Snakeheads

[Diggy]

Taking my pops out this weekend, hopefully we get something on the line

[Diggy]

We went out today, pops and I. I caught 4 and lost one and he caught his 1st which is the 1st one pictured. It was 3lbs 8oz. Had a blast. I also caught a nice sized bass which fought well in the weeds.

[Bassn Blvd]

The Snakeheads haven't invaded Palm Beach like they have down south yet. I have yet to see one on the Lake Osborne chain. I was talking to Fish and Game the other day and they said they haven't really moved up here and hopefuly won't.

I do hope you guys aren't releasing them back into the water.

[Diggy]

They all end up like the last one....tossed in the bushes. After wrangling these lavish puppies all day, catching bass is a snoozefest. Ill drop more gas tomorrow and head back south.

[Shane Procell]

The Snakeheads haven't invaded Palm Beach like they have down south yet. I have yet to see one on the Lake Osborne chain. I was talking to Fish and Game the other day and they said they haven't really moved up here and hopefuly won't.

I do hope you guys aren't releasing them back into the water.

I have caught them in SW Palm Beach County. I was in a canal thewre it was absolutely eat up with snake heads and all of them were on the XL side. That 441 canal in Palm Beach has them.

[Diggy]

I have caught them in SW Palm Beach County. I was in a canal thewre it was absolutely eat up with snake heads and all of them were on the XL side. That 441 canal in Palm Beach has them.

Between what main roads? Closer to delray or boca..... I forgot where the canal starts and ends

Atlantic and Clintmoore? or higher up ...I may just drive down 441 today and see whats popping, but specifics would save time

edit

I mapped the canal to palmetto park road

also found this which is good news for bass fisherman

http://stripersandan...osing-no-threat

Susan Cocking - The Miami Herald

MIAMI -- Marty Arostegui forked a white fillet from his plate, dipped it in sweet Thai chili sauce and took a bite.

"One of the finest fish I've had," Arostegui, a retired physician, said.

Arostegui, who has caught and eaten seafood delicacies everywhere from Suriname to Thailand, had bagged this dinner the previous day in a narrow, muddy weed-lined canal that runs along a busy highway in North Lauderdale, Fla. He served it to his family and three guests in his elegant dining room, along with white rice and salad. Everyone pronounced the entree delicious.

It was a 4 1/2-pound snakehead -- a slimy, ugly freshwater fish native to Asia that has been the scourge of fisheries managers from Florida to New York to Arkansas for the past eight years.

Despite the poisoning and draining of ponds in northeastern states and the making of possession of the live exotics a criminal offense, snakehead populations are slowly spreading from water bodies, where it is believed they were deliberately released.

Paul Shafland, who heads the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's nonnative fish lab in Boca Raton, said the bullseye snakehead -- the only one of 25 snakehead species detected in Florida -- is found mostly in north Broward County's C-14 system.

But the dark-hued fish with the orange eye spot on its tail has spread to southern Palm Beach County, and there have been a couple of unconfirmed sightings in the Miami-Dade County area.

"The fish is here. I wish it wasn't here," Shafland said. "If we could eliminate them, we would. If you catch them, eat them. Don't release them."

But so far, the pesky exotic hasn't turned into the environmental disaster that some predicted.

Early results from the FWC's most recent electrofishing study in the C-14 (stunning fish with a mild electrical charge so they can be examined) shows that although snakeheads are abundant, they are not destroying populations of largemouth and peacock bass -- the two main gamefish species in South Florida lakes and canals.

FWC scientists using the marine version of electric cattle prods caught as many as 1.58 snakeheads per minute weighing up to 9.2 pounds.

Examining the stomach contents of 127 dead snakeheads, they found the remains of 13 of their own species plus one bluegill, 11 mosquitofish, seven warmouth, two peacock bass, several lizards, bufo toads, small turtles, a rat and a snake. No remains of largemouth bass were found.

Looking at 68 peacock bass' stomachs, the researchers found 16 snakeheads. In 41 largemouth bass, they found one.

"They seem to be complementary predators," Shafland said, referring to snakeheads versus peacocks and largemouth. "We don't see one dominating the others. I think they're all pretty much holding their own."

Arostegui agrees. An avid snakehead fisherman, he and son Martini, 16, have caught several world records on light line and fly tackle with Hollywood guide Alan Zaremba. Most were caught in an area of the C-14 the two men have dubbed the "Snake Pit."

"We see in the water a lot of Mayans [cichlids], tilapia, bass," Arostegui said. "Even though the snakeheads are there in quantity, they're not decimating everything."

On a recent Sunday excursion to a canal, Zaremba and a guest caught seven snakeheads up to 4 1/2 pounds and lost at least that many more using plastic frog lures retrieved on the surface along the banks.

