Snakehead found in Wisconsin

[RnRCircus]

Seems like these fish are popping up everywhere.




Snakehead Fish

Snakehead found in Wisconsin

For information on snakeheads see the fact sheet on them. Snakehead fish are native to China but are imported into the US as aquarium fish as well as food fish. Snakeheads can cause serious problems to native fish populations if they get established in US waters.
A snakehead was found recently in a river in Wisconsin. Incredibly, it was not identified before it was released back into the river! It could be an aquarium pet that got too big and was dumped, or it could have been imported for food and somehow been released into the river.
A few months ago snakeheads caused quite a stir when one was found in a pond in Maryland. The media make a fuss about it and hyped it far out of porportion. Snakeheads have been found in US waters over a dozen times in the past few years but made little news until the snakehead was found in Maryland.
Snakeheads look a lot like bowfins to me.
They feed in similar ways and have teeth. If you catch a snakehead, don't try to lip it! Do kill it, though, do not release it back into the water. You should never release any kind of fish into waters it was not caught in. Snakeheads are just one example of the kinds of fish that cause problems. Carp are one of the worst of the imports.
Snakeheads are not considered game fish so there are no limits or seasons on them. They should hit live bait or artificials that look like little minnows since that is their major food.
If you catch a strange looking fish, contact your local Game and Fish Department and have them identify it. Help keep your fishing waters clear of snakeheads and other problem fish.

[Plutonic]

It's a nice looking fish...

By the sounds of it they are will become as big a problem as Carp are here if they get established...

[slim357]

Man these things are all over the potomac river. I fish a creek mouth that is apperntly full of them (little hunting creek). Almost every time I go I see the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Boats with there eletric shock equipment headed back into the creek. There was a good artical about it in the washington post about a year ago. But for the most part they haven't made any noticable changes...yet. scientists think they got into the river between 98 and 2002. So theyve had a good amount of time and so far nothing has come of it but i guess only time will tell. Oh and if anyone knows how to catch these things let me know and ill give it a try. Plus its the only type of fish in the potomac i haven't caught so now that its on the list i need to check it off

[RnRCircus]

I have never caught one either, but people have told me they will hit just about anything.

[Sea Hag]

Even if you're not going to eat it, be sure you don't put them back!!

Non-native species of just about anything has the potential of being devistating to native species!!

[AAron]

I caught a snakehead with a #5 musky mepp spinner around Lacrosse wisconsin.