Snakeheads?

[rboat]

What is the deal with these snakehead fish in So. Fl? I am not familiar with them. They look mean and nasty. Will they bite or attack you if you are not careful? Are you supposed to kill each one you catch to try to protect the native species? Do they eat or destroy bass populations? Will they move any farther north? Sorry about the many questions, but do not know much about this non native species. I am guessing they were introduced by some one dumping out a home aquarium?  Thanks for any info.

[SirSnookalot]

I found snake heads today, they must be having their mating ritual dance as I they completely ignored my lure.  I've caught them before and they can be very aggressive.

[lmbfisherman]

Snakeheads

 

Here is an article

 

Florida Snakeheads

[FrogTastic]

What is the deal with these snakehead fish in So. Fl? I am not familiar with them. They look mean and nasty. Will they bite or attack you if you are not careful? Are you supposed to kill each one you catch to try to protect the native species? Do they eat or destroy bass populations? Will they move any farther north? Sorry about the many questions, but do not know much about this non native species. I am guessing they were introduced by some one dumping out a home aquarium?  Thanks for any info.

There are two main types of snakehead in the states, and those are the Bullseye and the Northen. Northerns are native to asian countries like Korea, Russia, and China. They can be found in VA, MD, and a few other states I believe. They're big and nasty, and will attack almost anything. Bullseye snakeheads are the main ones in FL, and they're smaller, but still aggressive. They're all over southeast Asia and China. They will definitely bite you if you're not careful. The media hypes them up like they're some type of evil fish, but they're not that bad. You should probably kill them, and they taste good. They won't kill bass at all, except some fry. Bullseye probably won't move north. If you're targeting either species, go with a frog. 

[Hannock]

If you're targeting either species, go with a frog. 

There was a scientific study that found frogs weren't really in their diet. During spawn you can catch them on just about anything bc they're protecting their young. Frogs are probably easier (and way more fun) to use bc they'll blow up the surface in ambush. I had a lot of success last year with paddle tail flukes. Definitely my go to lure for them. When the lilies come in, I'll tie a frog on for a change of pace. They're mainly after small baitfish for food source but will attack just about anything else you throw during spawn.