Zaremba said the bite was unusually good, probably because the fish had recently completed spawning and had ceased guarding their young.

"There's some over 10 pounds in here. It's just a matter of finding them," he said. "They like to ambush baits. They hang under trees, ledges and wads of grass."

[Bassn Blvd]

Good info, thanks for sharing. I can't believe that doctor named his son "Martini" though, LMAO.

[Diggy]

Martin wasnt fancy enough I guess lol, must have wanted a daughter.

Went out with my dad again, caught 2 bass early(zzzzzz) lol, then 1 snake, I lost 3 and my dad lost 1. They were hitting the spro frog in the pads. By the end of the day my knuckles and wrists were killing me from the rod and braid. I didnt even care about losing fish.

I think this week will just be squarebill crankbait fishing on mono if any at all.

[hotrod]

I took my boy to the place where I catch and he ended up getting his first.

6lbs 1oz

I struck out, I missed about 5 fish, one bit the frog in half...Ill try tomorrow possibly

Man who hava no face!

[SENECASFISH]

HEY I WANT IN ON SOME OF THIS SNAKEHEAD ACTION I MOVED ALL THE WAY FROM PITTSBURGH TO CATCH ONE..IM LOCATED IN WEST PALM BEACH....???IS THE PALM BEACH COUNTY WHERE U GUYS KEEP SAYN U R CATCHING THEM AT???SO FAR IVE CAUGHT ALOT OF BAS ,GAR ,TALAPIA,AND MAYAN CITCHLIDS I THINK U KNOW A PLACE THEY R BUT AS SOON AS I GET CLOSE TO THE BACK THEY SWIM OFF ...PLEASE HELP ME I JUST WANMT TO CATTCH ONE ,,,,,SAD FACE

[LgMouthGambler]

HEY I WANT IN ON SOME OF THIS SNAKEHEAD ACTION I MOVED ALL THE WAY FROM PITTSBURGH TO CATCH ONE..IM LOCATED IN WEST PALM BEACH....???IS THE PALM BEACH COUNTY WHERE U GUYS KEEP SAYN U R CATCHING THEM AT???SO FAR IVE CAUGHT ALOT OF BAS ,GAR ,TALAPIA,AND MAYAN CITCHLIDS I THINK U KNOW A PLACE THEY R BUT AS SOON AS I GET CLOSE TO THE BACK THEY SWIM OFF ...PLEASE HELP ME I JUST WANMT TO CATTCH ONE ,,,,,SAD FACE

You need to cast a topwater softplastic frog along the very edge of the canal. If you get too close, they will see you, and swim off. They are very smart fish. Try the canals that run along 441 up by Glades RD and North of there. You just have to cast the banks, and keep walking. Its trial and error to find them.

[fstr385]

HEY I WANT IN ON SOME OF THIS SNAKEHEAD ACTION I MOVED ALL THE WAY FROM PITTSBURGH TO CATCH ONE..IM LOCATED IN WEST PALM BEACH....???IS THE PALM BEACH COUNTY WHERE U GUYS KEEP SAYN U R CATCHING THEM AT???SO FAR IVE CAUGHT ALOT OF BAS ,GAR ,TALAPIA,AND MAYAN CITCHLIDS I THINK U KNOW A PLACE THEY R BUT AS SOON AS I GET CLOSE TO THE BACK THEY SWIM OFF ...PLEASE HELP ME I JUST WANMT TO CATTCH ONE ,,,,,SAD FACE

They are up there. Ive seen them in small ponds all the way up in okeechobee (city) ne of 710 in some private lakes. They are everywhere in broward county. Even in private lakes ive been into. There is a small lake/pond in the waste management on wiles/powerline/sample that they are filling in to make more room for trash. Its half filled so I thought "man, gotta be bass every or every other cast in there!" nothing but gar and snakeheads!! It was swarming with snakeheads.

[jonnysmith]

ive heard those snakehead fight like hell,does anybody know if u can eat them? and how did they invade  florida waters? where they put in the lakes n canals on purpose?

[fstr385]

They are a prett good fighter. I dont think Ive ever gotten one that didnt put up a fight. I remember the first time I got one I thought it was a huge bass, then I seen it come up doing some evil death roll like a gator, got it on the shore and removed the hook with pliers and kicked the ugly devil beast back in. Didnt know what they were at the time. I just kill them now. Ive heard and read they are good eating, and they came here from Japan for a food source which spread out.

[Orpssab]

Be careful unhooking them. They in fact do the "death roll". If you club them first, like Shane does in his videos, be careful not to knock your line instead. That happened to me last year. Hooks flew out and into my shoulder!

[BlackBassman]

I have a canal a lil south of atlantic blvd in pompano by the horse race track that has some monster snakeheads in there. Ive caught them up to 7lbs out there. You can catch them on anything that makes noise.... just cast close to the bank and they will kill your bait..

