This Week's Article

This Week's News

Invasive Northern Snakehead Caught By Angler In Lake Wylie
     An angler fishing the Paw Creek arm of Lake Wylie in Mecklenburg County, N.C., caught a 31-inch northern snakehead on April 19. Lake Wylie is located on the border of North and South Carolina.
     The capture of a northern snakehead is potentially bad news for the Lake Wylie fishery, as well as Lake Wylie anglers. Northern snakehead, which is native to eastern Asia, can cause undesirable impacts on native fishes in waters where they have been illegally introduced by competing for food, habitat, and through direct predation. An established snakehead population could potentially reduce the abundance of popular game fishes, such as largemouth bass, crappie, and sunfishes, as well as nongame fishes, including catfish, and, thereby, ultimately affecting angler catch rates.
     The S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) stresses the importance of not releasing a suspected snakehead. Snakeheads can easily be confused with native bowfin (also known as "mudfish"). One distinguishing difference between a bowfin and a snakehead is length of the anal fin, which is the bottom-rear fin near the tail. The snakehead has a very long anal fin, which is more than half the length of the dorsal (back) fin, and the bowfin has a shorter anal fin, which is less than half the length of the dorsal fin. A printer-friendly flyer illustrating the differences between a bowfin and a northern snakehead is available on the DNR Web site at http://www.dnr.sc.gov/publications.html .
If you catch a fish you suspect is a snakehead, do not release it, instead, place it on ice or freeze it. Contact DNR Freshwater Fisheries Region 2 Coordinator Elizabeth Osier at (843) 661-4767 or Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries Region 2 Biologist Robert Stroud at (803) 366-7024 for more information.
     Staff from the DNR, Duke Energy and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will continue to sample the 13,400-acre lake over the next few weeks to identify the extent of the snakehead infestation, as well as develop an appropriate future northern snakehead management strategy.
 

• Lighten up. Gas weighs 6.1 pounds per gallon; diesel, 7.1 pounds; and water, a hefty 8.3 pounds. While it's important to follow the 3-3-3 rule for fuel supply (one-third to get there, one-third to get back and one-third for emergencies), you may not need to fill all fuel tanks to the brim. Leave water tanks half-full if you're just going out for the day. Don't overload your boat with people or gear, and distribute weight evenly.

• Most people trailer their boats, so think about fuel consumption on your vehicle. Have tires inflated properly on the trailer and vehicle. This will make a significant difference.

• When pulling your boat by trailer, fill up at gas stations rather than marinas when possible. Fuel at marinas is much more expensive.
  * If purchasing an outboard engine think about four-cycle engines, which use 40 percent less fuel than the conventional two-cycle outboard engine and they do not use outboard motor oil.

• Keep your engine well tuned. The average marine gasoline engine can log 1,500 hours before needing a major overhaul, while a diesel engine can log 5,000 hours. If you're not a mechanic, find one you trust who is willing either to teach you the basics of engine tuning or do the job for you.

• Make sure your propeller is right for your boat, and repair or replace it if it's damaged. According to boating safety specialists, if a propeller is dinged or out of pitch, it does not matter how well the engine runs-the engine will still use more gas than it should. Have an expert check your propeller to make sure it is properly tuned.

• Slow down and keep a log to monitor at which rpm your engine performs best. Calculate fuel mileage by dividing distance traveled by gallons when filling.

• Consider installing a fuel-flow meter. Investing in a fuel-flow meter to monitor consumption, showing not only how much fuel has been used, but how fast the boat is using it, helps you find the most efficient cruising rpm. Installing trim tabs on a planing hull can also improve fuel consumption.

• Keep your boat's bottom clean. Even a slightly dirty bottom can keep your boat from planing or, on a displacement hull, can slow it down dramatically.

• Get your boat up to plane quickly and smoothly, and then throttle back to cruising speed. The fewer turns you make the less motor load you'll have.

• Use a GPS and charts to get where you are going. If you have a trolling motor, use that instead of the big one if you have to travel just a few hundred feet.

• May 2 - 8 a.m. - Star Fort Rodeo, Ninety Six, Greenwood County

• May 2 - 8 a.m. - 11 a.m. - Barnwell County Fishing Rodeo

• May 2 - 9 a.m. - Blue Heron Nature Center Rodeo, Ridgeland, Jasper County

• May 9 - 8 a.m. - Jimmy Shay Youth Fishing Rodeo, Lick Fork Lake, Edgefield County

• May 9 - 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Draper Wildlife Management Area Rodeo, York County

• May 16 - Clearwater Cove Fishing Rodeo, Kershaw County

• May 16 - 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Goose Creek Police Department, Goose Creek, Berkeley County

• May 16 - 8 a.m. - Veteran's Park, Union County

• May 30 - 8 a.m. - Sunrise Lake Fishing Rodeo, Lancaster County

• June 6 - 9 a.m. - noon. - Dargan's Pond Fishing Rodeo, Darlington County

• June 6 - 9 a.m. - noon. - Defender Industries Fishing Rodeo, Richland County

• June 6 - 8 a.m. - Piedmont Forestry Education Center, Salem, Oconee County

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