Chesapeake Invasives

If you enjoy Chesapeake Bay fishing on a regular basis there's no doubt you've run across an invasive species or two, like blue catfish, flathead catfish, or snakeheads. Want to catch more of those uninvited invaders? We sure hope so!

Be sure to log your catch in the Great Chesapeake Invasives Count for a chance to win cool monthly prizes while helping fishery managers collect vital data. Register for FREE at ccamd.org/count

Want to see yourself on the cover of FishTalk Magazine? Submit your photo for the Invasive Catfish Cover Contest presented by Fish and Hunt Maryland. fishtalkmag.com/covercontest

March 23, 2020
Presented by Fish & Hunt Maryland Pop quiz: what single species represents the most reliable angling target in the entire state of Maryland, day after day after day, regardless of the season? It…
March 7, 2020
We love fishing for some species because of the challenge, we love fishing for others because of their tail-walking antics, and we love fishing for some because of their beauty, but those are all…
February 14, 2020
I cast my Whopper Plopper under an overhanging tree, take a few turns on the reel, and the water erupts. My heart races – is it a largemouth bass or my target prey? Diving deep and pulling hard, I…
October 30, 2019
Yes, water temps are falling, but no, that doesn’t mean your snakehead adventures are over for the season – you just need to alter the tactics a bit. As things cool off the standard topwater bite on…
September 15, 2019
The northern snakehead is a species of fish originally from Asia that has been classified as invasive, but has thrived in Mid-Atlantic areas such as the Blackwater complex, the Potomac River, and the…
August 26, 2019
The great snakehead debate continues as these invasive but exciting fish multiply in our region and by now, odds are that you have either heard of, hooked, or maybe even landed a few Northern…
July 20, 2019
Few events have had such a dramatic impact on our region’s fisheries as the recent explosion of northern snakeheads. This “new” species may have been around in our waters for well over a decade, but…
April 9, 2019
Fishing for snakeheads has become quite popular, and in many areas the impact of their arrival seems to be more or less harmless to the aquatic ecosystem. In fact, in the Potomac River – ground-zero…
February 20, 2019
Presented by Fish & Hunt Maryland What invasive species of fish has rapidly expanded its territory in Maryland waterways, reproduced in epic numbers, has zero regulatory restrictions, attacks…
January 2, 2019
FYI: they don’t walk on land, they don’t spawn five times a year, they won’t eat your cats or dogs, and for the grand-moms out there, they won’t eat your grandchildren. I’m still amazed that 14 years…
October 29, 2017
Giant blue catfish swarm the tidal rivers off the Chesapeake Bay, and tempting anglers across the Mid-Atlantic region. Striped bass, bull reds, swordfish, largemouth and smallmouth bass, and numerous…
October 11, 2017
Come winter ocean trolling for winter ocean stripers, making a North Carolina road trip for winter bluefin, and escaping to Florida for a winter fishing adventure will all become options for Mid-…
May 1, 2017
Blue catfish have been present in Virginia’s fresh and tidal waters for years, and now this species has made its way to the Maryland tributaries of the Chesapeake. Wherever you may live, blue cats …