Opinions on Snake Heads

[thmyorke1]

Originally Posted by AndyS

I'm on my way to the pet store now now, any requests ???

(can you see where this is going)

Yes I see where this is going... Brown trout in the raritan Wooohoooo!

But to be serious, i dont believe accepting snakeheads is evil. I think everyone here could agree introducing them on purpose is frowned upon, and not following the law to kill on catch in a body of water that is already populated with them, is accepted.

[NJSquatch]

Originally Posted by AndyS

I'm on my way to the pet store now now, any requests ???

cichlids please

[AndyS]

Everyone on here agreed time and time again that the biologists and staff over at New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife are doing a great job, then it was written on page 44 that if caught a Snakehead should be destroyed. Suddenly we all took matters into our own hands and told the biologists they have no clue what they are talking about. I find it awfully hard for a fish to reproduce sitting in a frying pan or at the bottom of a dumpster.
"Bucket brigades have decimated certain ponds and lakes of all fish" What if all Snakeheads caught were thrown into buckets, established yes, but hard pressed to keep advancing when they are dead. As it is clear to see I have no love for this ugly nasty looking fish at all. I fear Flatheads in the Delaware river even more because after they have eaten everything the next thing on the menu will be the American Shad. Please don't try to convince me that a 40 pound catfish only eats sunfish.
I think if you release a Snakehead back into where it was caught then you are no better that the moron that released it from his aquarium. Instead of taking the low road and chest beating saying I am going to do whatever I want and no one can tell me other wise, take the high road and side with the State biologists who I think are looking out for the benefit of us all.

[JDTuna]

Originally Posted by AndyS

Everyone on here agreed time and time again that the biologists and staff over at New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife are doing a great job, then it was written on page 44 that if caught a Snakehead should be destroyed. Suddenly we all took matters into our own hands and told the biologists they have no clue what they are talking about. I find it awfully hard for a fish to reproduce sitting in a frying pan or at the bottom of a dumpster.
"Bucket brigades have decimated certain ponds and lakes of all fish" What if all Snakeheads caught were thrown into buckets, established yes, but hard pressed to keep advancing when they are dead. As it is clear to see I have no love for this ugly nasty looking fish at all. I fear Flatheads in the Delaware river even more because after they have eaten everything the next thing on the menu will be the American Shad. Please don't try to convince me that a 40 pound catfish only eats sunfish.
I think if you release a Snakehead back into where it was caught then you are no better that the moron that released it from his aquarium. Instead of taking the low road and chest beating saying I am going to do whatever I want and no one can tell me other wise, take the high road and side with the State biologists who I think are looking out for the benefit of us all.

If you want to remove all invasives, you should also mention large and smallmouth bass and walleye. None of which are native to NJ.

Flatheads coexist throughout the country with just about every species that they encounter in the Delaware, yet there are no issues. The issues facing American shad revolve around environmental problems like loss of spawning habitat, damming, etc. Not catfish.

As far as I know, NJ is not researching snakeheads. Nor is their "invasive" law specifically tailored to that species. It is an antiquated, ineffective, blanket law that has no purpose. It requires people to kill some invasives, but not others. And, at the end of the day, it doesnt matter.

Btw, biologists that have been researching snakeheads in the Northeast and Florida have not found any negative impact in the few decades that snakeheads have been present in the US.

[Flygaff]

I do believe that the invasives are a problem. The Carp issues, Walking catfish and so on. I have been diving the carib for the past 30 years. I have watched the Lionfish invasion take over the reefs. they moved in and the Grouper and snapper became their food source. I have seen reports of the lionfish now as far north as Delaware. Really cool looking fish and they are really great to eat. Better than Sea Bass. However, where ever they go, everything else is devastated. Just my two cents.

[AndyS]

Bass and and walleye are INTRODUCED, a far cry from INVASIVE.

[bigfishy]

Finally!!!!!a thread in the freshwater section where
Everybody is NOT trying to kiss everyone's asss... gr8
Discussion!!!carry on

[JDTuna]

Originally Posted by AndyS

Bass and and walleye are INTRODUCED, a far cry from INVASIVE.

You're splitting hairs. Technically, snakeheads and flatheads are introduced species as well, just not introduced by the state.

They are all non-native species that have established naturally reproducing populations.

[Chrisper4694]

i like koolaid

[NJSquatch]

How far North have the snake heads gotten and are they any where besides the Delaware and its tribs?