What's a snakehead?

[sabanist]

I'm new to So FL and after reading this board I have seen a few posts and pics of the snakeheads. They look like fun fish to bring in. How's the fight? Can you eat them? How do you handle them when you bring them in? I mean do you need gloves, do they have teeth? What do you catch them on?

Sorry for all the questions

[Jordan]

I'm new to So FL and after reading this board I have seen a few posts and pics of the snakeheads. They look like fun fish to bring in. How's the fight? Can you eat them? How do you handle them when you bring them in? I mean do you need gloves, do they have teeth? What do you catch them on?

Sorry for all the questions

They're an invasive species. They eat everything in the lake, bass too. The fight is actually good on them too. You can catch them on alot. Most people end up catching them when bass fishing. I've caught one while throwing a nightcrawler trying to catch mayans for snook bait. They have some big teeth, so be careful when removing a hook.

[fixed80]

[snakehead terror]

That is not the type of snakehead in florida

[Bionic]

That picture is of the Channa argus otherwise known as the northern snakehead. That species is not found in Fl. It is however found in Maryland and Virgina. There are alot of hype and mistruths about snakeheads. Won't go into that here.
We have the Cobra Snakehead also known as the great snakehead, bullseye snake and I believe one other name.
It is a spooky and can be picky foe at times. It's strikes are awesome on topwater. It's fight is much better than a bass
and as far as table fare, they are excellent though it would really depend on where the fish is caught that would even make
me think of eating them. I have eaten them when I was in their native range (Southeast Asia) and they were very good.
On a side note they do not eat everything in the lake or else more people would catch them. Also Paul Shefland of the Non Native Fish and Wildlife has done extensive testing on them. 300 Snakeheads were opened and examined along with 60 largemouth bass and 60 peacock bass. Out of the 300 snakeheads only one had a bass in it's stomach. Both bass and peacocks had, snakeheads, bass, and peacocks in their stomachs. ie both bass and peacocks will eat their own kind.
If you want to catch them concentrate on canals north of 595, east of sawgrass, west of 95, and south of hillsborough.

[safeman]

Welcome to S. Florida. Forget all the semantics and misguided dissertation on snake head especially the particularity at this site or at other more snooty sites. However we are blessed that BFF (Boatless Fishing Forum) in general is populated by fishermen and women whom concern are all about recreating and educating members, the merit of targeting certain exotic species in abundance for their wonted pleasure rather than the pleasure of wasting money at the local exotic night clubs next to our snake head honey holes, and not some ill wilted pride and prejudice!!!

Now that elucidation clarified, I will answer your question as lay out:

sabanist wrote:
I'm new to So FL and after reading this board I have seen a few posts and pics of the snakeheads. They look like fun fish to bring in. How's the fight? Can you eat them? How do you handle them when you bring them in? I mean do you need gloves, do they have teeth? What do you catch them on?

Sorry for all the questions

"They look like fun fish to bring in." You betcha, they are as challenging as asking your wife if you can go to the exotic strip clubs with Michigan Yeti, Dondel and Bionic(oops Bionic hope your wife not reading this)!

"How's the fight?" Better than wrestling that fat girl at your Senior Prom; ....remembered? Let's say that I used to be a big time bass fisherman from Minnesota. After seven months of fishing for them snakies here; I quit fishing for bass because the bass now bore the hell out of me; read my past thread on them snakies and you can see the orgasms that goes with this fascinating exotic fish. As a former sniper I can say hunting for the ten lb plus snake heads are the closest thing to hunting another enemy sniper without you coming home in a body bag!! The larger the snake heads their wily and wisdom goes hand in hand and a fish sniper worthy of a challenge!


"Can you eat them?" I am Vietnamese-French, we do not eat them. They are poisonous why do you think we Asian called them Cobra Snake Head? We have even spread rumor about Possible Overdose Oriental Poisoning Syndrome POOPS kind of like Ciguatera fish poisoning. Only white people like Michigan Yeti, Bionic, Dondel etc. eat them; last time I went fishing with these guys, I have noticed they are kind of dis-oriented=POOPS like me....it is no wonder they are expert trophy snake head fishermen! So go a head and eat them and instill the snake head spirit in you but please eat the fish that is under seven lbs and catch and release is preferred. Leave the big one so Michigan Yeti, Dondel, Bionic and I can eventually get our 12lb snake head world record this year because they grow fast quickly once they past the seven lbs marker--nothing is going to touch them but us snakies blood brotherhood!!