[mg4u2nv]

Snakeheads are really a lot of fun to catch.  I've always heard they are good toeat, never tried it myself, i'm a little too skeptical seeing the water most of them come from, haha.  They do fight very well.  The initial strike is awesome.  More often then not you can see their wake before they hammer the frog.  its like a torpedo shooting from the bank into the lure.  lgmouth said it best, topwater buzz frogs along canal banks.  Just like bass they'll key on pieces of structure/cover as an ambush spot as well.  and they do have some nasty teeth.  i always make sure i have my "attitude adjuster" and pliers for them. I live in pembroke pines so i really dont venture farther than coral springs for them.  but worth the drive!  good luck!

 

Matt

[SirSnookalot]

I was down in Coral Springs yesterday (not the first time), those canals are disgusting down there.  It's an ok diversion once in a while but I can't make a practice of fishing in those areas, just too dirty.

[Diggy]

ive heard those snakehead fight like hell,does anybody know if u can eat them? and how did they invade  florida waters? where they put in the lakes n canals on purpose?

 

Usually the ones that dont fight get killed upon hookset, lol

 

The smaller ones seem to get killed from hollow body frogs on occasion. You know its rip when you can ski it in. I've caught my biggest in Coral Springs and Lauderhill. We've even caught some in Plantation off nob hill road and cleary.

 

 

I swore I saw a small one come out of the grass and surface near target in royal palm beach but I wasnt 100% sure, but since some of you said they are up there it may have been.

 

For people looking to catch, try to fish on a hot sunny day, they will be alot more active than a cooler one

 

If you are in Coral Springs, 99% of the canals off of Sample road, starting from the sawgrass xprswy will have them. Look on google maps for canals with alot of walking room because you will have to do much of it if on foot, if not you will be driving all over the place. industrial areas and business complex canals will usually have a ton also since people arent fishing them as easily as apt complex canals where you can just walk out back. Golf courses seem to be holding monster sized ones. Ive seen/missed/caught ones that are 36 inches and more.

 

Soon you'll see balls of fry popping on the surface, just cast and get your lure into the fry ball and 99% of the time you will hook up. Ive had some instances where the snakes just want the lure out of the area and they swat them, you can tell they arent into attacking, just giving a warning to get away.

 

Seems people hate them, but I love them. My fave freshwater fish to catch (havent caught a snook or tarpon yet) over peas and bass. They are ugly but pretty to me =). 

 

 

My buddies and I caught this one about a week ago, was fun hauling it up the rockledge

 

[CountBassula]

A friend suggested that I kill it if I catch one. Is this good advice? He said they're invasive specie and not good for the area... I caught one from a canal right behind my house (yey water front property with fish in it ) but released it back.

[roadwarrior]

You should kill every one of them. Maybe you will want to try eating them or giving

them away to someone that will. Several of our guys say they are great tasting fish.

I don't know myself, I have never seen one in person.

[CountBassula]

You should kill every one of them. Maybe you will want to try eating them or giving

them away to someone that will. Several of our guys say they are great tasting fish.

I don't know myself, I have never seen one in person.

 

bad karma but ok

[H00kedOnBass]

If research shows that there has been no major decrease in bass or other native fish I don't see the point of killing them honestly. From what someone posted earlier seems like snakeheads are a regular diet for peacock bass and LMB bass in south Florida. I have only caught 2 since I started bass fishing 6 months ago. Where I caught the 2 snakeheads I caught 10x more bass of all sizes. I think if your not gonna eat them or put them to good use, release them back. They reproduce way to fast for us to even put a dent in their population down here. If you wanna kill them then go ahead but when you start missing that amazing fight no other freshwater fish down here puts up then u might regret it!

[fstr385]

I used to toss them in the bushes, but I think Imma start cutting them up for eating. If I dont like it, I have friends thatll eat it.

 

 

[LgMouthGambler]

If research shows that there has been no major decrease in bass or other native fish I don't see the point of killing them honestly. From what someone posted earlier seems like snakeheads are a regular diet for peacock bass and LMB bass in south Florida. I have only caught 2 since I started bass fishing 6 months ago. Where I caught the 2 snakeheads I caught 10x more bass of all sizes. I think if your not gonna eat them or put them to good use, release them back. They reproduce way to fast for us to even put a dent in their population down here. If you wanna kill them then go ahead but when you start missing that amazing fight no other freshwater fish down here puts up then u might regret it!

 

Its funny you say that. I was fishing my canal the other day, and was thinking how I missed catching them as much as I did. I must have killed about 50 of them in my canal over the past 2 years. I still see a few, and will be hoping they come back up in numbers a bit.