Contact Fisheries
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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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Ryan Altenburg, Recreational Angler - Elkridge, MD
- Total Reports: 2
- View all reports by Ryan Altenburg →
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Joe Evans, Fisheries Service - Total Reports: 15
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Posted on April 25, 2013 | Permalink
Midnight Snakeheads
Type: Tidal
Region: Southern
Location: Mattawoman Creek
Last night, Maryland State Parks social outreach maven and super keen bow hunter Christina Holden and I jumped on Dutch Baldwin’s invitation to try some hunting in Mattawoman Creek.
Baldwin and his sidekick Franklin Shotwell have pretty much perfected the bow-fishing approach to the Potomac River’s two most notorious invasive species – Northern Snakehead and Blue Catfish.
His boat is a custom-fitted 21-foot Jon-boat rigged with a sturdy aluminum shooting deck fitted with six 120-volt sealed high-pressure 150-watt sodium vapor lights, a whisper-quiet four-stroke generator, a massive Grizzly cooler and a custom fish bucket/bow rest cut from a 50-gallon plastic drum. The fishing gear is a compound or recurve bow fitted with a modified spin-cast reel loaded with fluorescent Spectra yarn attached to a plain un-feathered fiberglass arrow. The effect is essentially what you might get by crossing Jeremy Wade (River Monsters) with Rambo.
Without going into the full thrill and details of the trip, let me just say—this is about the coolest thing on the planet, if you like a modern twist to old fashioned blood sport.
Imagine drifting through the lily pads and reeds in about a foot of murky water. Wisps of mist swirl over the water as clouds of small insects crowd the lights. Dutch steers the boat through the weeds and we stare into the halo of orange water, lit by the stadium lights – looking for the dark silhouette that could be a Snakehead or a suspicious looking stick. Then the stick moves a little and we can see the full length dorsal fin that announces this to be the target. Remember to aim low because of the way light refracts in water. The fish is not where you think it is…
This time, Christina shot just a millimeter too high —enough to motivate the fish to motor off. But then, Shotwell let go in a flash and hit the fish on the run. Shotwell shoots well.
Big Snakehead fish on, fish in, and headed eventually for the fry pan.
Awesome.
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Frank J. Gatton, Recreational Angler - Lusby, MD
- Total Reports: 2
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Justin Bronson, Recreational Angler - Total Reports: 1
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Posted on April 24, 2013 | Permalink
Good Day at Chicamuxen
Type: Tidal
Region: Southern
Location: Chicamuxen Creek
We launched the boat at 7 a.m. at Smallwood State Park. Ran straight to Chicamuxen Creek and stayed there almost all day. Caught tons of nice sized bass from 1 to 4 pounds and one snakehead weighing in at just about 10 lbs. They were eating good almost all day.
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Steve Tappa, Recreational Angler - Total Reports: 1
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Mike Malpasso, Recreational Angler - Mechanicsville, MD
- Total Reports: 2
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Posted on April 23, 2013 | Permalink
Smallwood Bass and Snakehead
Type: Tidal
Region: Southern
Location: Smallwood State Park
My buddy Smitty and I went out of Smallwood State Park on Sunday afternoon 4/21.We were on the Potomac River and had a good day catching lots of average size bass and I landed on nice sized Snakehead…we killed it and saved it for the fryer.
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Mike Vo, Recreational Angler - Silver Spring, MD
- Total Reports: 2
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Walt Feezer, Recreational Angler - Manchester, MD
- Total Reports: 1
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Posted on April 22, 2013 | Permalink
Tonytank Pond Snakehead
Type: Tidal
Region: Eastern
Location: Tonytank Pond
On Friday April 19th I caught a Snakehead at Tonytank Pond in Salisbury. The fish was caught with a wacky rigged senko. A bass fisherman said the bass bite was way off in the pond this year….possibly due to this fella' & his friends. First one I've ever caught there. One less now!
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Shawn Johnston, Recreational Angler - Total Reports: 1
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Nelson Weigandt, Recreational Angler - New Freedom, PA
- Total Reports: 1
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Posted on April 17, 2013 | Permalink
Chickamuxon Snakehead
Type: Tidal
Region: Southern
Location: Chickamuxon Creek
Last week on my very first Potomac bass fishing trip my buddy caught a 8 lb & 6 lb Largemouth Bass and I settled for a couple smaller than that. I also caught my first Snakehead weighing 9 lb 10 oz, taken on a chatterbait, at least I beat him in the weight division.
