The Delaware River is one of the most valuable natural resources in the northeast. Not only is it a lifeline that supplies clean water for millions, an important transportation source in its lower regions and a principle part of our history, it also provides all types of recreation for the millions who live within its bounds.
Growing up in the Delaware Valley, I’ve see the river from its depths of pollution in the 1950s and ‘60s to its resurgence to a clean viable habitat of the last 25 years. However, once again, the river is seeing several major threats to the health of its inhabitants. So here is a look at the four threats to nation’s mother river on whose shores our nation was born.
The four threats to the river that we are speaking about are the Columnaris virus, that so far has ravaged the smallmouth population and could spread to other fish, the appearance of the didymo moss (didymosphenia) that has been recently found in the upper river from the Gap north and will more than likely spread down river, the snakehead fish that are spreading out in the tidal river and could move into the non-tidal river and the flathead catfish which are also increasing in the river.
• The Columnaris virus is the same plague that hammered the smallmouth in the Susquehanna River about 10 years ago. The virus is a secondary virus that is similar to AIDS in that it needs a triggering factor for it to cause problems. The virus is present in fish, as well as soil, and under normal circumstances remains dormant until an external factor activates it. Fish that contract the disease die with in a matter of days, and the disease preys on the weaker fish such as yearlings. Fish in the first stages of the virus have sores on their bodies, mucous in their gills and problems with their fins.
There is no cure for the disease, and it is not harmful to humans. Other than letting the disease run its course, the only way of combating it is to find the external factor that triggered the outbreak and eliminating it. These factors can be some type of pollutant, a chemical change in the water and a multitude of other environmental factors. The triggering factor for the virus in the Susquehanna was never identified, and the river is only now seeing its smallmouth population bounce back.
• Didymo is an invasive species of moss (also know as rock snot) is common to waters farther north. However, in recent years, it has been slowly spreading farther south into warmer waters. Its microscopic spores can latch on to anything and be transmitted to other waters without even being seen. While the spores can latch on to birds and animals, scientist attribute man as being the biggest spreader of the spores. Scientific evidence shows that felt-soled boots, clothing, the bottoms of boats, live wells, bilges and trailers have been the cause for introduction of the moss into many streams. The moss can get so thick that, in extreme cases, it can cut off oxygen and sun light to a stream, thus hurting bug hatches and harming the food chain.
Mike Stocker/Sun SentinelIn Florida, Corey Nowakowski holds two of the 33 Bullseye Snakehead fish he caught to win an April tournament. The fish has teeth, lungs and a nasty disposition. It can walk over land, and it eats bass, turtles and even iguanas. It's also an invasive species, prompting anglers to organize tournaments to catch the illegal fish -- which also happen to be quite tasty.
Some states have outlawed the use of felt-soled boots; however, the alternatives are very expensive. It would take too much space to go into the pros and cons of felt soles and their alternatives; however, it will suffice to say wading safety is also a big concern. Disinfecting the hull of your boat, bilges and live wells is another way of containing the moss; however, enforcement is extremely difficult. Since the moss is spread by spores in the water, it will suffice to say that the moss will eventually spread down river.
• Snakeheads are native to Asia and Africa and were brought to America as pets kept in aquariums and were eventually released in U.S. waters. They are voracious feeders and prolific spawners which can grow to lengths of 2-3 feet and are a threat to all native species. The snakehead can live out of water for several days and can even move across wet land up to a ¼-mile. It breathes with a suprabranchial organ (a type of primitive lung).
A single female can release up to 15,000 eggs at once. So far the snakeheads have been found in the lower tidal river. They are sometimes misidentified, because they are similar to the bowfin which is a native inhabitant of the Delaware. The New Jersey Division of Wildlife advises any angler catching a snakehead to kill the fish and not release back into the river.
The flathead catfish are native to waters west of the Appalachian Mountains. They can grow to lengths of 60 inches, reach weights of 120 pounds and live for up to 20 years. They are voracious feeders that feed on just about anything that will fit in their mouth.
An average female can produce 2,640 eggs. They are already wide spread in the Susquehanna River system. They were first caught in the Delaware in Lambertville in 2009. The Division also advises anglers not to release any flatheads that are caught back into the water.
The Delaware, over the years, has survived many threats, and it will be interesting to see how the river fairs as these threats develop. Hopefully she will survive these new threats.
