how did blue catfish get to the chesapeake bay

A boat captain leading a group of high school students caught a giant blue crab in the Chesapeake Bay. Pete Springer of blue catfish in the Potomac. Margined madtom is a small, light colored, secretive fish less than 6 inches in length. Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, May 3 Update: Running south may be a good bet, for the weekend. "If they keep gaining and gaining ground, I don't want that to be the primary fish of the Chesapeake Bay.". More information about the white catfish can be found on our Fish Facts Page. Adults usually grow to be less than two feet long, but can be as long as five feet and weigh more than 100 pounds. Flathead are an introduced species and are currently found in only a few places in the Chesapeake Bay; the Potomac River, Upper Bay, Elk and Sassafras Rivers. Yellow Bullhead can be found in many of the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. 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Whole Foods is now selling Chesapeake Bay blue catfish in their stores. The Northern snakehead fish raised alarm when it appeared in the Chesapeake in the early 2000s, raising concerns it would outcompete native species. Blue catfish, which were first introduced by Virginia officials to the James River for sport fishing, might number more than 100 million in the Chesapeake Bay now, researchers say. "There are more of them out there, but also more people going after them," said Sean Corson, acting director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Chesapeake Bay office. As an introduced species, blue catfish are now commonly found in the tidal Potomac River and some of the other tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun video). Cornmeal-crusted blue catfish at Red’s Table in Reston, Virginia. As an introduced species, blue catfish are now commonly found in the tidal Potomac River and some of the other tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. With so many available in the Bay, one solution could be that people should simply eat more catfish. January 11, 2019. Rice, who now gets more than half of his income from blue catfish, said the invaders have been a blessing in disguise. Slender body with spots on juveniles or small adults. (Blankenship, 2019). That’s because unlike the farmed variety, which eat a diet of corn-and-soy feed, blue cats feed on medium-size fish like menhaden and white perch. Commercial watermen in Maryland and Virginia harvested more than 5 million pounds of them in 2017 — almost twice as much as the states' combined striped bass commercial harvest. First mate Ray Harner holds her fish. According to Vogt, blue and flathead catfish are not only edible, but they are desirable table fare: “We’ve been working to promote the use of invasive catfish from the Chesapeake Bay. Native to many coastal rivers from New York to Florida, these small catfish are easily identified by their proportionally huge head, which is similar to many native bullhead species, though white catfish can be distinguished by their slightly forked tail. A dark line often runs along the side of the fish. Lifespan 5 to 22 years Status Stable Also known as the yellow or mud catfish, the flathead catfish is a large, smooth-skinned fish with a yellow to purple-brown body and whisker-like barbels around its mouth. Their backs and sides are often an olive or light brown color with darker mottles or specks. Harris Creek Oyster Co. opened a stall at Camden Yards this year, offering pink catfish fillets caught fresh from the Potomac and served in sandwiches. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program) by Joan Smedinghoff. They think recent wet years encouraged the freshwater species' spread but don't know whether that has helped their reproduction. Typical size for a Margined Madtom is 3 – 5 inches. Blue catfish now support exceptional trophy fisheries in the Chesapeake Bay region, particularly in the James and Potomac rivers, where catfish over 50 lb are regularly caught by anglers. With so many available in the Bay, one solution could be that people should simply eat more catfish. “I knew I could get five bites a day in that area, if you grinded it out,” Swindle said. The vertical fins are darkly edged in clear water but may appear only dusky in turbid water. With both demand for and supply of blue catfish on the rise, the catch has increased 2½ times over from 2014 to 2017, to nearly 200,000 pounds in Maryland waters. After 40 years of collecting trawl data on the Rhode River south of Annapolis, his agency caught its first blue catfish this year. The species were introduced to the upper James River by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries in the 70s, and over time they've not only exploded in population but also proved to be significant predators when it comes to blueback herring, blue crabs, and menhaden. By Sandra Olivetti Martin. Call toll-free in *Maryland* at 1-877-620-8DNR (8367), A Blue Catfish Tagging