Record snakehead reignites a debate
Bowman’s 18-pound catch has anglers crying foul; DNR just glad that it’s dead
When commercial boat fisherman Dutch Baldwin went out onto the Potomac River for work May 20, he wasn’t hunting for a snakehead that would break the Maryland record. And he certainly wasn’t looking to add fuel to the discussion about invasive fish within the Department of Natural Resources and the fishing community.
But the record fell, and the debate between bow fishermen such as Baldwin and traditional rod-and-reel anglers continues.
Baldwin set his mark by catching an 18.42-pound northern snakehead on the Potomac. A DNR Facebook post from May 26 about the record had reached 24,569 people as of last week, far exceeding most of the department’s posts, according to Erik Zlokovitz, the DNR’s recreational fisheries outreach coordinator.
In the comments section of the post, people debated whether Baldwin’s catch should qualify for the record, considering he used a compound bow. The DNR ordinarily classifies fish caught only by rod and reel, but it makes an exception for three invasive species: northern snakeheads, blue catfish and flathead catfish.
Some traditional fishermen believe that the state should have separate records, one for rod and reel and one for bow-fishing. But according to Zlokovitz, the DNR isn’t making any statements about which method is easier or more effective. It’s only trying to eliminate the harmful fish that could become an environmental threat in the coming years.
“There’s always been debate among hard-core fishermen about the amount of skill required to catch a fish with one method versus another,” said Zlokovitz. “We’re staying out of the debate and encourage them to be caught by any means.”
The snakehead captured the attention of the DNR when it first made an appearance in a pond in Crofton in 2002. By 2004, the fish had spread to tidal waters, and this year the DNR discovered the fish in the nontidal part of the Potomac.
“In a little more than 10 years, they’ve expanded through most of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which is pretty doggone impressive,” said Joe Love, the DNR’s tidal bass program manager. “But that just highlights why we classify them as invasive.”
According to Love, snakeheads pose a multifold threat. They are top predators, competing with largemouth bass in the area. They also grow larger than bass and reproduce more prolifically. They can survive in different areas and are difficult to kill.
The state won’t know the full consequences of the presence of the snakehead for years, but in the meantime the DNR is trying to minimize the impact. A Snakehead Derby has been scheduled for Saturday to raise awareness about the fish and teach fishermen the best way to capture them.
“We tend to have to rely on humans to be the top predator,” Love said. “Luckily, anglers and archers have been very keen to do so.”
Baldwin is a prime example. He has been a commercial boat fisherman for four years, spending four or five nights per week on the water.
For Baldwin and his fishing partner, Franklin Shotwell, the night didn’t begin differently from any other. He texted a few of his customers to see whether they wanted any fish. He lives in Indian Head in Charles County but has a widespread customer base, including Alewife on Eutaw Street in Baltimore, which serves some dishes that feature snakehead or catfish.
Baldwin and Shotwell were just about to head in for the evening when they made a detour toward an area where they usually find catfish. They turned their lights on, and Shotwell spotted a snakehead on Baldwin’s side of the boat.
Baldwin shot the fish with his compound bow near Marshall Hall on the Maryland side of the Potomac. After a game of tug of war, he hauled it in, set it down on the boat and weighed it.
“And we realized we got something pretty daggone special,” Baldwin said.
Around midnight, all the shops that could measure an official weight had closed. But, first thing the next morning, Baldwin took the fish to Gray Brothers Market in Marbury, where the DNR confirmed the record.
Baldwin, 41, has been bow-fishing for about 20 years. When he started, he targeted rough fish such as carp. He later targeted snakeheads, began eating them and loved them.
Word of Baldwin’s exploits spread quickly “and then, boom, a market started.” Baldwin had to wait a year for his Maryland commercial fishing license, but in the meantime he leased one and started selling his catch.
Now, with his name in the record books, he finds himself in the debate between rod-and-reel fishermen and bow fishermen.
“I’m getting flak from the standard angler crowd — you know, that just goes up there, throws some food around and hopes the fish is hungry,” Baldwin said.
Baldwin says he isn’t against having two separate records, but he’s also quick to point out that the way he fishes isn’t so simple.
“A lot of people think that we just turn on the lights, the fish swim to the lights and we shoot the fish,” Baldwin said. “That’s not how it happens. That’s a far cry from what we do.”
Baldwin and Shotwell are the kinds of fishermen the DNR says it is looking for to reduce the harmful impact of snakeheads on the environment.
“We also have a hard-core group of snakehead fishermen, which is fine,” Zlokovitz said. “There’s like a clique or a cult following. As long as they kill them, that’s fine.”