Growing up in the Delaware Valley, I’ve see the river from its depths of pollution in the 1950s and ‘60s to its resurgence to a clean viable habitat of the last 25 years. However, once again, the river is seeing several major threats to the health of its inhabitants. So here is a look at the four threats to nation’s mother river on whose shores our nation was born.
The four threats to the river that we are speaking about are the Columnaris virus, that so far has ravaged the smallmouth population and could spread to other fish, the appearance of the didymo moss (didymosphenia) that has been recently found in the upper river from the Gap north and will more than likely spread down river, the snakehead fish that are spreading out in the tidal river and could move into the non-tidal river and the flathead catfish which are also increasing in the river.
• The Columnaris virus is the same plague that hammered the smallmouth in the Susquehanna River about 10 years ago. The virus is a secondary virus that is similar to AIDS in that it needs a triggering factor for it to cause problems. The virus is present in fish, as well as soil, and under normal circumstances remains dormant until an external factor activates it. Fish that contract the disease die with in a matter of days, and the disease preys on the weaker fish such as yearlings. Fish in the first stages of the virus have sores on their bodies, mucous in their gills and problems with their fins.
There is no cure for the disease, and it is not harmful to humans. Other than letting the disease run its course, the only way of combating it is to find the external factor that triggered the outbreak and eliminating it. These factors can be some type of pollutant, a chemical change in the water and a multitude of other environmental factors. The triggering factor for the virus in the Susquehanna was never identified, and the river is only now seeing its smallmouth population bounce back.
• Didymo is an invasive species of moss (also know as rock snot) is common to waters farther north. However, in recent years, it has been slowly spreading farther south into warmer waters. Its microscopic spores can latch on to anything and be transmitted to other waters without even being seen. While the spores can latch on to birds and animals, scientist attribute man as being the biggest spreader of the spores. Scientific evidence shows that felt-soled boots, clothing, the bottoms of boats, live wells, bilges and trailers have been the cause for introduction of the moss into many streams. The moss can get so thick that, in extreme cases, it can cut off oxygen and sun light to a stream, thus hurting bug hatches and harming the food chain.
Mike Stocker/Sun SentinelIn Florida, Corey Nowakowski holds two of the 33 Bullseye Snakehead fish he caught to win an April tournament. The fish has teeth, lungs and a nasty disposition. It can walk over land, and it eats bass, turtles and even iguanas. It's also an invasive species, prompting anglers to organize tournaments to catch the illegal fish -- which also happen to be quite tasty.
Some states have outlawed the use of felt-soled boots; however, the alternatives are very expensive. It would take too much space to go into the pros and cons of felt soles and their alternatives; however, it will suffice to say wading safety is also a big concern. Disinfecting the hull of your boat, bilges and live wells is another way of containing the moss; however, enforcement is extremely difficult. Since the moss is spread by spores in the water, it will suffice to say that the moss will eventually spread down river.
• Snakeheads are native to Asia and Africa and were brought to America as pets kept in aquariums and were eventually released in U.S. waters. They are voracious feeders and prolific spawners which can grow to lengths of 2-3 feet and are a threat to all native species. The snakehead can live out of water for several days and can even move across wet land up to a ¼-mile. It breathes with a suprabranchial organ (a type of primitive lung).
A single female can release up to 15,000 eggs at once. So far the snakeheads have been found in the lower tidal river. They are sometimes misidentified, because they are similar to the bowfin which is a native inhabitant of the Delaware. The New Jersey Division of Wildlife advises any angler catching a snakehead to kill the fish and not release back into the river.
The flathead catfish are native to waters west of the Appalachian Mountains. They can grow to lengths of 60 inches, reach weights of 120 pounds and live for up to 20 years. They are voracious feeders that feed on just about anything that will fit in their mouth.
An average female can produce 2,640 eggs. They are already wide spread in the Susquehanna River system. They were first caught in the Delaware in Lambertville in 2009. The Division also advises anglers not to release any flatheads that are caught back into the water.
The Delaware, over the years, has survived many threats, and it will be interesting to see how the river fairs as these threats develop. Hopefully she will survive these new threats.
http://njgunforums.com/forum/index.php?/topic/25259-snakeheads/
Sounds like they are all over the Salem Canal down in south Jersey... not good. I think I'm gonna start going after these monsters.
