Snakehead Fish Caught Near Charlotte, Nc

[rdd1952]

It appears that a man fishing on Lake Wylie near Charlotte caught a 13 lb, 31" long snakehead fish and, because there was no one from the NC Wildlife Resourcs Commission available to come look at it when they called, released it, thinking it was a bowfin. They took photos which later were used to confirm that it was indeed a snakehead. You would think that because of the threat to the eco-system those things represent, that would be a major priority for wildlife officials when someone thinks they have caught one. Here is the full story. If you ever do catch one of them, they say to freeze it and call the wildlife commission.

 

[kribensis12]

I have never seen one in illinois rivers, so hopefully it will stay that way.

 

[rdd1952]

I think they are in most states by now. They are so bad that some states have completely killed off the entire fish population of lakes to get rid of them. What makes them so dangerous to the ecosystem is that they can travel and breath on land to move from one body of water to another.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Such a shame. They're beautiful fish, but are not only real tankbusting fish (which most people can't afford to properly keep), but they are risky fish to keep as their bite can be petty nasty.
I think these are another of those fish that shouldn't really be sold in the hobby to the general public, too many people buy them while they are cute and young while small, and then dump them into local rivers/lakes/ponds when they get too large too look after.