Conservation groups in Maryland pay bounty rewards for invasive fish caught

Little boy impresses dad by catching his first fish

A little kid in Vonore, Tennessee, reeled in his first fish recently, to the serious delight of his dad. Adorable footage from Jaylon Beasley shows the moment his three-year-old son caught the fish all by himself after feeling a snag on the line.

Anglers in Maryland are once again uniting to put a stop to an invasive fish species while also reeling in a few bucks along the way.

The “Reel Rewards” program, launched in 2024 by a coalition of local conservation groups, pays fishermen $30 for every snakehead, blue and flathead they catch in the Baltimore harbor.

“Invasive fish species threaten the Baltimore Harbor ecosystem, economy, and native species,” the group’s website says.

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“Invasive snakehead, blue catfish, and flathead catfish prey on and compete for resources with native species that are important to anglers and businesses,” the site also notes.

Anglers can catch up to a maximum of 15 fish heads or bodies per week — and it does not matter whether the fish is caught on land or by boat.

An angler holds up an invasive northern snakehead.

People can earn $30 per invasive fish through Maryland’s “Reel Rewards” program in Baltimore harbor. (iStock)

Snakeheads have scales similar to a boa or python, giving meaning to their name.

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They can be found at the bottom of shallow, slow-moving, weedy waters, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

The initiative aims to control snakeheads and catfish populations threatening the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

The fish have large mouths full of pointed teeth, according to FWS.

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Snakeheads vary in size, but generally range from stretching a few inches to over three feet long, according to New York Invasive Species.