Sounds like they are all over the Salem Canal down in south Jersey... not good. I think I'm gonna start going after these monsters.
I do and I don't want to catch these things. If I do catch one, it will be depressing because I know that they have found their way into my favorite fishing holes. But if I do catch one, I'm gonna grab it and throw it in the air as high as possible and let it hit the pavement. I know that sounds vicious, but it'll be a quick death and I really don't care for these things.
Are there measures in place to educate the public on this!! People know about these things, but I'm only talking about the people that fish or biologists. The Delaware is such a valuble fishery for the tristate, if a combined effort is put in the spread of these four factors can be greatly reduced. The least concern for me is the snakehead and the flathead catfish. Yes, evasive as alll hell and destructive, but catch them and chop those bitches up. SUSHI man! Didymo really is quite scary, if that ever takes over up north, it will be the end of the naturally reproducing trout, mostly because they can't feed. That s*** will choke the bottom of the stream rendering it useless for insect production, the trout's main food source. The virus, leave that to the biologists, this is out of everyones control, but like i said the education of the river's proprietors would help tremendously. Let us educate the masses! FISH ON! we can do unite and do something about this. Is there a delaware river coalition? there has to be one. anyone know the site???
Ahh.. snakehead topic.... this will be a nice conversation. There will be people who likes to fish these fish because they fight well. There will be folks who will be scared of them and don't want to touch them.
Well they are here and will continue to thrive and spread via the Delaware river. There is absolutely nothing you can do to stop it, but you can help slow it down. My take is that if we get rid of the sexually mature (especially when guarding fingerlings), the baby snakeheads are just another food source for other fishes, which can potentially make other fishes grow bigger.
I agree, there should be some sort of a topic in the forums to educate the general public. I know this forum is about sharing fishing location, but i feel that people should be properly educated before locations of hotspots should be shared. Don't want people purposely spreading them to any other waters.. especially lakes/ponds that does not connect to the DE tributaries.
Well they are here and will continue to thrive and spread via the Delaware river. There is absolutely nothing you can do to stop it, but you can help slow it down. My take is that if we get rid of the sexually mature (especially when guarding fingerlings), the baby snakeheads are just another food source for other fishes, which can potentially make other fishes grow bigger.
I agree, there should be some sort of a topic in the forums to educate the general public. I know this forum is about sharing fishing location, but i feel that people should be properly educated before locations of hotspots should be shared. Don't want people purposely spreading them to any other waters.. especially lakes/ponds that does not connect to the DE tributaries.
I've never seen a snakehead nor caught one, but as far as I'm concerned the only good snakehead is a dead snakehead.
Their numbers have to be reduced and hopefully eliminated, so they don't become an eco-problem like the zebra mussels and Asian carp, etc.
Here is a link to explain more about the invasive species of fish and plants that made their way to NJ.
http://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/pdf/fwfisheries/invasive_alert11.pdf
Their numbers have to be reduced and hopefully eliminated, so they don't become an eco-problem like the zebra mussels and Asian carp, etc.
Here is a link to explain more about the invasive species of fish and plants that made their way to NJ.
http://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/pdf/fwfisheries/invasive_alert11.pdf
A good snakehead is one that can be on the grill! 
Although being Asian, I have never eaten one.
Snakeheads are impossible to eliminate it once it hits moving water. This was the case in the Potomac River, so now they continue to spread from MD to VA. It's in the waters and will spread quickly through NJ, PA and DE waters via rivers and creeks.
I will be stopping by to a spot after work to see if i can personally confirm their existence... but i just realized after going to lunch that i have forgot a pair of pliers O_o
Although being Asian, I have never eaten one.
Snakeheads are impossible to eliminate it once it hits moving water. This was the case in the Potomac River, so now they continue to spread from MD to VA. It's in the waters and will spread quickly through NJ, PA and DE waters via rivers and creeks.
I will be stopping by to a spot after work to see if i can personally confirm their existence... but i just realized after going to lunch that i have forgot a pair of pliers O_o
I catch a good amount of Pickerels around my way. I don't see how they would differ from them... but i'll soon find out.
I couldn't get a bite yesterday, but I did find a fishing hole where there were several folks fishing for them. a guy i ran into claimed to have 2 broke off his line.