"How do you handle them when you bring them in?" I have a telescopic salmon landing net, most of the snakies I catch are above the eight lbs marker, so I have discovered the larger fish tend to died of stress quickly so be gentle with them, if their skin dried out--they died quickly even if you throw them large one back. So handle them gently by net land them quickly and release all so you can fight them another day! There a so much yellow journalism and myth about them walking on land at night and eating your Chihuahua--they are just as delicate as your bass.

"I mean do you need gloves, do they have teeth?" If you masturbate a lot like I do, then yes you do not need gloves because the callous on your hand is too hard for them to bite through; give it a try and let me know okay? I have been moonlighting as a Mohel and I practice Brit Milah for Rabbi Susseman, my neighbor across the street. My secret tool is a giant snake head, the fish will circumcise cleanly without the use of general anesthesia; just do not tell my two Jewish-brother-in-laws about my down and out of luck job! P.S. do not order the calamari rings as appetizers at the Italian Restaurants!!!

"What do you catch them on?" Small fish under nine lbs use any bass lures, nine lbs fish and above used any of the large six and above weed less bait the biggest you can find. What I do is get one of my nephews or nieces spend rubber duckiest use in their bathtub and run a stainless steel shaft through and put a treble hook on the back end with swivel front and back. Weather cold and water clear, use spinning baits. My biggest success have always been live green iguanas, jumbo tapeworms, Jesus Christ lizards for the large ten lbs plus. Also tropical smelt in the nine inches size get all the Vandals excited!!! For small fish, frozen beef heart cut like uncle josh pork rind but make the back tails like the scum frog bigfoot, keep frozen and hook at the site and throw it to the weed line and retrieve. Small snake head seem to love the smell off blood as frozen bait thaws. It is great for taking the kids out with cheap bait.
Snake head however will destroy every lures, even the boat anchor you throw at them. However you will find that many of the places frequent by snake head fishermen, the same bait after a while will not work because, hey did I tell you the large snake heads are college educated? Live baits will get them every time!!!

"Sorry for all the questions"A good angler ask lots of stupid questions, a lazy angler neither ask a lot of questions nor fish. I am the best dam Sardines Angler out there; I hold the world record on spinning yarn...even I still spun questions to improve my table fare!!

Safeman: Sardines rule baby!!!

[bolo]

Thank you Safeman for your entertaining breakdown about Snakehead fishing. More information is need to help educate other anglers the difference between the ones in Florida and ones up north. Hopefully this will lead to more people fishing for them instead of Permit.

[safeman]

Oh crap Bolo, I hope not! I have been disgusted with people throwing them all over the bank rather than eat them or throw the snake head back. With the big freeze of 2010 I have been seeing so many dead trophy Snake Heads at the bottom where I fish. I have noticed that the smaller snake heads tend to weather the cold better than the larger fish. Gosh we probably have to wait till 2020 to get the twelve pound fish again. Man it take a decade to get a snake head to ten lbs plus. Well I am improving on my Pompano fishing, I guess with the lack luster snake head I forecast for the next few years; Permit fishing should be popular. I have not caught a Permit yet but I gather they akin to the Pompano here in Boca Raton's beaches in techinques?

Hey is that you with that Giant Snake head in the canoe picture? Nice fish, where do you catch it? Dondel and I might have to stray down your way and learn the way of the Permit!!!

Safeman: Sardines rule!!!

[bolo]

No, that is not a picture of me. I was impressive with the kid's catch so I had to put it on my sig. Beside he looks like me when I was little.

The Snakehead will adapt to the cold and not all of them will dead. I am pretty sure some escaped the freezing cold in the deeper canals. Beside, our waterways has so much adbundant of food for them to eat it wouldn't be long they will grow to record size.

[Bionic]

Safeman I left you a messege today about the weather and what you are seeing. I know what the channa argus does and I hope that our species will do something similar or it will be another stretch of time before we see another group of large snakeheads.
Bolo unfortunately the bullseye snakehead has been breeding down here since 2000 and it has taken this long for true;y big ones to develope. The big snakeheads like safeman said or a lot more fragile then people realize. Just keep your fingers crossed.

Bionic
and just for safeman

[safeman]

Dam it Bionic!! Stop sending me those Great Giant Snake Head pictures, unless you can photo shop and put me in one of your picture holding the Redline Snake, I would be happier and less envious!! My goal in a few year is a trip to Thailand or Burma to get one of those Redline Monster rather than go diving in the Red Sea. I have a sister in Maryland and I am thinking this summer to go up for one of those Potomac Snake Head I have been reading about taking over the D.C. area. Too bad they did not eat all the politicians too!

