Maryland outdoorsman Matt Foreman made a serious haul while on a chartered bowfishing trip earlier this month. Fishing the Susquehanna River the night of June 7, Foreman harvested 26 snakeheads and a bonus blue cat with his guide, Capt. Nick Mather. One of those snakeheads weighed 21.8 pounds, and in addition to breaking the Maryland record for the species, Foreman’s fish is a new bowfishing world record.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources recognized Foreman’s state-record snakehead in an announcement Monday, noting that the record falls under the state’s Invasive Division. Maryland urges anglers to catch and kill as many invasive snakeheads as they can, and it’s illegal to transport these fish alive inside the state. The same rules apply to flathead and blue catfish, which along with snakeheads are considered the most harmful fish in Maryland waters.Â
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The MDNR also referred to the fish as a “Chesapeake Channa” in its announcement. This new nickname for invasive northern snakeheads was invented in 2024 by Maryland lawmakers, who recognize the need to control snakehead populations and are trying to increase the species’ appeal as a food fish. Many East Coast anglers, though, already know that Chesapeake Channa is one of the most delicious fish in freshwater — and that includes Foreman.
“They taste good and everybody wins,” Foreman told the MDNR, explaining why he likes to target snakeheads. An avid bowhunter, he said he only recently picked up the sport of bowfishing and has been going out with Capt. Mather, who operates a local charter service, Working Class Outdoorsmen.
Mather runs a custom, 26-foot bowfishing rig with platforms and lighting, which help for spotting fish. He told the agency they fished six different spots on the Susquehanna below Conowingo Dam the night of June 7, and all their shots were taken from 10 feet or closer. Mather added that he’s been seeing some of the best snakehead fishing in seven years this spring and summer.
Foreman’s big Channa barely beat out the previous state record, which weighed 21 pounds on the nose and was caught in Dorchester County in 2023. That Dorchester County fish remains the all-tackle world record in the eyes of the International Game Fish Association, as it was caught on a rod and reel, and the IGFA does not recognize record fish taken with spears or bows. Those records are instead maintained by the Bowfishing Association of America, which has already certified Foreman’s world-record snakehead with an official weight of 21 pounds 12.8 ounces, and a measurement of 37 inches long.
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