WTF (what the fish) anyone seen this

[PondBoss]

Anyone seen this or know what it is?  Looks more like some sort of fresh water eel than a fish but who knows.  Would have been nice if they had a fresh picture instead of something a few days old in the sun.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23937018#23937018

[jrhennecke]

That thing is pretty nasty looking.  Probably going to find out it was someones pet they chucked in the pond.

[71Rig]

Looks like a snakehead fish or something in the Channidae family. I think you are right jrhennecke, probably a released fish that will wreak havoc on fish populations in local waters :'(.  

[Popeye]

I agree - snakehead or variation of that species or possibly a fresh water Coelacanth(??).

[Micro]

Whatever it is, its teeth look bigger because its gums have rotted away.  Let a Pike rot for awhile and its teeth will look even bigger.

[Avalonjohn44]

I doubt it was a pike, because the thing died when it got cold.  A pike shouldn't die in the cold.  I highly doubt there is a fresh water celocanth, it would have been discovered by now unless they were in the amazon or some african river...

I'm thinking it was a released pet, most likely a snakehead.  

[JCrzy4Bass]

Dude that is one weird looking fish.  I've never seen anything like that before.  Definately not a pike, I agree it was probably something from the snakehead family.

Here's one my friend caught last year at Ft Belvoir on the Potomac.  He caught three other ones last year as well from the same place all that size or bigger.  I wish I would have taken a pic when we cut the head off as we had a good shot at the teeth and it looked fairly similar as far as that.  The only thing is that the snout or face looks so much longer and not as flat as that other fish.

[Don B]

Snakehead! Someone put them in there. They'll kill off everything else in the lake!

JCrzy4Bass: I hope your friend is killin' 'em every time, and not throwing them back in. A few more years, and there won't be much left except them things. They are becoming quite the resident in the waters of Virginia lately.

If you leave 'em on the banks for the 'coons to eat, make sure that they are dead first, cuz that fish can walk on land!

[JCrzy4Bass]

Don, in Va the game wardens want to be contacted immediately upon catch and want you to cut off their head to kill them as soon as possible.  We do this with every one we see.  Altogether last year between my friend and some of his (who hunt for them in Accontink Bay and Creek... yes they have migrated into the creek area) I have heard or seen about 13-14 snakeheads being caught and killed.  It is getting worse every season as more and more are being caught.

The only good part is there is actually a new club being setup in VA for the Potomac River to ONLY CATCH snakeheads.  All the members are trying to come up with common ways and areas to find these fish and rid of them as much as possible.  It sucks that it's gotten so bad but honestly I haven't seen a decrease in any numbers of bass, carp, etc.  However, it is the young of the year, fry and spawn classes in the future that are in jeopardy with this new predatory fish swimming about.

[Bassnbrett101]

how would you target the snakehead? are they more prone to hit swimbaits, jerkbaits, or spinnerbaits? what was your buddy and his friends catching them on?

[JCrzy4Bass]

Live nightcrawlers, shrimp, maggots (yes maggots... problem is lots of panfish come after em' too).

I don't know what artificials would work.  I'm assuming maybe like a striper trolling live bait???

[Daiwa]

I doubt it was a pike, because the thing died when it got cold. A pike shouldn't die in the cold. I highly doubt there is a fresh water celocanth, it would have been discovered by now unless they were in the amazon or some african river...

I'm thinking it was a released pet, most likely a snakehead.

Pike can die when they pond freezes over. Did that pond get ice over the winter. I would sure want to die if I were a fish in a frozen pond!

[Daiwa]

Dude that is one weird looking fish. I've never seen anything like that before. Definately not a pike, I agree it was probably something from the snakehead family.

Here's one my friend caught last year at Ft Belvoir on the Potomac. He caught three other ones last year as well from the same place all that size or bigger. I wish I would have taken a pic when we cut the head off as we had a good shot at the teeth and it looked fairly similar as far as that. The only thing is that the snout or face looks so much longer and not as flat as that other fish.

Thats sad because its quite a beautiful fish!

[Micro]

I suspect it might be a bowfin.  Once the soft tissue has rotted away, the teeth are going to look way more prominent.  And that carcass isn't in very good shape and may ghave been deformed by handling, or whatever killed it.  

The eye placement, and shape of the mouth favor a bowfin.  If you've never had the pleasure of sticking your thumb in a bowfin's mouth, take it from me, it's not a great idea...

[Micro]

BTW, the snakehead is the subject of a new Department of Game and Inland Fisheries video.  

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/video/?video=9

It was also the subject of a Virginia Wildlife article a few months ago.  Thankfully, many of the fears surrounding the snakehead have not materialized.  Apparnetly, according to the article, the snakehead is not competing with bass and has found a niche that is really all its own - very shallow, poorly oxygenated water with lots of vegetation.   Their main forage is kilifish.   Most large snakeheads also bear the wounds of osprey attacks indicating they are being heavily preyed upon by those birds.   And a recreational fishery is starting to develope around them since they are fiesty, will hit but about anything, and fight hard.  Apparently, they are delicious.  

[Daiwa]

Oh. I like that green!!!

[Micro]

Now I'm convinced it's a bowfin - maybe  

Sorta looks like this.  maybe not, though.

[Bass XL]

Looks like a snakehead.

"What in the crap."   LOL!!

[JCrzy4Bass]

Bass XL, the two look very common.  As a matter a fact the vdgif page has a page specifically showing the general public the difference between the two.  One of the main characteristics about the bowfin that is different is the black blotchy spot by the tail fin.  That and if you look at the diagram Micro put up you can see that their head is remarkably different, especially the flatness in the bowfins compared to the snakehead.

[-ebby-]

i hope my lake doesn't have any of those! although they found a piranha in it (mn) ;D

[thetr20one]

Dude that is one weird looking fish. I've never seen anything like that before. Definately not a pike, I agree it was probably something from the snakehead family.

Here's one my friend caught last year at Ft Belvoir on the Potomac. He caught three other ones last year as well from the same place all that size or bigger. I wish I would have taken a pic when we cut the head off as we had a good shot at the teeth and it looked fairly similar as far as that. The only thing is that the snout or face looks so much longer and not as flat as that other fish.

Thats sad because its quite a beautiful fish!

I have never seen a snakehead being held before, only pics. I have to agree they may be odd but their markings are awesome.

[Bass_Akwards]

Snakehead.

http://images.usatoday.com/news/_photos/2002-08-17-snakehead.jpg

[tennwalkinghorse]

If thats a snakehead thats one ulgy fish

[RobbyZ5001]

This weekend my buddy, and I caught 2 snakeheads within 5 minutes of each other 10 yards apart. He caught a smaller one about 2 pounds 16 inches. I caught a fat one looks like a female about 4-5 pounds. He caught his on a frog in shallow weeds, and I caught mine on a popper which he followed from the weeds.