in snakehead bludgeoning tournaments/roundups.

 

 

Explain please??

 

Jeff

[CountBassula]

Explain please??

 

Jeff

 

I think I can, since we share the same sentiment... it's about not wanting to, in our opinion, unnecessarily kill them. They are a great game fish, and they don't appear to be having a negative impact on the ecosystem that people once believed they had. We enjoy catching them, AND RELEASING, for future enjoyment :-)

 

HTH

[mg4u2nv]

I'm a little surprised of the 2 reactions thus far.  This time last year it seems like everyone was gung ho about these.  I enjoy catching the snakeheads as much as everyone else does, and i haven't killed one ina while myself.  i just didn't have a chance to compete in one last year.  I'm very curious of the turn around.

 

Matt

[00 mod]

I think I can, since we share the same sentiment... it's about not wanting to, in our opinion, unnecessarily kill them. They are a great game fish, and they don't appear to be having a negative impact on the ecosystem that people once believed they had. We enjoy catching them, AND RELEASING, for future enjoyment :-)

 

HTH

 

Fair enough.  Everyone has there own motives!

 

I'm a little surprised of the 2 reactions thus far.  This time last year it seems like everyone was gung ho about these.  I enjoy catching the snakeheads as much as everyone else does, and i haven't killed one ina while myself.  i just didn't have a chance to compete in one last year.  I'm very curious of the turn around.

 

Matt

 

 

Hence the reason I asked for the explanation.  I was/am still under the assumption they are a nuisance fish and need to be removed.  Although not having ever fished in an ecosystem with them, I have no true opinion.  Now we find a way to catch bighead/silver carp, and I will host the tournaments!!!

 

Jeff

[CountBassula]

 

LOL

[mg4u2nv]

Fair enough.  Everyone has there own motives!

 

 

 

Hence the reason I asked for the explanation.  I was/am still under the assumption they are a nuisance fish and need to be removed.  Although not having ever fished in an ecosystem with them, I have no true opinion.  Now we find a way to catch bighead/silver carp, and I will host the tournaments!!!

 

Jeff

Both good points.  I know a lot more now than i did a year ago about these things. They are not going to go anywhere, they are not decimating the bass population, they are not eating small children.  I was more interested in getting together with other people in the area and havin fun.  I don't have the desire to kill them like i did a year ago.  Round up or not, I would still like to make a trip up there saturday a.m. and target them(already have the time slot cleared with the wife, lol).  Always like fishin with someone so if anyones free i'll be happy to join ya.

 

Matt

[Shane Procell]

Three years ago I bought into the snake head hype, hook line and sinker. I was one of the loudest opponents of the snake heads in Broward County. I was killing them like crazy and encouraging everyone to do the same. I started to realize that I was catching the snake head in areas that are full of bass, peacock bass, bluegill, oscar, talapia, shiners, turtles and everyhing else. I even noticed all these fish in the C-14, which is supposed to be ground zero for snake heads. I started to ask myself how can the snake head be a monster and there still be so many bass of all sizes in the same areas?  If I was not on the water all the time to see it for myself then I might be taken in by the hype. I recently read an article in which Kelley Gestring, who is the head of the FWC Invasive Species unit, which confirmed that I am correct in realiseing that the snake head is just another invasive species that has found its place in our local waters. I have linked to the article at the bottom.

One more thing: I am not a proponent of killing a fish just for the sake of killing. I no longer hunt because I really did not like killing the deer. Does that make it wrong to kill a fish or deer? Absolutely not. This is just my personal conviction and sits right with me.

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/03/16/man-snags-supersnake-in-margate-canal/

[CountBassula]

Three years ago I bought into the snake head hype, hook line and sinker. I was one of the loudest opponents of the snake heads in Broward County. I was killing them like crazy and encouraging everyone to do the same. I started to realize that I was catching the snake head in areas that are full of bass, peacock bass, bluegill, oscar, talapia, shiners, turtles and everyhing else. I even noticed all these fish in the C-14, which is supposed to be ground zero for snake heads. I started to ask myself how can the snake head be a monster and there still be so many bass of all sizes in the same areas?  If I was not on the water all the time to see it for myself then I might be taken in by the hype. I recently read an article in which Kelley Gestring, who is the head of the FWC Invasive Species unit, which confirmed that I am correct in realiseing that the snake head is just another invasive species that has found its place in our local waters. I have linked to the article at the bottom.

One more thing: I am not a proponent of killing a fish just for the sake of killing. I no longer hunt because I really did not like killing the deer. Does that make it wrong to kill a fish or deer? Absolutely not. This is just my personal conviction and sits right with me.

