Snakeheads in Broward Country

[trbrown2]

I lived in Broward County for about 9 months in 2011-2012 and fell in love with chasing snakeheads. In December, I came back w/my father, who is also an avid fishermen, and found that a lot of my old spots had been under heavy pressure. My father and I are coming from NC the first week of Feb and would really love to catch some big snakeheads. If anyone has any spots in Broward that they're willing to inform me of it would be greatly appreciated. Please PM me as I understand you might not want to share publicly. I hate to make the trip from NC to only catch a few. Good fishing too you!

[baseball4life702]

I used to have some spots on tamiami trail past krome ave but I haven't been back in 2 years... Get on Google look up Francis s. Taylor WMA. It's basically the south eastern part of the Everglades runs from dade through Broward into west palm my spot was in there in the canal system, there's many canals and most run deep into the glades and will be holding snakeheads, largemouths and just a warning- a lot of gators.
Heres a link to FWC mapping of the area but how I found my spot was through research on the name of the area Francis Taylor WMA ... Look for floodgates on the canals too they like to hang near there. I fished the junction of L67a-L67c and L29 but that's below dade/Broward line.
http://myfwc.com/media/2530717/Everglades.pdf

[baseball4life702]

Oh and welcome to the forum since you posted under the introduction thread lol

[lkatze2]

you are right about the snakeheads, they have become much more weary due to increased fishing pressure. you probable know about the c-13 along atlantic and southgate, there are a alot of snakeheads in their but they are very smart in the main canal. Try to fish the side canals and lakes that come off the c-13 and if you can find a way into some of the gated communities in that area try to fish those lakes and canals, they get a lot less fishing pressure.

[Leadslinger]

Work the canal system off Rock Island and Margate Blvd. I like to start at Rock Island and work South towards 441. There's a lake that's easy to get to and a little park beside Margate Blvd. It might benefit you to try there.

[cvstrat]

There's a parking lot across the street form the bowling alley on university and southgate I think it is. Park there then head east across the street. That entire section of the c-14 as far as you want to go holds snakeheads. They're easily spooked so cast a frog lure as far as you can. They're always up shallow, real shallow. You can see them come up for air from time to time which is a good way to catch them. There are plenty of bass there too. They mow the place fairly regularly so go after they've chopped down the grass. If you step on anything squishy, move fast it's a red ant hill and there are plenty of them to watch your step.

Here's a video of one I caught. It was on a zoom trick worm watermelon seed color weightless w/gamakatsi EWG hook maybe 2/0 or 3/0. The trick is to not set the hook until they turn w/it and set pretty hard. This is the exactly location I talked about. If you're walking along and something blows up and swims away right next to you it's a snakehead freaking out because you got too close. It happens pretty often.

[Slick Mick]

Just an FYI, make sure you don't release the Snakehead back into the water. They're good to eat, but whatever you decide to do with them, they are supposed to die.

[baseball4life702]

Just an FYI, make sure you don't release the Snakehead back into the water. They're good to eat, but whatever you decide to do with them, they are supposed to die.

Please explain... I have released all my snakeheads why are you against catch and release?

[baseball4life702]

Everything is supposed to die, eventually, not before its lifespan is up, I am all for those keeping to eat but there is no law or fishermans tale that snakeheads are supposed to die if your not going to eat it. According to FWC they are non native but almost the same as a bowfish/mudfish which are native to Florida, idk if they are eating any other native species but we are not talking lionfish here many times I catch snakeheads and largemouth together ...everyone here is explaining that they are heavily pressured by fisherman so why would you recommend just killing them for no reason, that is not upholding the true sport of fishing. also temps below 50 will kill them so they try to thrive down here but it still gets below 50 so please do not recommend killing a fish that doesn't need any more pressure

[Leadslinger]

Everything is supposed to die, eventually, not before its lifespan is up, I am all for those keeping to eat but there is no law or fishermans tale that snakeheads are supposed to die if your not going to eat it. According to FWC they are non native but almost the same as a bowfish/mudfish which are native to Florida, idk if they are eating any other native species but we are not talking lionfish here many times I catch snakeheads and largemouth together ...everyone here is explaining that they are heavily pressured by fisherman so why would you recommend just killing them for no reason, that is not upholding the true sport of fishing. also temps below 50 will kill them so they try to thrive down here but it still gets below 50 so please do not recommend killing a fish that doesn't need any more pressure

US Fish and Wildlife ask you to not return the fish to water.

[baseball4life702]

US Fish and Wildlife ask you to not return the fish to water.

Thanks for the info leadslinger I wasn't aware of that, but God I hate the Feds and it seems it is only a recommendation so until FWC says to stop my snakeheads are going back to be caught again lol

FWC doesn't seem to have the same idea US Fw does.
http://m.myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/pro ... snakehead/

[baseball4life702]

I did some more research and there's plenty of articles including some from fwc that say snakeheads are not posing a threat like the us govt. has tried to portray. They are complimentary predators, we have many freshwater fish that eat each other so why should we hate on snakeheads, and it turns out they are eaten by largemouth and peacocks( which are also a nonnative species). Just my opinion, and killing them just makes less for others to eat too.