Bolo, I hope you are right that some small snakes did escape to deeper water, but I think c-14 is around six feet deep too like mine canal.

Anyway there was a lot of snake head and peacock die off. When the weather warm up Saturday, I am going out and collect as many dead snakes & peas as I can floating, and dig and put them under my tropical fruit trees; hope my HOA approve of me going green. Clowns and snakes in my favorite canal next to the house died too! Even those it was six to seven feet deep, I thought they would escape the chill. Seem like 49 degree for two days eventually put them to rest. Too bad we do not have a power plant around here where they discharge the warm water. The small peacock bass in my koi pond died when water reach 59 for the third day. I try to fish him out and take him indoor, but he ran and hide somewhere--I found Sponge Bob floating the next morning, my pond was devoid of life when air temp reach 31 degree overnight--some off my tropical fruit trees drop all there leaves. the entire feeder spotted tilapias and mayans are dead at the bottom too! Only the tropical smelt suckers was swimming in contentment at the bottom of the pond (talk about hardy bait in heat and in cold). Well at least the water is clear so I can see what the heck at the bottom of the pond. Hey there is my barbecue grills, was wondering where it went??

Well I am going to invest in one of those commercial heaters I see on eBay for 20,000 gallons swimming pool and see if that should protect my pond at the start of the new Ice Age we are having here.

Snake Head Depression Flu Symptoms: Cabin fever, cold feet, spending way too much time rereading old BFF's Snake Head Threads, loss of sexual desire with wife or girlfriend and looking for an excuse to catch the other white fish, easily disoriented and prefer to see yourself in a photo holding a giant snake head fish rather than holding and be in photo with the Playboy Playmate of the Year.

I blame Firetiger for passing me the Snake and Clown Flu. I have Snake Head Flu...better called FWC for CDC's treatment!!!

So sabanist are you sure you want to pursue this fish because they are a drug addiction that can ruined your family life? Snake head fishing is not PG rated!! It is R rated for the following thing; Excessive Violent--when you get the zoom frog tangle in the brush; ask Dondel about it Adult Language: You should hear Michigan Yeti's Sailor talk when he loose the big one Excessive Urination: lots of peeing in the bush, just make sure the old lady at Cemetery Village see your snake head through her binocular

My recommendation for your first outing is to PM Dr. Dondel. He is probably in my estimation the best guy at BFF for newbie to go fishing with. He is unique in three qualities; Patience, Sharing his honey holes (He literally take you to prison! So bring your Passport) and making sure you have a hell of a time catching snakes. The rest of us too busy with our ego pursuing trophy fish for bragging pictures including this author.

But hey if you want great sardines’ action on sewing threads, cat fishing or eel fishing in Lake Okeechobee; Michigan Yeti and I are avid fishermen for them; and we love eating our thrash fish!!!

Safeman: Sardines rule baby!!

[safeman]

Oh...here is Dr. Dondel if you do not know who he is.
And no he is not a Spokesman for Bass Pro Shop, I think he is taking over Tiger Wood gig though.

Safeman: Sardines rule baby!!

[bigtimebassguy]

safeman where have you been?!! it seems like we always get a long detailed report with aan entertaining story and i havent seen 1 in a while!!

[safeman]

bigtimebassguy: Thanks you for your concern, I did not know I had such a large fan base? I hit a tree in my gated community of Boca Pointe and wife pissed off I spent to much time with Dondel chasing our snake head addiction—so in rehab with Tiger Wood in Guantanamo bay, Tampa; Currently out on paroled and been so busy training the new recruit SpongeBob. Hunting for new snake head and clown knife and put them into protected custody since their massive die off for the Obama Administration. Have you seen any snake and clown? I have not seen any and have been busy with business; not the liberation to catch a flip of the rod.

Snake head fishing lately was so bad that Dondel and I last week broke down and went to the Aero jet dam to catch whatever saltiest volunteer survivors willing to sacrifice to his cooler. All we found was googan taking undersized slot mangrove snappers. Dead snook, peacocks, walking catfishes all over the C111 canal systems; both salty and fresh water side we saw a lot of fatalities. Amazingly Dondel and I witness people picking up fresh die off fish to take home to eat last Saturday…we could not believe our eyes…I guess the gills are still pink from the ice cold…??? Times are tough!!!

