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#1 Aug-10-11 7:25PM

TyF
Northern Snakehead
From: Ashburn, VA
Registered: Mar-23-11
Posts: 216

Baby Snakehead in Goose Creek

A few of my friends and I went to Kepharts landing on goose creek this afternoon to try for SMB or anything else that was biting. I landed about 4-5 SMB biggest being 12" and the rest being in the range of 5-9". Nothing really of size but still fun!

So one of my friends brought a net with intentions of catching some crawdads to use as bait. As we were lifting rocks and swiping the net under them capturing anything that may have been lurking beneath we catch an abnormal looking minnow. After my friends and I looked at it more closely we realized it was a baby snakehead!! I have never caught a snakehead before and ironically we were all talking about how we would like to catch one sometime soon. Well turns out we got our wish...kinda. The snakehead was about 1-2 inches and had the definite shape and markings of a snakehead.  It was really cool.

So are snakeheads rare in goose creek? Or is it common for someone to catch a snakehead in that area because it is so close to the potomac??

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#2 Aug-10-11 10:08PM

Dominion Dan
Patagonian Toothfish
From: Falls Church, VA
Registered: May-24-08
Posts: 1059

Re: Baby Snakehead in Goose Creek

Did you get a picture? I have heard reports of snakeheads being in the Upper Potomac (above the fall line) but no, they are not common up there.

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#3 Aug-11-11 12:06AM

Thai
Northern Snakehead
From: Alexandria
Registered: Dec-07-09
Posts: 504

Re: Baby Snakehead in Goose Creek

only thing that makes me thing it might not have been a snakehead but a darter or some sort of other minnow is you said it had the markings, juvie snakeheads have completely different markings that adults. A picture would help to id the fish in question but if you found it under or around rocks it might have been a darter of sorts

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#4 Aug-11-11 3:23AM

Ernie
Administrator
From: Ashburn VA
Registered: Feb-03-06
Posts: 15561

Re: Baby Snakehead in Goose Creek

My bet is that it is not a snakehead. Most of the reports of NSH in the UP are iffy at best so far.


Time to go fishin' again!

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#5 Aug-11-11 4:39AM

AndrewDo124
Patagonian Toothfish
From: Alexandria
Registered: May-27-08
Posts: 977

Re: Baby Snakehead in Goose Creek

Thai wrote:

only thing that makes me thing it might not have been a snakehead but a darter or some sort of other minnow is you said it had the markings, juvie snakeheads have completely different markings that adults. A picture would help to id the fish in question but if you found it under or around rocks it might have been a darter of sorts

Agreee with this guy

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#6 Aug-11-11 6:27AM

basscrusher
Northern Snakehead
Registered: Apr-27-10
Posts: 123

Re: Baby Snakehead in Goose Creek

I fish Goose Creek ALOT and I've seen some interesting things there.  I've seen a baby gar, and a jet black catfish (having grown up on the James, I've seen many, many cats, but never one that was jet black -- and I mean black as coal.)  I've never seen a snakehead in there, but I would not totally discount it.  In fact, after hearing about the snakehead caught near White's Ferry, I've been somewhat expecting it.  But I also agree that there are many things in that creek that could be mistaken for a snakehead.  Look up the mottled sculpin on Google images and see if that looks similar to your catch.  I see a number of freshwater sculpins in Goose Creek while fishing for smallmouth, and the markings often are similar to a snakehead.  Keep in mind, smaller sculpins will not have the unique body shape quite as defined as mature sculpins.

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#7 Aug-11-11 8:37AM

TyF
Northern Snakehead
From: Ashburn, VA
Registered: Mar-23-11
Posts: 216

Re: Baby Snakehead in Goose Creek

I can see how people can mistake the mottled sculpin for a baby snakehead. I really do not think it was one of those though becasue as you can see in the pictures mottled sculpins have distinct wing like fins even when they are very little. The creature I caught did not have that feature and the head was not as big compared to the body as in this picture. I regret not taking a picture but we were wading in the wading in the water and i left my phone in my backpack on land.
http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff373/GregF000/SRTidepoolSculpin.jpg
http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff373/GregF000/sculpin_14nov10_1b.jpg
The creature that I caught had the top and bottom fins just like a snakehead and the back fin was rounded and short. also the head was more streamlined with the body. it looked almost exactly like the one in the picture.
http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff373/GregF000/snakehead1.jpg
but the coloring is slightly off. The one i caught had darker coloring and it almost had vertical spots all along its body that went from the bottom of the fish to the top. The color and markings resembled the top fish in this picture.
http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff373/GregF000/snakehead2.jpg
You might be right that i am mistaking this fish for something else but i am pretty sure it was a snakehead now looking at all the pictures of them.

