Snakeheads Increasingly Popular Among Potomac Anglers

Guide Steve Chaconas helps anglers catch snakeheads in the Potomac River.

In the wake of Juan Duran’s recent catch of a potential world record northern snakehead, here’s an interesting article about the exotic species’ increasing popularity among anglers and how it is co-existing with other species in the Potomac River.

An excerpt:

Steve Chaconas, a bass guide on the Potomac, says he’s seeing more and more people like Duran, who appreciate the snakehead as a game fish worthy of pursuit. Of the 100 to 150 guide trips he makes in a year, 20 or so are now booked by anglers who want to target snakeheads exclusively. 

“They are usually bass fishermen who want a bigger jolt,” Chaconas says. “Bass are no longer exciting for them. Snakeheads are a very powerful fish, and when you hook them they try to back away from you. Catching one is like pulling a dog off a fire hydrant.” 

Warning: Lots of photos illustrate this piece, which is nice, but you have to click 15 times to read the entire story. Too much unnecessary complication for my tastes.