BALTIMORE, MD—An Anne Arundel County angler has set a new Maryland state record for the Chesapeake Channa, also known as the northern snakehead, an invasive species. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced this week that Matt Foreman, 43, of Crownsville, caught the 21.8-pound fish on June 7.
Foreman’s record-breaking catch was made in the Susquehanna River below the Conowingo Dam. He used a Vadersbow Saber X bow with a generic tip while on a Working Class Outdoorsman charter led by Captain Nick Mather. The fish measured more than 36 inches in length.
The new record surpasses the previous 21.0-pound mark set in 2023 by Damien Cook in Dorchester County. While Cook’s catch still holds a world record from the International Game Fish Association for hook-and-line fishing, Foreman’s fish earned him a Maryland record from the Bowfishing Association of America, as the International Game Fish Association does not recognize fish caught by spearfishing or bowfishing.
Foreman, an avid bowhunter, said he targets Chesapeake Channa because “they taste good and everybody wins” when removing the invasive fish from Maryland waters. During the record-setting trip, the charter stopped at six locations, harvesting 26 Channa and one blue catfish, all shot from 10 feet or less. Captain Mather noted it was the best snakehead fishing he had seen in seven years.
Chesapeake Channa (renamed by Maryland legislation in 2024) are now common throughout the Chesapeake Bay tidal waters. Maryland has no season or limit for invasive fish, and the DNR encourages anglers to kill all invasive species they catch. It is illegal to transport a live Channa.
Anglers who believe they have caught a potential record fish should download and complete a state record application and contact the DNR at 443-569-1398. The department advises immersing the fish in ice water to preserve its weight until it can be inspected and certified.