Last edited by TyF (Aug-11-11 8:45AM)

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#8 Aug-11-11 8:57AM

Osprey
Patagonian Toothfish
From: Forestville, MD
Registered: Nov-16-07
Posts: 1234
Website

Re: Baby Snakehead in Goose Creek

If you're right that could add some excitement to future float trips


20' Key West..16' C-Hawk...Hobie Pro Angler...Hobie Outback

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#9 Aug-11-11 9:08AM

TyF
Northern Snakehead
From: Ashburn, VA
Registered: Mar-23-11
Posts: 216

Re: Baby Snakehead in Goose Creek

Yes haha I have been wanting to catch a snakhead for over a year now and having them in goose creek would be easy access for me. but on the other side that would be really bad for the bass and other native species right?? i am not an expert but that is what i have heard on them.

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#10 Aug-11-11 9:34AM

Bass Hunter
Northern Snakehead
Registered: Oct-19-07
Posts: 727

Re: Baby Snakehead in Goose Creek

Sounds like you may have caught a Banded Killifish, which is very abundant in Goose Creek.

"The one i caught had darker coloring and it almost had vertical spots all along its body that went from the bottom of the fish to the top."

http://fish.dnr.cornell.edu/nyfish/Cypr … ifish.html

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#11 Aug-11-11 9:45AM

TyF
Northern Snakehead
From: Ashburn, VA
Registered: Mar-23-11
Posts: 216

Re: Baby Snakehead in Goose Creek

that is very possible the only thing is that i am positive it had the long upper and lower fins towards the back like a snakehead. and the stripes were not that pronounced. they were definite spots and were not that close together. they were ovular in shape and there were small spaces at the top and bottom of the fish were it was whiteish before and after the spot ended.

It does look very similar though and i could be wrong that it had those 2 distinct fins because when the fins lay down when the fish is out of water it looks like the fins are connected to the body the whole way to the tail.

You could be right though.

Last edited by TyF (Aug-11-11 9:47AM)

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#12 Aug-11-11 10:19AM

Curly
Patagonian Toothfish
Registered: Mar-15-10
Posts: 5414

Re: Baby Snakehead in Goose Creek

Catch another one an post the pic!


Hell or High Water...........I'm Fishin!!   big_smile

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#13 Aug-11-11 10:45AM

Bass Hunter
Northern Snakehead
Registered: Oct-19-07
Posts: 727

Re: Baby Snakehead in Goose Creek

Ty,

The Killifish looks alot like a baby NSH out of water. But if you catch open, it would be cool to see that pic

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=banded+k … mp;bih=554

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#14 Aug-11-11 11:00AM

TyF
Northern Snakehead
From: Ashburn, VA
Registered: Mar-23-11
Posts: 216

Re: Baby Snakehead in Goose Creek

easier said then done but now i think i might make an expedition just to catch baby fish and crawfish and see what else i get.

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#15 Aug-11-11 2:51PM

Curly
Patagonian Toothfish
Registered: Mar-15-10
Posts: 5414

Re: Baby Snakehead in Goose Creek

When I was shocking snakeheads with the biologist 3 weeks ago, we got some baby snakeheads......they were redish in color and look nothing like the adults.  If you catch another one, put it on ice and call me.  I will get it to the biologist.


Hell or High Water...........I'm Fishin!!   big_smile

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#16 Aug-11-11 7:27PM

Rob
Member
Registered: Mar-05-10
Posts: 26

Re: Baby Snakehead in Goose Creek

Here is a baby killifish from Riverbend this week (about the only thing we caught and this one was dead)
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-6Ey2 … C_6316.JPG

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#17 Aug-11-11 8:29PM

TyF
Northern Snakehead
From: Ashburn, VA
Registered: Mar-23-11
Posts: 216

Re: Baby Snakehead in Goose Creek

Ok I will try to catch another one... and keep it this time... and I am still not convinced that it was a banded killifish but still not sure.

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