To kill or not to kill—bowfin

[CrankFate]

https://www.fws.gov/fisheries/ans/pdf_files/snakeheads.pdf

 

just throwing this out there on snakeheads from US Fish & Wildlife. I think any snake head caught in the US must be killed in all states.

 

Every state I looked up said you cannot release them. But bowfin are to be released like any native fish.

 

I have never seen or caught one of either of them.

[dave]

On 7/28/2018 at 4:55 PM, CrankFate said:

https://www.fws.gov/fisheries/ans/pdf_files/snakeheads.pdf

 

just throwing this out there on snakeheads from US Fish & Wildlife. I think any snake head caught in the US must be killed in all states.

 

Every state I looked up said you cannot release them. But bowfin are to be released like any native fish.

 

I have never seen or caught one of either of them.

My partner and I guide for snakehead in MD and bowfin in VA.  I can't begin to explain the ignorance of fisherman (based on flawed information) that we hear on a regular basis.  This particular page is case in point to the deceptive language used to encourage killing.

 

To those who do their due diligence to the truth,  kudos.  To those who follow ignorance,  shame on you,  in regards to both to snakehead and bowfin.   

 

ILLEGAL TO POSSESS!  No government can legislate mandatory killing.

[soflabasser]

Best of luck trying to get rid of all the exotic fish in South Florida, which includes snakeheads. They are here to stay and fishing for exotic fish brings millions of dollars to the South Florida economy since many people will glady spend their money to catch exotic fish.

[flyfisher]

On 7/28/2018 at 4:55 PM, CrankFate said:

https://www.fws.gov/fisheries/ans/pdf_files/snakeheads.pdf

 

just throwing this out there on snakeheads from US Fish & Wildlife. I think any snake head caught in the US must be killed in all states.

 

Every state I looked up said you cannot release them. But bowfin are to be released like any native fish.

 

I have never seen or caught one of either of them.

nope, completely wrong.  

[TOXIC]

We just hashed this out in another "keep or kill" thread.  I got villianized by some for killing snakehead at the request of Virginia VDGIF.  Here you have the option to return the fish to the water alive or dead but if you decided to keep one it has to be dead.  You cannot put a live snakehead in your livewell.  VDGIF would rather you kill, keep or not.  

 

Anglers are required to report snakeheads kept but are not required to kill them if caught and immediately released.  Snakeheads must be dead if in possession (contained in live well, cooler, etc.)  However, the Department asks that all snakeheads be killed if possible. If an angler wishes to keep a legally caught northern snakehead, the fish must be killed to be in possession, and the angler must call the hotline or other VDGIF contact and report the angler’s last name, date of catch, location of catch, and size. Kill the fish by:

1. removing the head,
2. separating the gill arches from the body, or
3. removing the internal organs and put it on ice as quickly as possible.

[Junger]

37 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

We just hashed this out in another "keep or kill" thread.  I got villianized by some for killing snakehead at the request of Virginia VDGIF.  Here you have the option to return the fish to the water alive or dead but if you decided to keep one it has to be dead.  You cannot put a live snakehead in your livewell.  VDGIF would rather you kill, keep or not.  

 

Anglers are required to report snakeheads kept but are not required to kill them if caught and immediately released.  Snakeheads must be dead if in possession (contained in live well, cooler, etc.)  However, the Department asks that all snakeheads be killed if possible. If an angler wishes to keep a legally caught northern snakehead, the fish must be killed to be in possession, and the angler must call the hotline or other VDGIF contact and report the angler’s last name, date of catch, location of catch, and size. Kill the fish by:

1. removing the head,
2. separating the gill arches from the body, or
3. removing the internal organs and put it on ice as quickly as possible.

Hopefully you don't feel like I villainized you! I respect your own personal preference to kill a snakehead at the request of VDGIF, but just disagree with any assertion that they "should" be killed because that's what the VDGIF wishes. I see the same thing when people keep large sized bass, they get villainized on social media, but it's clearly within their right to do so.

 

Offtopic, but I find it ironic that some bass fisherman will tout killing snakehead on social media pages with tons of pictures, but when someone asks them where they were caught....crickets.

[TOXIC]

That's why the smiley face.  It's all good.  For the record, I don't intentionally kill or eat largemouth or smallmouth but I respect those who do under the established size and creel limits.  We all have a choice within the established laws and regulations.  

[CrankFate]

On 8/2/2018 at 9:13 PM, dave said:

My partner and I guide for snakehead in MD and bowfin in VA.  I can't begin to explain the ignorance of fisherman (based on flawed information) that we hear on a regular basis.  This particular page is case in point to the deceptive language used to encourage killing.

 

To those who do their due diligence to the truth,  kudos.  To those who follow ignorance,  shame on you,  in regards to both to snakehead and bowfin.   

 

ILLEGAL TO POSSESS!  No government can legislate mandatory killing.

Yes they can and do. I’m in NY and here’s the regs

 

https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/fishguide.pdf

 

I could not find a state with snakehead regs that does not require killing all snakeheads. I checked over a dozen.

[CrankFate]

23 hours ago, flyfisher said:

nope, completely wrong.  

This is why I hate the internet.

 

Heres another state that says kill them. Florida.

 

https://www.fws.gov/fisheries/ans/pdf_files/snakeheads.pdf

 

south Carolina — keep it do not release

 

http://www.dnr.sc.gov/invasiveweeds/snakehead.html

 

Another one that says it’s illegal to release. Texas.

 

https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/exotic/snakehead.phtml

 

Ill stop here. I did check Virginia. VA does not require killing or make them illegal to release. 

 

[Junger]

MD is also like VA, illegal to possess, but permissible to release to the immediate body of water it was caught from.

[flyfisher]

17 hours ago, CrankFate said:

This is why I hate the internet.

