Todd Murphy shot a 17.47 pound snakehead with a bow and arrow in the Potomac River this weekend, breaking the Maryland state record for the invasive species. The catch comes pretty close to a world record broken in 2013 by a Virginia man who pulled in a 17-pound, 6-ounce monstrosity.
Experts say that the territory of the invasive fish is growing. A survey done by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service found that they have spread into the C&O Canal. The findings confirm scientists' concerns that the species could gain a foothold in the non-tidal portion of the Potomac River, above Great Falls, where they previously had never been reported.
"Eradication is not possible once these fish become established in an open river system such as the Potomac," DNR inland fisheries biologist John Mullican said in a release. "We expect that these fish will eventually become a permanent part of the Upper Potomac fish community. Confronting snakeheads in the canal system is the best way to mitigate their emigration into the Upper Potomac."
DNR asks recreational fisherman to "enjoy pursuing, catching and removing" snakeheads as well as two other invasive fish—blue catfish and flathead catfish—by any legal method. There are no limits on season or size for the species. They've also added a competition to the annual Maryland Fishing Challenge for invasive fish.
