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Maryland Angler's Log - Share Your Catch!To post a report please email your name, hometown, photos, location information, and the content for your report to fishingreports@dnr.state.md.us. All information is optional, but encouraged. Important Note: If anyone in your picture is under 18 years of age, we must have a photo release signed by a parent/guardian before we can post your picture. By sending any photos or art to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources you are giving DNR permission to use the image(s) online and in print. You are also giving DNR permission to distribute the photo for non-commercial purposes to other media, print, digital and television for their use. You are not giving up your copyright, but are allowing the photo(s) to be used for educational and news purposes. All Photos will be made available on Fisheries Service Flickr Page. The Snakehead Contest is being incorporated into an Inland Freshwater Survey on the Volunteer Angler Creel Survey webpage. For 2013 the end-of-year random drawing will include anglers reporting snakeheads to the Anglers Log as well as anglers participating in the Volunteer Angler Creel Surveys. We encourage anglers to continue to report snakehead catches. The information is helping our biologists better understand how this invasive species increases its range. |
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Joey Love, Fisheries Biologist - Total Reports: 33
- View all reports by Joey Love →
Posted on March 21, 2013 | Permalink
Snakeheads caught on the Patuxent River
Type: Tidal
Region: Southern
Location: Jug Bay
John Evans, a commercial waterman, caught two snakeheads using fyke nets this past weekend. The snakeheads were caught at the bottom of Jug Bay. One of them was 4 pounds and the other, about 12 inches. The 4 pounder was killed immediately. The folks at the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary (http://www.jugbay.org/) took the 12 incher to kill and study.
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Philip Chua, Recreational Angler - Total Reports: 1
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Posted on March 19, 2013 | Permalink
Camping and Fishing in Lothian
Type: Tidal
Region: Southern
Location: Patuxent River and Mattawoman Creek
Last Friday fishermen - Philip Chua, Lee Chua, Brad Reger, Lexi Reger had a weekend of camping in Lothian MD and went fishing in the Patuxent River, then at General Smallwood State Park at the wooden fishing pier right off of 4 on the Patuxent. We were able to catch a few White Perch. My son Lee caught this nice Smallmouth Bass on a nightcrawler.
We decided to head to General Smallwood State Park on Mattawoman Creek to see if we could catch a Snakehead. We didn't have any luck but did see some big ones that were caught by park officials while electrofishing. We switched to nightcrawlers and caught a few Bullheads and 3 nice Channel Cats.
We had a great time. The DNR website makes buying a license online very easy! Hope to get back when the weather warms up for another crack at those Snakeheads and perhaps a go at the Blue Cats.
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Branson Williams, Fisheries Biologist - Total Reports: 5
- View all reports by Branson Williams →
Posted on March 15, 2013 | Permalink
Multi-Agency Snakehead Tagging
Type: Tidal
Region: Southern
Location: Nanjemoy Creek
Recently, MDNR biologists captured and tagged 23 Northern Snakehead in Nanjemoy Creek, Potomac River. The fish were mainly caught over mud flats, in water from 1 - 5 feet deep. The work is part of a multi-agency study that also involves US Fish and Wildlife Service, DC Fisheries, and VA Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. The work aims to estimate the population size of the invasive species in targeted streams of the Potomac River. Agencies will use this information to better understand the threat of the species, control its biomass, and prevent its spread. The tagging work will run through October and biologists will tag fish monthly. To help with this project, anglers are asked to kill any snakehead captured and report tagged fish (tag number and location) to 1-800-448-8322. Participating anglers will get a hat from USFWS for their cooperation.
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Henry Stasiukiewicz, Recreational Angler - Annapolis, MD
- Total Reports: 1
- View all reports by Henry Stasiukiewicz →
Posted on February 21, 2013 | Permalink
When Can I Catch a Snakehead?
Type: Tidal
Region: Southern
Location: Fort Washington and Indian Head
I'll be in MD until June, and I'd really like to catch a snakehead before I leave. I understand that the stretch between Fort Washington and Indian Head produces, but would anyone be kind enough to recommend a specific hot spot? I'll likely be fishing from shore but I can rent a kayak in Fort Washington. Also, do they bite year-round or do I have to wait until the spring rains?
DNR Response: Henry, this time of year snakehead are probably a little too deep and near the mouths of streams to target. They should be moving towards shallow and upstream areas beginning in March or so, depending on water temperatures. Your best opportunities in shallow waters and near the edges of streams is in the summer. Getting out on a kayak will give you the best opportunities to target grassy or stumpy areas, where they like to hang out. Read a quick report (http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/bass/docs/Write-up_NSH.pdf) our Tidal Bass Program wrote up on snakeheads. Search through the Angler’s Log for snakehead reports, this is ultimately one of your best sources of information.