So to our disappointed during these fruitless snake head fishing nothing have occurred lately to merit a citation for the presence of a blog. My horror now is the sad prospect of hitting the Snake head Blog unemployment line and collecting what meager ration from the Obama bank bailout program; I think I will do better going to Haiti and standing in line! As you can understand from my current abdicated poverty I might rectify my predicament by fishing for sunshine bass and muscling into Bluefish in NY Amazing bass report blog territory and put that Amazing Charlatan out of business. Dam I followed his report for Sunshine Bass fishing and went there and caught Hypothermia and according to my Jewish Doctor I can no longer bear children because of my frozen testicles during that big freeze fishing for those lousy Sunshine Bass (who the hell named those fish Sunshine anyway, it was cloudy cold??) I should have brought my long john underwear from Minnesota to protect the family jewels.

So I am thinking of hiring Johnny Cochran of OJ Simpson Trial fame and sue Blue fish in NY and the Network of BFF for letting Blue fish in NY posted false advices leading to injurious fishy suffering and hope I can get a dubious payoff like NBC pay Conan O’Brien in the Jay Leno Tonight affaire; and this explained why Blue fish in NY has not posted any new pictures with his latest Sunshine Bass reports!

Hey maybe we could hook up and go for Sunshine Bass fishing and follow Blue fish in NY trails so I have some decent material to blog and disprove whether or not once for all that BluefishinNY is amazing or according to Nantucket. I can not blog about Dondel’s dog Stella taking several huge craps at my house while we are out fruitless fishing and my two Maltese having fun with her. After all this is a clean fishing site and who want to hear about dogs soiling right?

Safeman: Sardines rule baby!!!

[bigtimebassguy]

safeman if you want to catch some serious snakehead you should take a trip down to coral springs, EVERY LAKE pond canal etc is infested with them, i havent been in coral springs for 2 weeks i go to school in north carolina so just imagine how i feel in these sub arctic conditions!!! lol

[safeman]

You have missed the fish kill that happen here the last two weeks--we had an artic blast that kill my twenty five feet Jack fruit tree. My twenty five feet red banana was freeze fried. Both Saltwater and freshwater species got a very big hit and the deads are floating everywhere; especially all the exotic fresh water fish. Saltwater we lost a lot of great snook, grouper etc. Peas, snake heads took quite a beating because of the stress, they circum afterward to ich and other disease that prey on the weak it think. I have not caught any in Coral Spring Area it is one of my favorite haunts or in fact anywhere. Been hauling home a lot of dead peas and snake for my gardens and fruits trees that had survived, my car reek to high heaven.

Hey since you are closer to the Potomac river, why don't you try for some northern snake fishing there so we have a local boy on location. With this winter kill of the half century, frankly from what I see in some of the deepest lakes in Heron Bay and Markham Park...I think the snake head has been decimated and will take a decade to recover or if ever at all...wipe out by lethal cold of the century. I been looking at the historical records and I think based on the data the last ten years have been warm and favorable for exotics. So Snake Head was not eradicated by FWC but by the cold of the century. Hey maybe they will legalized the cobra snake head since like the Peacock Bass it can not live beyond that lethal temperature marker; so restricted only to the Southern part. Well it was one of the best freshwater fishing I have enjoy beside muskies from Minnesota. I try fishing in all the old haunt when free from work every day but even my live baits attracted no one but the seagulls.

When you get back here from your schooling in the summer, we will go for Clown. I found a few deep lake that they have manage to survive. Boy it was a relief, I was about to go back to Saltwater fishing full time. It was the snake head and clown fighting that drawn me to freshwater fishing from years fishing the surf and the estuarine salt flat.

Study hard...

Safman: Sardines rule baby!!!

[bigtimebassguy]

well ill be in cape cod for most of the summer (im a baseball player) but when im down ill definitley p.m. you me and my buddies never got a chance to make the trip up north from broward to catch some clowns but its def on my list. im going to do alot of fishing up in cape cod, i havent been able to fish to to much when im down but u should check out the canals off the sawgrass in coral springs for some snakehead!! i was just leaving when it started to get cold and i told my buddy, theres going to be alot of non native fish and iguanas that are going to die from this constant cold weather, and i was beggining to c the iguanas become slower and slower the last couple days before i left, my brothers 10 and hes so mad the snakehead and peacock are dying lol

[bigtimebassguy]

ps fish heron bay, lotss of biggg fish in there lol