 

Heres another state that says kill them. Florida.

 

https://www.fws.gov/fisheries/ans/pdf_files/snakeheads.pdf

 

south Carolina — keep it do not release

 

http://www.dnr.sc.gov/invasiveweeds/snakehead.html

 

Another one that says it’s illegal to release. Texas.

 

https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/exotic/snakehead.phtml

 

Ill stop here. I did check Virginia. VA does not require killing or make them illegal to release. 

 

I didn't see anything on FL that was say newer than 2004 that says to kill them there.  And actually on the non native species section it tells you how to catch them and that there is no bag limit or size restriction.

TX doesn't even have Snakehead according to your link so of course they don't want you to release them in the wild.  

 

There is no way they can make a law that says to kill anything....can't happen.  recommend it sure, advise to do it sure but to have a law that says if you catch this or that you must kill it just isn't there.

I'll stop here.....

 

[CrankFate]

I come from NY, where the law is brutal and violent. I intend to kill every snakehead I see.

[Chance_Taker4]

I live in Ohio and do my part to kill every Asian Carp I can to try to keep them from the Great Lakes. Also I was in Florida a few months back and hired a guide while down there. He told me and my buddy every snakehead we caught we would kill and dispose of. We caught about 7 that day and every single one we killed and tossed in a dumpster when the day was over. Guide told us he tries to catch and kill 5 snakeheads a day and DNR love him for doing it. The little research I did on them lead to me believe that they are better dead than alive for our fisheries just like the Asian Carp.

[new2BC4bass]

On 12/15/2017 at 9:09 PM, jason41987 said:

have you eaten them?

Yes.  In my youth.  They have a dark streak down each side.  Remove it.  Even then they are very "fishy".  Only once have I eaten carp and felt it tasted decent.  My parents knew this couple that were farmers next to Lamoka Lake.  The wife canned the carp.  It actually tasted okay.

[TOXIC]

I grew up on these.  

 

http://www.joetessplace.com/

[gnappi]

I fish South Florida where in just about any body of water where LMB "were" once plentiful, today they are almost completely gone and the new dominant species is snakeheads or SH in texting vernacular. In these areas the very few fish that are not snakehead are very large LMB or Peacocks. What keeps SH isolated from some LMB habitat are landlocked lakes, which thankfully are still plentiful.

 

I am not an Ichthyologist but it appears as if the larger bass and peacocks are safe by virtue of their size, but may be unable to reproduce due to SH predation.

 

Some fishermen are now actually targeting SH and what we do not eat, we kill with a blade in the head. I wish more fishermen who caught them early on and released them had not done so, as it is I can see a day in the not too distant future that the only fish left to catch will be SH's. 

 

What Florida and any other state with SH needs is a Paul Prudhomme (he was instrumental in making redfish popular) to popularize the very good eating SH meat beyond the Asian community who relish it. 

 

For those of you who do not eat them, you're missing a great eating (yes they're ugly and a pain to clean) mostly white, firm and delicately flavored fish. Baked they are just so so, but fried they are stellar.

 

To prepare, we mix flour and bread crumbs (30/70 proportion) with some grated Italian Locatella cheese, salt (and or some celery salt), pepper and some garlic powder, then fry to a golden color. Add fries and I KNOW you will target them yourself ?

 

There are a couple of "snakehead roundup" tournaments held down here and they take a lot of fish. I hope posting a link here is OK?

 

http://www.margatenews.net/13032/319117/a/snakehead-tournament-saturday-all-ages-and-groups-welcome

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[soflabasser]

A lot of people do not seem to understand that baby bullseye snakehead are prey to largemouth and peacock bass, so bass help keep the snakehead population in control.Have seen largemouth bass eating baby snakeheads and the parents could not do much against the bass. Snakehead have been in South Florida for well over 18 years now and they still have not taken over and probably never will since they have way too much competition from the native largemouth bass and the ferocious peacock bass which is a superior fish to the snakehead.

On 8/4/2018 at 2:58 PM, flyfisher said:

I didn't see anything on FL that was say newer than 2004 that says to kill them there.  And actually on the non native species section it tells you how to catch them and that there is no bag limit or size restriction.
There is no way they can make a law that says to kill anything....can't happen.  recommend it sure, advise to do it sure but to have a law that says if you catch this or that you must kill it just isn't there.

 

It is legal to release snakehead in the exact area you caught it but you are not allowed to transport it alive. At this point it would be best to enjoy fishing for snakeheads since the state does not have the ability to get rid of snakeheads without affecting the native fish that live in the same body of water.

[TnRiver46]

On 9/21/2018 at 6:18 PM, soflabasser said:

A lot of people do not seem to understand that baby bullseye snakehead are prey to largemouth and peacock bass, so bass help keep the snakehead population in control.Have seen largemouth bass eating baby snakeheads and the parents could not do much against the bass. Snakehead have been in South Florida for well over 18 years now and they still have not taken over and probably never will since they have way too much competition from the native largemouth bass and the ferocious peacock bass which is a superior fish to the snakehead.

 

It is legal to release snakehead in the exact area you caught it but you are not allowed to transport it alive. At this point it would be best to enjoy fishing for snakeheads since the state does not have the ability to get rid of snakeheads without affecting the native fish that live in the same body of water.

I would like to catch a snakehead, and possibly eat one too. Have you ever tried the meat?

[soflabasser]

9 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I would like to catch a snakehead, and possibly eat one too. Have you ever tried the meat?

Yes I have eaten bullseye snakehead that I have caught. They taste good but I rather eat the saltwater fish that I catch.The canals that snakeheads live in are contaminated with methylmercury and other pollutants. The true value of the snakehead is the fight it gives and the fact that these fish can be caught on a wide variety of lures.