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Josh Newhard, Biologist - Total Reports: 2
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Posted on December 7, 2012 | Permalink
Snakeheads Still Being Caught
Type: Tidal
Region: Southern
Location: Mattawoman Creek
I just wanted to send in a report to let anglers know that snakeheads can still be caught this time of year. On Tuesday, biologists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service went electrofishing out of Indian Head, MD on Mattawoman Creek. We caught 20 northern snakeheads. They were caught in areas where underwater grasses and/or lily pads were dying off. They were typically in 2-3 feet of water, with a few others in slightly deeper (5-6 ft.) water. If anglers wish to see pictures and reports of some of our electrofishing trips they can check our office Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/MDFisheryResourcesOffice
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Joey Love, Fisheries Biologist - Total Reports: 33
- View all reports by Joey Love →
Posted on December 4, 2012 | Permalink
Northern Snakehead Contest Results
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Anglers, Thank You for reporting your fishing stories of northern snakehead this year! By killing them and inspiring others to fish and eat them, you folks are the best offense against the spread of this species. We had double the number of entries over last year and a lot more enthusiasm over controlling this invasive species. We had three winners randomly drawn from all of the entries this year, Jerry Lester, Les King, and Kasie Taylor. To read their stories and learn how names were drawn for this contest, I’ve put together a short, 2 minute video at (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPdmThFS5_k). I tried to include a photo of everyone who submitted one. This video is going to be posted on our Facebook page, Twitter feed, and circulated through a press release. Keep sending in your reports to fishingreports@dnr.state.md.us because I know a lot of Marylander’s who like to read them.
If ya’ll want to keep up with the snakehead (or other fisheries) that we work with, then please go to our website and opt-in to get that information sent to your email account (http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/emailcontact.asp). It’s also a great way to keep up with regulations and possible changes. In a week or so, we have a meeting with neighboring state agencies and USFWS to discuss snakehead management. Afterwards, I’ll use our email service to send some of our results on the snakehead fishery (a lot coming from your reports) and probably some notes from that meeting. That report, and work we do in the Tidal Bass Program, are also posted on our Tidal Bass website, http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/bass/index.asp.
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Larry Jarboe, Recreational Angler - Total Reports: 11
- View all reports by Larry Jarboe →
Posted on November 13, 2012 | Permalink
The Great Election Day Catfish Caper
Type: Tidal
Region: Southern
Location: Potomac River
No photo this week. Between Hurricane Sandy and the Nor'easter. I caught the outgoing tide in the Potomac on Monday, Nov. 5, to catch 14 blue catfish on cut alewives. No channel cats, 100% invasive alien predator good tasting blue cats were removed from the Maryland eco-system.
However, while distributing the smaller cats on Election Day, my 68 quart marine Coleman cooler was stolen from the back of my '83 Chevy S-15 with three cats 20, 25, and 35 lbs. that were last to be cut. Photos had not been taken yet.
There is a very strict penalty in Southern Maryland for stealing someone's catfish and cooler. I am doing my own investigation as the Sheriff's Dept. has bigger fish to fry.
If you spot a well used marine 68 qt. white Coleman cooler with only one wooden handle and a black and white bungee cord holding down the lid which has broken hinges or someone offers you a good deal on big catfish in Lexington Park, please report to bass21292@yahoo.com. The reward for information leading to arrest of the catfish thieves (I assume there was more than one culprit. That cooler weighed over 80 lbs.) is a year's subscription to the CHESAPEAKE magazine which is Southern Maryland's only monthly tabloid dedicated to fun, fishing, and nonsense.
I look forward to next week's adventures in pursuit of these monstrous invasive alien predators that bite all winter long (the Blue Cats not the thieves). Also, I'm practicing with my modified bowfishing outfit to nail big snakeheads this spring and early summer. Though, I might make a run south to shoot Atlantic Stingrays (windsurfers hate them and the wings are edible) off Merritt Island in Florida when the Big Chill hits. By then, I hope to put the catfish crooks in the County cooler. Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime. In Lexington Park, lock your fish in the trunk. Larry Jarboe
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Gary Riley, Recreational Angler - Total Reports: 1
- View all reports by Gary Riley →
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Larry Jarboe, Recreational Angler - Total Reports: 11
- View all reports by Larry Jarboe →
Posted on October 31, 2012 | Permalink
A Case of the Blues
Type: Tidal
Region: Southern
Location: Potomac River
Good thing I got my fishing fix last week because this week is a washout. Hopefully, everyone here has survived the wrath of Sandy.
Last week, I fished the Potomac River twice and also joined Mike Henderson (Mr. Buzz's Marina) and Dan Campbell on the Chesapeake Bay chasing birds and jigging at the edge of those feeding schools.
The lesson we learned on the Bay is to stay with the technique that is producing. Chasing trout after we put a few blues in the cooler was not productive. Better for us to have stayed with the birds and put more bluefish in the cooler.
On the Potomac, my homemade spider rig worked really well with fresh cut alewives to take lots of blue cats out of the eco-system. A 35 pounder is my best so far but I have ordered a much bigger landing net. Now, I'm catching 80% blue catfish and releasing most of the channel cats. Those channels are looking a little scrawney. I think the big blue kitts are crowding out their cousins.
Between the blue cats and Chesapeake snapper (snakeheads) there is enough good eating for me to target these invasive predators for a long long time. I can't wait for the weather to clear. In the meantime, Mike smoked some bluefish that I have been snacking on during the storm. Grilled blue cat for dinner this evening. Having the blues is not as bad as one might think.
