Japanese Snakeheads

I WAS WATCHING A SPECIAL ON T.V. AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS SPECIES OF FISH CALLED A JAPANESE SNAKEHEAD. THEY SAID THAT THERE IS A REAL OUTBREAK OF THESE CARNIVOROUS FISH IN THE U.S. WHEN THEY SHOWED A PICTURE OF THE FISH, I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! TWO YEARS AGO, I WAS FISHING AT A FARM POND CATCHING BASS AND CRAPPIE. I HOOKED INTO SOMETHING THAT BEGAN TO RIP LINE OFF MY REEL. AFTER A GOOD FIGHT, I HAD IT ON THE SHORELINE....I LOOKED DOWN TO SEE WHAT I HAD, AND IT WAS A FISH I HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE! I PULLED IT UP ON THE SHORE AND MY LURE POPPED FREE. THE FISH HAD AN EEL LIKE TAIL, BIG EYES, AND A BIG MOUTH FULL OF TEETH! IT SEEMED PERFECTLY COMFORTABLE OUT OF THE WATER AS IT STARED AT ME! IT THEN TURNED AROUND AND WIGGLED BACK DOWN TO THE WATER, AS I STOOD THERE DUMB-FOUNDED AS TO WHAT I HAD JUST SEEN! IT WAS THE EXACT FISH THAT I HAD JUST SEEN ON T.V.! THEY CAN BREATH AIR AND TRAVEL LONG DISTANCES FROM ONE WATER-WAY TO ANOTHER. THEY ARE EXTREMELY CARNIVOROUS, AND EAT EVERYTHING IN THEIR PATH. HAS ANYONE ELSE HEARD OF THESE FISH? HAS ANYONE ELSE CAUGHTEN ONE?
I WENT BACK TO THAT FARM POND A YEAR AGO....AND THE FISHIN WAS NOTHING LIKE IT USE TO BE. WAS IT THE JAPANESE SNAKEHEAD?!:confused:

[QUOTE=RICHYD4U;313765]I WAS WATCHING A SPECIAL ON T.V. AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS SPECIES OF FISH CALLED A JAPANESE SNAKEHEAD. THEY SAID THAT THERE IS A REAL OUTBREAK OF THESE CARNIVOROUS FISH IN THE U.S. WHEN THEY SHOWED A PICTURE OF THE FISH, I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! TWO YEARS AGO, I WAS FISHING AT A FARM POND CATCHING BASS AND CRAPPIE. I HOOKED INTO SOMETHING THAT BEGAN TO RIP LINE OFF MY REEL. AFTER A GOOD FIGHT, I HAD IT ON THE SHORELINE....I LOOKED DOWN TO SEE WHAT I HAD, AND IT WAS A FISH I HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE! I PULLED IT UP ON THE SHORE AND MY LURE POPPED FREE. THE FISH HAD AN EEL LIKE TAIL, BIG EYES, AND A BIG MOUTH FULL OF TEETH! IT SEEMED PERFECTLY COMFORTABLE OUT OF THE WATER AS IT STARED AT ME! IT THEN TURNED AROUND AND WIGGLED BACK DOWN TO THE WATER, AS I STOOD THERE DUMB-FOUNDED AS TO WHAT I HAD JUST SEEN! IT WAS THE EXACT FISH THAT I HAD JUST SEEN ON T.V.! THEY CAN BREATH AIR AND TRAVEL LONG DISTANCES FROM ONE WATER-WAY TO ANOTHER. THEY ARE EXTREMELY CARNIVOROUS, AND EAT EVERYTHING IN THEIR PATH. HAS ANYONE ELSE HEARD OF THESE FISH? HAS ANYONE ELSE CAUGHTEN ONE?
I WENT BACK TO THAT FARM POND A YEAR AGO....AND THE FISHIN WAS NOTHING LIKE IT USE TO BE. WAS IT THE JAPANESE SNAKEHEAD?!:confused:[/QUOTE]

This was in KY????

