I've been reading a lot of info on line about these Snakehead Fish and the terrible things they are capable of doing to a water system and the other fish population. The DEC are treating a local lake & creek near where I live in Upstate N.Y. this week with some poison in a effort to Kill & control them before they make their way into the Hudson River and then on to many other bodies of water. I think this is a subject of great importance & inpact on all Fishermen and their Sport & Livlihoods and as such the NAFC should be covering this problem in depth and keeping it's members informed of the ongoing situation. If you're not familiar with them,  just Google Snakehead Fish, and you will be amazed at the info you'll find. I think it is very scarey. Please follow up on this important subject, thanks, Dan O'

Also, check out all the videos on Snakehead Fish on You Tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmU7etSYYqI

DanO , thanks for including the illustration pointing out the difference between snakeheads and bowfins . Bowfins are native fish with an important place in the ecosystem . Snakeheads are an invasive species that need to be eradicated . Destroy snakeheads if you catch them and do not return their bodies or pieces of bodies to the water , they may have eggs inside them .       Happy fishing.

*N.A.F.C.*B.A.S.S.*Boat U.S.*N.R.A.*A.M.A.*

DanO and all:

Northern snakeheads, as an invasive species in U.S. waters, came to light in a big way back in 2001 or '02. Back then, we covered the story quite extensively in our news section. Today, it's an ongoing problem in a number of states, and you can be sure that when there is a major new development, you'll see it in NAF.

From your comments, however, it appears that you are really looking for background information, and searching the Internet is the best way to accomplish that goal.

If you haven't seen them yet, here are a couple of sites worth a visit:

USDA Species Profile

http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/...html#press

An overview article by Robert Hinton

http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/...erview.php

I'd also suggest visiting your own state's natual resources agency site and search for information on exotic or invasive species.

Back in '01 or '02 one of the eastern states partnered with Bass Pro Shops, I think, and offered a gift card worth $25 or $50 for each snakehead, but I don't know of any bounty offers going today.

here something i found on it in maryland

It had to come, sooner or later. A bounty on the ugly head of the snakehead fish. That’s what the Maryland Department of Natural Resources in cooperation with Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World has announced.

Just why Virginia isn’t a part of this is a good question, since its water has produced the most snakeheads and there is a Bass Pro Shop in Hampton.

Here’s how the award system works in Maryland: $10 for snakeheads under 12 inches; $25 for snakeheads 13-24 inches; $50 for snakeheads over 24 inches

Northern snakeheads were 1st confirmed in Pennsylvania in July 2004 after an angler caught and preserved two from the 17-acre Meadow Lake in Philadelphia county. PFBC biologists confirmed they were indeed northern snakeheads and captured additional ones from the lake. The lake is part of a maze of interconnected embayments and tidal sloughs and the Commission believes additional snakeheads are likely present elsewhere in the system, including the nearby lower Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers.

Northern snakehead first drew attention in the mid-Atlantic region in 2002 when a pair were discovered in a Maryland pond. Northern snakeheads have been found in Florida, North Carolina, California and Massachusetts.

Northern snakeheads are a predatory fish and will compete with other fish species for forage and habitat. It is too early to say what impact the presence of snakeheads will have on other species already in Meadow Lake and other waters.

Partly based on the experiences of other states, Commission biologists have concluded that there is no practical method for eradicating snakeheads from Meadow Lake and that, given the nature of the waterway, snakeheads may have already accessed adjoining waters. The PFBC has decided that while it will continue to monitor the pond and surrounding waterways, it will take no concerted effort to eliminate the species.
 

• It is unlawful for a person to sell, purchase, offer for sale or barter live snakehead species in Pennsylvania.
• It is unlawful to possess live snakehead species in Pennsylvania.
• It is unlawful to introduce or import live snakehead species into Pennsylvania waters.
• Transportation of live snakehead species in or through Pennsylvania is prohibited.

Northern snakeheads can be confused with native Pennsylvania species like the bowfin and burbot. For help telling them apart, view one of the following identification guides: