Opinions on Snake Heads

[Chrisper4694]

Originally Posted by AndyS

Round Valley had a good balance between game fish and forage fish, then the Lake Trout were introduced. Come to find out why the fishing for Brown Trout was so good was the fact the forage base was dwindling and the fish were on a feeding frenzy eating what herring they could find. The fishing peaked big time, then the forage base crashed, the rest is history.
Trust me, I will get around to my views about Snakeheads soon, but all things need to be considered, and I think the outlook is grim.

this happened because the state severely overstocked the lake trout for year because they didn't think they were reproducing naturally...once they found out that they were (and very successfully at that) it was too late they had over saturated the system already. someone dropped the ball on that one, can't just take everything said to be fact. They were wrong about the lake trout reproducing and they and be wrong on a number of other things too...

[Chrisper4694]

Originally Posted by Wilson

So what's does are alustrous and fearless leader think?
And on a side note I'm surprised Jmurr has not posted a picture of himself eating a live snakehead.

...in a pink bikini

[Mark B.]

"Embrace The Invasives".

You are not going to stop them. They are here to stay.

[Wilson]

Originally Posted by Mark B.

"Embrace The Invasives".

You are not going to stop them. They are here to stay.

So why do they have a kill law?
I could understand a kill if transported law.
Proving thier worth?

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by Chrisper4694

...in a pink bikini

Not informed enough on this to have an opinion so just stirring the pot

[Wilson]

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

Not informed enough on this to have an opinion so just stirring the pot

Mo money!

[Chrisper4694]

Originally Posted by Wilson

Mo money!

There'd be much more money to be made for the state embracing them as a recreational game fish (i'd imagine more licenses sold in south jersey, with their limited species options, they're exciting to catch and could get many more people hooked on fishing imo). Have tournaments with donations to NJFW or whatever. Add them to the skillful angler list turn it into a friendly competition, etc.

They're not making any money on tickets for people releasing them...They'd have to be standing there watching them do it from start to finish, close enough to clearly identify it from a bowfin. In fact, i'd bet money that there has not been a single ticket given for releasing a snakehead caught in NJ...

And just for the record, my total opinion... more regulations are almost NEVER the answer to any fishing problem in NJ! Mostly because they are so short handed they can't enforce them enough! What would be a better option imo is education: things like, stressing releasing bigger game fish from panfish to stripers and everything in between, teaching people how to safely catch, photo, and release a fish (especially in summer) etc, you could go on and on.

bottom line, the only fact is they are not going to be eradicated by anglers killing what they catch and there is no other feasible way to get rid of them; they are here to stay. Telling people to kill them is white noise at this point no matter what your opinion is on the topic.

[catfishonthelake]

I know everyone is a fisheries biologist and well-versed on the impact of invasive species to our waterways, but this comes down to a simple matter of...the law. I guess someone could make a justification of why they don't have to buy a license, or throw trash on the ground. And hell, I wouldn't even mind seeing the entire Delaware River smallmouth population wiped out if it meant the flatheads are going to grow to 60+ lbs sometime soon. And you know what, the hell with paying my taxes because I don't want a single dollar of it going to support some liberal BS agenda. Cause to me, a lot of what my money goes towards is hell of a lot more unjust than what kind of fish are swimming in NJ. Laws, no matter how justified or how dumb, are there for us to follow, not to interpret, plain and simple.

Now that being said, I caught a snakehead once, and I threw it back, but I did so knowing that I was doing something illegal and not justifying it with some BS rationale that I know better than everyone else.

Snakeheads and flatheads and a ton of other fish are certainly here to stay, but if you want to consider yourself a real sportsman you will abide by all statutes of NJDEP F&G, and all states for that matter, not just the ones you feel are legit. Plain and simple. Do what you're gonna do, but accept what you're doing and don't try and justify it.

If you really think the laws are wrong, then go to a fisheries management meeting and say so, make some noise, write letters, do whatever. But to sit here complaining about the laws, break them and do nothing to get them changed is just ignorant. Look at Andy, you're a wacky dude but probably the one person who doesn't sit on their A$$ and actually gets things accomplished through actions instead of ping pong arguing on message boards.

[Rich196]

I fish all all over in different states, and I hate to tell you, the Snake Heads are here and here to stay. The way I see it, in the last couple years it's just about become a game fish to a lot of people, they LOVE to eat these things. To each their own, but I thrown them back and let them live. Trust me, your not making a difference in killing them. Just IMO

[Wilson]

Originally Posted by Chrisper4694

There'd be much more money to be made for the state embracing them as a recreational game fish (i'd imagine more licenses sold in south jersey, with their limited species options, they're exciting to catch and could get many more people hooked on fishing imo). Have tournaments with donations to NJFW or whatever. Add them to the skillful angler list turn it into a friendly competition, etc.

They're not making any money on tickets for people releasing them...They'd have to be standing there watching them do it from start to finish, close enough to clearly identify it from a bowfin. In fact, i'd bet money that there has not been a single ticket given for releasing a snakehead caught in NJ...

And just for the record, my total opinion... more regulations are almost NEVER the answer to any fishing problem in NJ! Mostly because they are so short handed they can't enforce them enough! What would be a better option imo is education: things like, stressing releasing bigger game fish from panfish to stripers and everything in between, teaching people how to safely catch, photo, and release a fish (especially in summer) etc, you could go on and on.

bottom line, the only fact is they are not going to be eradicated by anglers killing what they catch and there is no other feasible way to get rid of them; they are here to stay. Telling people to kill them is white noise at this point no matter what your opinion is on the topic.

I meant for Gerry...more hits.

But your point is a valid one.