[quote=RICHYD4U;313765]I WAS WATCHING A SPECIAL ON T.V. AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS SPECIES OF FISH CALLED A JAPANESE SNAKEHEAD. THEY SAID THAT THERE IS A REAL OUTBREAK OF THESE CARNIVOROUS FISH IN THE U.S. WHEN THEY SHOWED A PICTURE OF THE FISH, I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! TWO YEARS AGO, I WAS FISHING AT A FARM POND CATCHING BASS AND CRAPPIE. I HOOKED INTO SOMETHING THAT BEGAN TO RIP LINE OFF MY REEL. AFTER A GOOD FIGHT, I HAD IT ON THE SHORELINE....I LOOKED DOWN TO SEE WHAT I HAD, AND IT WAS A FISH I HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE! I PULLED IT UP ON THE SHORE AND MY LURE POPPED FREE. THE FISH HAD AN EEL LIKE TAIL, BIG EYES, AND A BIG MOUTH FULL OF TEETH! IT SEEMED PERFECTLY COMFORTABLE OUT OF THE WATER AS IT STARED AT ME! IT THEN TURNED AROUND AND WIGGLED BACK DOWN TO THE WATER, AS I STOOD THERE DUMB-FOUNDED AS TO WHAT I HAD JUST SEEN! IT WAS THE EXACT FISH THAT I HAD JUST SEEN ON T.V.! THEY CAN BREATH AIR AND TRAVEL LONG DISTANCES FROM ONE WATER-WAY TO ANOTHER. THEY ARE EXTREMELY CARNIVOROUS, AND EAT EVERYTHING IN THEIR PATH. HAS ANYONE ELSE HEARD OF THESE FISH? HAS ANYONE ELSE CAUGHTEN ONE?
I WENT BACK TO THAT FARM POND A YEAR AGO....AND THE FISHIN WAS NOTHING LIKE IT USE TO BE. WAS IT THE JAPANESE SNAKEHEAD?!:confused:[/quote]


It seems really unlikely to me. I don't think snakeheads have ever been reported anywhere in Kentucky or Tennessee. And even in Maryland, they're not doing as much damage as people thought they might. And while they can survive for a few days out of water, they don't really travel over land very much, if at all. Here's a National Geographic article about them:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/10/061003-snakeheads.html

IT'S A MYSTERY THEN...I FEEL LIKE I'VE SEEN BIGFOOT! WHY DIDN'T I HAVE A CAMERA WHEN I NEEDED IT! I DISTINCTLY REMEMBER GOING STRAIGHT HOME AFTER CATCHING THE "FISH" AND JUMPING ON THE INTERNET. I GOOGLED "STRANGE FOREIGN FISH IN USA" AND IMMEDIATELY A LINK AND PIC OF THE JAPENESE SNAKEHEAD POPPED UP. I SHOUTED TO MY WIFE TO LOOK AND TOLD HER THAT IT LOOKED EXACTLY LIKE THE FISH I HAD JUST CAUGHT. AND IT DID! WEIRD!??? I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO EXPLAIN WHAT KIND OF FISH IT WAS IF IT WASN'T A SNAKEHEAD....I MUST HAVE HAD TO MUCH TO DRINK THAT DAY!!! HA!
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????:confused:

Do a search for bow fish and see if that is what you hooked, they have a mouth full of teeth and are in Kentucky waters.

I think they have been found in the Potomac River area.

I bet it was a bowfin I've only caught one of them. I thought I saw a bedding bass last spring, took my favorite black and blue jig, pitched it in there and it was on. it went tap, tap and i set the hook, long fish, big bass I thought. It started spinning like a cat, mud rolling everywhere I fought it to the boat. held it up by the line, line broke so here i am chasing this fish in the boat with a jig in its mouth along with a bunch of teeth, I did get my jig back. It probably weighed six lbs. but i didn't weight it all a guess. don't even want to catch anymore to hard too get rid of.

In the 70's when my family went to Canada we would catch something my grandfather called a "dogfish". Is this the same fish as a bowfin?

[quote=DogFood;313821]In the 70's when my family went to Canada we would catch something my grandfather called a "dogfish". Is this the same fish as a bowfin?[/quote]
Yep, that is correct.:)

[QUOTE=RICHYD4U;313783]IT'S A MYSTERY THEN...I FEEL LIKE I'VE SEEN BIGFOOT! WHY DIDN'T I HAVE A CAMERA WHEN I NEEDED IT! I DISTINCTLY REMEMBER GOING STRAIGHT HOME AFTER CATCHING THE "FISH" AND JUMPING ON THE INTERNET. I GOOGLED "STRANGE FOREIGN FISH IN USA" AND IMMEDIATELY A LINK AND PIC OF THE JAPENESE SNAKEHEAD POPPED UP. I SHOUTED TO MY WIFE TO LOOK AND TOLD HER THAT IT LOOKED EXACTLY LIKE THE FISH I HAD JUST CAUGHT. AND IT DID! WEIRD!??? I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO EXPLAIN WHAT KIND OF FISH IT WAS IF IT WASN'T A SNAKEHEAD....I MUST HAVE HAD TO MUCH TO DRINK THAT DAY!!! HA!
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????:confused:[/QUOTE]

Bowfin, down south they call them Grenlins. Turn your caps off, LOL.

Man Do I Feel Stupid.....it Had To Have Been A Bowfin. I'd Never Seen One Before Today. Oops! Sorry Guys! Now I Can Finally Sleep At Night....it's Been A Long 2 Years! Lol! :d :d :d

P.s.
I Like Caps! Lol!

image comparison of the two in question if anyone is interested.

[url]http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/seagrant/GLWL/Fish/bowfin/snakeheadID.gif[/url]