[migs24]

No reason to kill anything if you don't want to. Your spots might seem a little slow right now and it might be due to the cooler water temps. Spring time is prime time and as we begin having longer day light, youll notice your old spots come to life a couple of hours before light and a couple of hours in the afternoon before and after light. Just about any canal or even puddle that resembles skunk ape urine will hold them in the coral springs/ft Lauderdale area.. they're everywhere... Including a few places here in west Palm beach. Fish cover near banks and make long casts!!!

[cvstrat]

This has been hashed out a million times on here.

Everyone supports the native species, but people also like to fish for the snakehead because they fight better. FWC can't make you kill anything so there's no law requiring you to do so, regardless of what you have read. If you're going to kill them, eat them as they are excellent table fare. Whatever you do don't be the guy who leaves em on the bank to rot.

[Rare]

Whatever you do don't be the guy who leaves em on the bank to rot.

Sorry about that....Next time i wont leave them on the bank but toss them dead back in the water.

[cvstrat]

Whatever you do don't be the guy who leaves em on the bank to rot.

Sorry about that....Next time i wont leave them on the bank but toss them dead back in the water.

*sigh*

FWC no longer considers the snakehead to be an invasive species. It turns out that despite the hysteria that most of the locals bought into back in the early 2000s, the snakehead doesn't harm the native fish population and is in fact a valuable sport fish. It's been proven by FWC and you won't find anything to the contrary published in years based on the fact that early reports were people just losing their minds over nothing.

Killing a snakehead for no reason is no different than killing a peacock bass, oscar, tilapia, midas, mayan, or any of the other nonnatives. The same exact rules apply to all of those, yet people somehow find an excuse to let those go but kill the snakehead...

It's not your fault that you don't know any better. You were probably living in Florida about the time everyone poop the bed over the snakeheads showing up and bought into the hysteria. Updated studies have proven it to be wrong but it doesn't get people hyped up like doom and gloom does, so it's never really been highlighted. So for those of you who were fooled into thinking they were going to eat all the bass up and crawl over land until they infected every body of water in our system, relax... none of that is true. They are good to eat so take them if you want to, but if you're not going to eat them they should be released like any other fish to live another day and bring excitement to a fellow fisherman who is able to catch it again.

[mil7950]

There's a parking lot across the street form the bowling alley on university and southgate I think it is. Park there then head east across the street. That entire section of the c-14 as far as you want to go holds snakeheads. They're easily spooked so cast a frog lure as far as you can. They're always up shallow, real shallow. You can see them come up for air from time to time which is a good way to catch them. There are plenty of bass there too. They mow the place fairly regularly so go after they've chopped down the grass. If you step on anything squishy, move fast it's a red ant hill and there are plenty of them to watch your step.

Here's a video of one I caught. It was on a zoom trick worm watermelon seed color weightless w/gamakatsi EWG hook maybe 2/0 or 3/0. The trick is to not set the hook until they turn w/it and set pretty hard. This is the exactly location I talked about. If you're walking along and something blows up and swims away right next to you it's a snakehead freaking out because you got too close. It happens pretty often.

thanks for this post, I'll take a look over there tomorrow morning. Ive been looking for some place close that I can fish for snakehead as I live off of university and sunset strip.

[baseball4life702]

Killing a snakehead for no reason is no different than killing a peacock bass, oscar, tilapia, midas, mayan, or any of the other nonnatives. The same exact rules apply to all of those, yet people somehow find an excuse to let those go but kill the snakehead...

It's not your fault that you don't know any better. You were probably living in Florida about the time everyone poop the bed over the snakeheads showing up and bought into the hysteria. Updated studies have proven it to be wrong but it doesn't get people hyped up like doom and gloom does, so it's never really been highlighted. So for those of you who were fooled into thinking they were going to eat all the bass up and crawl over land until they infected every body of water in our system, relax... none of that is true. They are good to eat so take them if you want to, but if you're not going to eat them they should be released like any other fish to live another day and bring excitement to a fellow fisherman who is able to catch it again.

goddam I couldn't agree more lol

[Rare]

Those were neither of the reason i was leaving them on the bank. There was a family of hungry raccoons & wild cats that i was feeding. Fear not, i didn't discriminate as all the invasive specie were treated the same way.

[Kingofthesea]

It's against the law to feed ferrel cats or raccoons seafood in Florida. The statute has been on the books since the Mariel boat lift. You better learn the rules

[Rare]

I left them on the bank as stated . It was the up the the wild life to do what they seem fit with them.

[baseball4life702]

Don't worry it's not illegal except in the federal and state parks they can kick you out or maybe cite you but it's not a statue under Florida law... Not sure about the coons but I'm pretty sure it is illegal for them, but defiantly not illegal to feed the ferrel cats unless of course it's state or federal property.
http://m.myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/non ... eral-cats/

[cvstrat]

It's against the law to feed ferrel cats or raccoons seafood in Florida. The statute has been on the books since the Mariel boat lift. You better learn the rules

Only on leap years.

[gruntking]

the lakes around lyons and copans hold pretty good snakes along with some decent peas