BALTIMORE — Did you know Maryland had an "Invasive Division," when it comes to fishing?
I sure didn't.
Anyway, over the weekend, the Department of Natural Resources crowned a new state record holder for largest Chesapeake Channa catch.
Most would know this fish by its nickname, the northern snakehead.
Earlier this month Matt Foreman, of Crownsville, bagged a 21.8 pound - 36 inch long snakehead while fishing in the Susquehanna River, below the Conowingo Dam.
Foreman's big day came about while sailing on a 26-foot aluminum charter boat, captained by Nick Mather.
So how did Foreman reel in the record you ask?
Apparently he used a Vadersbow Saber X bow with a generic tip.
According to Foreman, the snakehead "taste good and everybody wins," from its removal.
His fish wasn't the only snakehead corralled during the trip. The charter crew hunted 26 Channa and one blue catfish, all shot from a distance of 10 feet or less.
According to Captain Mather, it's the best snakehead fishing he’s seen in seven years.
The previous state Channa record stood at 21 pounds. Damien Cook caught that one in the Dorchester County river, back in 2023.
In May 2021 the state partnered with Exelon Corp for an initiative to rid the Conowingo Dam of blue catfish and snakeheads.
A tank-like 'hopper' was set up at the west end of the dam to trap and remove the fish. They were reportedly donated to local food banks afterwards.
The following year, in May 2022, Maryland began offering fishermen gift cards to catch and harvest northern snakeheads in the Chesapeake Bay.
