Annapolis Chapter Hosts Snakehead 101 Seminar

Eager anglers gathered at West End Grille in Annapolis on Wednesday August 27th to learn the basics of fishing for northern snakehead in the Chesapeake region. The event was hosted by the CCA Maryland Annapolis Chapter and featured a seminar by Eddie Weber, a snakehead angler, the owner of High Octane Custom Baits, as well as a member of the Legion of Anglers Elite team.

The northern snakehead was introduced to the United States in the early 2000s and their populations have increased rapidly in ensuing years. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has designated the species as invasive, allowing licensed anglers to catch these fish without a minimum size or maximum possession limit of harvested fish. However, it is illegal to possess or transport a live snakehead in the state of Maryland.

Weber explained everything anglers need to get started fishing for snakehead. Among these lessons, Weber showed everyone in attendance the type of fishing gear they will need, which needs to be on the heavier side, as snakehead can grow larger than 10-15lbs, as well as the types of lures or bait to use. Possibly more important, Webber showed prospective anglers where to find these large, aggressive, predatory fish, the types of habitats in which they prefer to live, and how to use the gear to entice them to strike.

“Thanks so much to Eddie for teaching us about fishing for snakehead. It is an incredibly fun—though sometimes frustrating—species to catch. These fish hit a lure ferociously, they fight hard, and they are absolutely delicious to eat. Everyone who attended now has a better chance of catching one,” CCA Maryland assistant director Jesse Howe said. “At CCA Maryland, we ask our members to log the invasive species they catch as part of our Great Chesapeake Invasives  Count. It’s a win-win, because participants have the chance to win prizes every month, and the more anglers we have entering their catches, the better we can track and monitor the populations of these species and gather data for scientific research.”

This seminar was the second in a series of events the Annapolis Chapter will present to spread the CCA Maryland mission and raise awareness for conservation of our natural resources. To find out more about upcoming events, visit https://www.ccamd.org/calendar/.

For information on the Great Chesapeake Invasive Species Count, visit https://www.ccamd.org/count