Invasive species fishing tournament adds to Nanticoke River research

By Katie Redefer
Posted 8/15/22

Hundreds of eager anglers recently fished the Nanticoke River, reeling in two species of non-native fish while participating in a research-based invasive fishing tournament organized by Professor …

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Invasive species fishing tournament adds to Nanticoke River research

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Hundreds of eager anglers recently fished the Nanticoke River, reeling in two species of non-native fish while participating in a research-based invasive fishing tournament organized by Professor Noah Bressman and graduate assistant Zachary Crum of Salisbury University.

With approximately 300 teams registered for the free, hook-and-line exclusive tournament at Cherry Beach Park on July 30, competitors reeled in about 650 blue catfish and five northern snakeheads in total, according to Bressman. 

“In addition to hosting this tournament for research purposes, I think it was enjoyable for people and most participants took away something they didn’t know before, learning more about blue catfish and northern snakeheads,” Crum said. “As well, we removed almost 1,000 pounds of invasive fish, so all-in-all I think it was a huge success.”

Cash prizes in total of $2,000 were given out to the most successful anglers of the day, which was funded by a grant from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. 

“I won a lot of prizes, I think it totaled to about $450,” said Thomas Carpenter, a life-long fishing enthusiast from Easton. He attributed his success at the tournament to his prior experience catching blue catfish and his use of a kayak as opposed to a boat. “I had a lot of fun, and I wish they would have more tournaments like this.”

Fishers had the option to compete in the day-long event from boat, kayak, or shore, so long as they brought in any blue catfish or northern snakeheads they caught. Bressman said they primarily wanted to collect the invasive fish to study their diets and reproductive habits, which will help experts understand the threat they could pose to native species, like river herring, white perch, and blue crabs.

“What we’re trying to figure out first is what they're eating, how fast they're growing, and how fast they’re reproducing. That will help us learn more about the population structure,” Bressman said. “If we know how many individuals [fish] there are, and how fast they’re growing, we can assume how much prey they’re eating.”

Participants who caught blue catfish or northern snakeheads brought the fish to Bressman and Crum, who took tissue samples of the specimen before giving the meat back to the fisher. Fish caught in the tournament that were too small to eat or keep were composted, Crum said. 

“We wanted to do this to collect data, but also to give us an idea of how a tournament like this could go, so a trial run more or less,” said Crum, who is studying the invasive fish species for his Master’s thesis in applied biology. “Given its success, I think it’s something we should definitely consider doing again, provided the grant funding continues to be recurring on an annual basis.”

Christopher Keene, from Salisbury, said he was proud of his 6-year-old son Declan, who reeled in 17 blue catfish from the shore in total and won second place in the land division for most catfish caught. 

“The science aspect was really neat, especially for my son, because when we took the fish in and they weighed them, for [Salisbury University] they took the fish and looked in their stomachs to see all the wildlife they’re eating, like blue crabs and perch, which could put a dent in a native population,” Keene said, adding that he hopes to take his son to more tournaments in the future. “My son is now very interested in catching a snakehead, which I think is a pretty cool thing too.”

Keene said he hopes this tournament inspires more people to fish for invasive species like the northern snakehead. 

“Another positive of this event is more people will see this and want to get out there and catch their own. I don’t think a lot of people knew that snakeheads were in the Nanticoke already, so now that they know, it’s something else they can aim for,” Keene said.

Bressman said he strongly advises fishers to catch and eat both blue catfish and northern snakeheads; to benefit local waterways, but also to expand their taste buds. 

“I want to encourage people to catch and eat these fish, find out they taste good, and create a demand for them. Once there’s a demand, then the commercial fisheries can start getting some more money for them and then start, on a larger scale, removing these fish from the population,” Bressman said. “Not only will that create more jobs in Maryland, but it will also provide people with more delicious food and protect the local ecosystem.”

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