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/03/16/man-snags-supersnake-in-margate-canal/

 

+1 Captain! +++++1!

[00 mod]

Well there you go.  A guy on the water more than most of us, his opinion should be held high!  I respect that!

 

Jeff

[fstr385]

I think theyre spawning right now too.

[Diggy]

I was going to but now I'm not sure if I want to contribute to Snakehead extermination :-/

Good man, hopefully your boy LMG has retired the slaughter too!

 

Bravo also @ Shane

 

 

Hopefully more people start changing their tune, even the FWC did a 180

 

such a beautiful moment on bass resource, Im getting emotional

 

[SirSnookalot]

I don't fish for them too often but I did yesterday afternoon, they seemed to be pretty active.  I don't have an overly strong feeling one way or the other for them, just a variance in my normal routine.  One thing I found to be quite similar is a comparison to barracuda, I had each yesterday.  Both are not considered gamefish, yet both are great table fare, both fish can be aggressive and both can be followers and veer off at the last second, and both are exciting and give a good accounting of themselves.

I've been on this sight for a number of years and I still wonder at this gamefish vs trashfish comparison.  Many of these gamefish are not the best on the plate, don't fight all that hard, not all that wary and not difficult too catch.  The so called trash almost always gives a great battle, some are vary wary (if I catch 2 or 3 larger cuda in a month I've done well), many of these fish are tasty, and some can be cut up and used for bait, I don't call any of those uses trash.  I mainly c&r, I know what I prefer catching, I'll take the trash.

[CountBassula]

Good man, hopefully your boy LMG has retired the slaughter too!

 

Bravo also @ Shane

 

 

Hopefully more people start changing their tune, even the FWC did a 180

 

such a beautiful moment on bass resource, Im getting emotional

 

 

Yea LMG has now seen the light and does C&R :-)

[CountBassula]

Have you guys seen this: http://thesnakeheadhunters.com/

[Diggy]

Have you guys seen this: http://thesnakeheadhunters.com/

those are some of the roundup guys

[SirSnookalot]

I know that the web site indicated snakeheads in Palm Beach county, I'm in Delray and have yet to see them up this way, at least based on shore access.  As it stands I only fish for them about a half dozen times a year, don't care to put that many miles on to go find them, I'd like to find some closer to me.

[Greeneye8181]

I've caught quite a few out of the Potomac River over the last few years but haven't caught any this year. I kill them when I catch them but I am slowly changing my mind. Especially when I think how many other invasive species are in the Potomac. Maybe the kill on sight is slowly diminishing the numbers because it's odd to me that I haven't caught one yet.

[BigAL]

I thought it was illegal to put snakeheads back in water????

[fstr385]

I know some states they are illegal to throw back or even to have on you. Im not sure if its a law in FL or not, even though Ive heard it quite a few times... even from people who hardly fish, but I didn't see anything on the FWC site about it other than they encourage killing them, and any other invasive fish with the exception of peacock bass updated 4/17/2013. It didn't say you cant though.

[SirSnookalot]

I'm not so sure we can classify peacock bass as invasive any more, they were stocked on purpose to control other invasives.

[CountBassula]

I've caught quite a few out of the Potomac River over the last few years but haven't caught any this year. I kill them when I catch them but I am slowly changing my mind. Especially when I think how many other invasive species are in the Potomac. Maybe the kill on sight is slowly diminishing the numbers because it's odd to me that I haven't caught one yet.

 

Glad you're coming around to the Jedi side of the force :-)

 

I thought it was illegal to put snakeheads back in water????

 

NOP! They suggest you kill it, but it's not mandated by law.

 

I know some states they are illegal to throw back or even to have on you. Im not sure if its a law in FL or not, even though Ive heard it quite a few times... even from people who hardly fish, but I didn't see anything on the FWC site about it other than they encourage killing them, and any other invasive fish with the exception of peacock bass updated 4/17/2013. It didn't say you cant though.

 

I wonder if a law that requires you to kill it would pass "constitutionality" test. I for one have an ethical problem with killing things just for the sake of killing them (except mosquitoes and cockroaches, yak! :-P ) and would not follow such a law. what about people who wouldn't do it for religious reasons... anyways, getting way off topic and last thing i need is another suspension ;-)

[evrgladesbasser]

I'd have to agree with Shane on this. The snakehead "problem" has been over-hyped from the get go. I remember the guys on this forum from up north explaining how they went through a similar fiasco years ago. Personally I have never caught or even seen a snakehead in the Everglades. And I am out there fishing at least once a week. Who is benefiting from these round-ups? Think about it