I couldn't get a bite yesterday, but I did find a fishing hole where there were several folks fishing for them. a guy i ran into claimed to have 2 broke off his line.
The difference is that an introduced species is destroying the native populations of natural fish. Pickerel considered by many a trash fish, are disgusting to eat but fun to catch. Regardless they can coexist and are native to the waters in the northeast. Some pets that were dumped out cause they got to big can hardly be accepted as a sport fish EVER. There is no justification for them to be there. So they should not have a chance to continue demolishing the natural order of things. I bet if there was areward for catching them..there would be none left.
hmm.. this is odd.. i posted a nice long reply.. but it never registered...
anyhow...
NJ/PA will probably not give a bounty for them as this method will not eliminate the species (look at potomac). They'll just continue to spread through the Delaware River. Some ignorant person will dump it into another body of water...
Sure.. in some environments, the ecosystem may not be balanced. You will never know. Will it compete with "native fishes"? Sure.. just like when bass were introduced to many parts of other waters. They weren't native to all waters around here. They were introduced as a game fish. In my opinion, if it stays in the DE river.. it might be okay. Look at potomac. Fish adapted, so did the people. They even removed the mandatory kill if you catch the fish. you only need to kill it if you want to take it home to eat (since the law prevents live SH to be transported while alive)
I can foresee that this fish will probably become a game fish one day. It is generating good media and revenue for fishing guides and more recently, as a food source. Some Restaurants are serving them. They'll probably give them a new name like the Potomac Sea bass :LOL:
Good luck to those who are fishing for them. This post might be smaller than my original.. but i lost the content of what i wanted to say....
anyhow...
NJ/PA will probably not give a bounty for them as this method will not eliminate the species (look at potomac). They'll just continue to spread through the Delaware River. Some ignorant person will dump it into another body of water...
Sure.. in some environments, the ecosystem may not be balanced. You will never know. Will it compete with "native fishes"? Sure.. just like when bass were introduced to many parts of other waters. They weren't native to all waters around here. They were introduced as a game fish. In my opinion, if it stays in the DE river.. it might be okay. Look at potomac. Fish adapted, so did the people. They even removed the mandatory kill if you catch the fish. you only need to kill it if you want to take it home to eat (since the law prevents live SH to be transported while alive)
I can foresee that this fish will probably become a game fish one day. It is generating good media and revenue for fishing guides and more recently, as a food source. Some Restaurants are serving them. They'll probably give them a new name like the Potomac Sea bass :LOL:
Good luck to those who are fishing for them. This post might be smaller than my original.. but i lost the content of what i wanted to say....
Congrats on your catch. What will happen as opposed to what you or some may want to happen, Natural order will not be determined by us fisherman. The snake head needs to be routed and exterminated at all costs or its all we will be catching soon. The same restaurants you say serve it are the same responsible for releasing them in the first place. As a chef I have never come across snake head on a menu of category, or on an order list of exotic species. I take comfort in knowing that your the only fisherman I have come across thats excited over a tragic dilema to our waterways.
Thanks man.
We'll just have to let time tell how things will become as there is no way we can exterminate this species since it is in moving waters.
I am just trying to have a positive attitude on the current situation, have fun fishing, learning more and educating folks about this species.
I am sure that there are more restaurants interested in this fish others than just those who put them in. There is a restaurant in NYC who imports dead Snakeheads from MD/VA to serve as an exotic dish (non Asian restaurant that is). Plenty of news of chefs are trying to create dishes for them.
And trust me.. i am not the only one who are excited about this fish. I personally ran into folks who love fishing for these guys and would rather see more of them around.
Rest assured, mine was killed and disposed of.
We'll just have to let time tell how things will become as there is no way we can exterminate this species since it is in moving waters.
I am just trying to have a positive attitude on the current situation, have fun fishing, learning more and educating folks about this species.
I am sure that there are more restaurants interested in this fish others than just those who put them in. There is a restaurant in NYC who imports dead Snakeheads from MD/VA to serve as an exotic dish (non Asian restaurant that is). Plenty of news of chefs are trying to create dishes for them.
And trust me.. i am not the only one who are excited about this fish. I personally ran into folks who love fishing for these guys and would rather see more of them around.
Rest assured, mine was killed and disposed of.