HOPKINS COUNTY, KY – The majority of Western Kentucky anglers would automatically assume that a snakehead would obviously be the forefront of a snake. However, what if we told you that a snakehead was a very dangerous fish in regards to our local fishing environment? Most would doubt that this creature existed in our region due to a lack of catching them, but nevertheless, Northern Snakeheads do exist, and they are in Western Kentucky, as shown in the picture of local Muhlenberg County angler, Scott Graham holding a Snakehead caught in mid-April of this year.
Snakeheads are a very unusual breed of fish, native to Africa and Asia, and totally not native to the United States. Regardless, they have been a growing issue since early 2002, much to the alarm of local wildlife officials.
The problem began in Virginia when a man fishing in a pond reeled in a very unusual fish. He reported the catch to local wildlife biologists. Once the fish was identified, the trouble started. It is popular opinion that someone, at some point, had brought Snakeheads to the United States as a pet, and eventually released them into this particular pond. However, since that first discovery, Snakeheads are slowly spreading throughout the United States. There have been a few caught in Western Kentucky, mainly in the Ohio and Green Rivers and tributaries therein. The instances are growing in several other states as well.
No doubt, you are wondering what the big deal is. The problem is that, according to wildlife agencies, the snakehead has extreme potential to disturb ecosystems. 
Unfortunately, Snakeheads are at the top of their particular food chain. They eat virtually any kind of life form, but nothing eats them outside of their original environment overseas. The issue here is that, as the snakehead population grows, the population of other fish will lessen.
Knowing that these are such a dangerous fish to the environment, it will be a good idea to know your enemy. The Snakehead is a very original creature, in that it can breath both in and out of the water. Snakeheads can survive out of the water for 4 days. Another very odd aspect of the Snakehead is its’ ability to walk on land. Through a wriggling movement of the lower body and using the front fins, this fish can travel from one body of water to another, making the threat of spreading even worse. Another interesting point is that Snakeheads do have viciously sharp teeth, but they swallow their prey whole.
If you think you have caught a snakehead, local wildlife officials urge you to report it to them. This species is definitely a threat to the future of fishing throughout the United States.
J. L. Graham
WK Outdoors
iSurf News
http://isurfhopkinsco.com/local-news/6128-wk-outdoors-snakehead-fish.html
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