Fisherman says he caught an invasive ‘air-breathing’ fish during his latest fishing trip

WAYNE COUNTY, Mo. (KFVS/Gray News) - A night fishing trip turned into quite the adventure for a fisherman in Missouri.

Josh Shipman says he was recently out fishing in Wayne County when he reeled in something unusual.

“I was like, Oh, my gosh, this is the biggest bass I’ve ever caught until I started seeing the snake scales,” Shipman said.

His unusual catch appears to be that of a northern snakehead fish, an invasive species fishermen are told to be on the lookout for and report catching.

Eric Lemons, with the Army Corps of Engineers, says the more of these fish that are caught and killed, the better because the fish are considered predators, and they pose a threat.

“These fish are very well versed in reproducing, so they multiply very quickly. They live outside of the water for a long time. They can travel through wet meadows and a wetland-type situation. So yeah, they’re set up to survive,” Lemons said.

According to Shipman, he caught the northern snakehead fish at about 9 p.m. on Wednesday below the Wappapello Lake Dam.

Another northern snakehead fish was caught in the same area on May 25.

If verified by the Missouri Department of Conservation, Shipman’s catch would make the fifth one in the state.

Shipman says he didn’t kill the fish but put it inside a cooler.

However, while he was sleeping, the fish somehow got out of the cooler and made its way under a car.

According to MDC, northern snakehead fish can breathe air, which allows survival in poorly oxygenated water or out of water for several days if their skin stays moist. They can also slither across the land to return to water. These fish are not native to the U.S. and are considered invasive species native to Asia.

Shipman says he has kept the fish while contacting state officials to let them know he caught a northern snakehead fish.