Here’s a great video from our friends at FishLab Lures on SnakeHead fishing. These fish are viscous fighters and definitely worth pursuing. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, snakeheads have been spotted in California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Rhode Island. Snakeheads have also been spotted in New York State according to the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation. Snakeheads have been caught in New Jersey since at least 2008 and according to the New Jersey Department of environmental protection the snakehead population appears to be growing and expanding its distribution. Keep in mind that Snakeheads can become invasive species and cause ecological damage because, in many areas to which they are not native, the absence of natural enemies give them apex predator status. Not only can they breathe air, but they can also survive on land for up to 4 days, provided they are wet, and are known to migrate up to 400 m (1/4 mi) on wet land to other bodies of water by wriggling with their bodies and fins. National Geographic has referred to snakeheads as “fishzilla”and the National Geographic Channel reported the “northern snakehead reaches sexual maturity by age two or three. Each spawning-age female can release up to 15,000 eggs at once. Snakeheads can mate as often as five times a year. This means in just two years, a single female can release up to 150,000 eggs.”
Since 2002, it has been illegal to possess a live snakehead in many US states, where they are considered a destructive invasive species. Check you state regulation on snakehead and if you go get ready for truly explosive action.