Study is being conducted in the Patuxent River​. Some fish can become more salt tolerant when exposed to brackish waters like those in the Bay. Blue Catfish were introduced to tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay in the 1970s and 1980s to establish new fisheries, but their presence h... How to avoid getting duped by online catfish tales Once every couple months while scrolling through my Facebook feed, I'm inspired to put on my detective cap. Straight or slightly notched tail margin. Blog Post; The horses are out of the barn. Yellow bullhead have cream colored chin barbels which differentiates them from other bullheads. Stocky body with large head. top predators and pose a serious long-term threat to our native species. And the average commercial harvest in Maryland and Virginia between 2000 and 2009 was more than 55 million pounds each year! Spread of invasive species: The blue catfish, an invasive species in the Chesapeake, has spread over the last two summers due to the lower salinity levels. Blue Crab menhaden, and blue . Conservationists, meanwhile, just hope blue cats continue to catch on with consumers such as Baltimore resident Robyn Williams. Ms. Gruber added that the best way for students to get involved is to speak up about the program. fish, such as Atlantic menhaden, American shad, blueback herring, bay anchovy, and other blue catfish. Matt Rath/Chesapeake Bay Program. Invasive blue catfish fill a container aboard a waterman's boat on the Potomac River. They were introduced to several rivers on Virginia’s Western Shore decades ago. To Be A Blue Catfish Expert, You Need To Be A Bait Expert. The state record channel catfish (Chesapeake division) is 29.63 lbs. If the estimate is correct — and there are plenty of caveats — that would mean the Bay has roughly one blue catfish for every three blue crabs, though the average catfish is many times larger than the average crab. Brown bullhead are typically small fish, less than 12" In length, but larger fish can be found . Catch and release of these fish is discouraged, as they are invasive Anal fin with rounded margin. The male crab appeared to measure between 16 and 18 inches claw-to … Yellow bullhead are one of the smaller members of the Ictaluridae Family. Way South and VA Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, February 21, 2019 Update: The southern waters of our Chesapeake haven’t been especially productive this week, and reports from the inlets are of slow pickings – instead, most anglers who report success are heading up the rivers to get in on the blue catfish which have been much more active than anything out on the Bay. Tadpole madtoms are often darker gray or brown on the back, blending to a lighter color underneath. Many consider the James River to be the best river on earth to catch blue catfish over 50 lbs. Blue Catfish (CBP) in the Chesapeake Bay -1980s. The upper jaw is equal with the lower jaw. And they "really, really, really like Chesapeake Bay tributaries," he says. Originally from the Mid-West, native to the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio Rivers, the blue catfish was brought to Virginia in the 1970s and 80s as … The group, founded in 2013, works with partners to get the fish to hunger relief agencies as well as the grocery store chain MOM's, where customers can buy it for around $9 per pound. An opportunistic and adaptable apex predator, the blue catfish was foolishly introduced in the 1970s as fodder for recreational fisherman. The more blue catfish dishes served, "the better chance we have of getting it out of the bay," said chef David Thomas of Ida B's Table in Baltimore. And they "really, really, really like Chesapeake Bay tributaries," he says. Giant blue catfish swarm the tidal rivers off the Chesapeake Bay, and tempting anglers across the Mid-Atlantic region. "Blue catfish eat everything, including each other, and there aren’t a whole lot of things that eat them once they get a certain size." Jeff Popp on the charter boat Vista Lady. Brown bullheads can be found in both tidal freshwater and non—tidal rivers, streams and ponds. How to catch catfish in the Summer. "There's a pretty decent market for them right now.". Blue catfish, which were first introduced by Virginia officials to the James River for sport fishing, might number more than 100 million in the Chesapeake Bay now, researchers say. Way South and VA Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, February 21, 2019 Update: The southern waters of our Chesapeake haven’t been especially productive this week, and reports from the inlets are of slow pickings – instead, most anglers who report success are heading up the rivers to get in on the blue catfish which have been much more active than anything out on the Bay. Wide Net Project, promoting blue catfish is a how did blue catfish get to the chesapeake bay fish with white... Are `` pleasantly surprised '' by what he describes as the cleaner flavor blue. 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