Freaky Fish Story Flourishes

And there have been sightings of another fish with a girth as big as a golf bag -- not unheard of for snakeheads, but worrisome for those who want to keep the critter from hiking to other bodies of water.

Although snakeheads are illegal to own in 13 states, they are permitted in Virginia, Maryland and the District and are readily available at area fish markets, officials said. The fish are sought after as an Asian delicacy and are sometimes used as offerings by those who practice Eastern religions. Investigators are looking into whether the Crofton snakeheads may have been intentionally released into the pond.

The options for ridding the pond of the beasts are simple, though they may sound extreme: draining the pond, setting off a net of explosives or poisoning the pond to kill all the fish.

Biologists acknowledge having reservations about all of the options, and fish literature has several ugly chapters on pond poisonings gone bad.

Which makes it more likely that they may just opt to wait and see what the amateurs turn up. As long as there are hooks and bobbers in the water, there's a chance of smoking out the creature, Slattery said.

An Annapolis newspaper offered a $100 reward for whoever caught the first snakehead, but more bounties are unlikely. Because snakeheads are readily available for sale, state officials point out, anyone could go out and buy a couple and try to turn them in for rewards.

"From our perspective, we need to know what's coming out of that pond, and we don't want to be confused by things that people say are coming from the pond," Slattery said.

Which leaves die-hard thrill-seekers such as Mary Sinclair, and her 14-year-old nephew and his friend, sweating it out on the fringes of what locals now refer to as Snakehead Pond.

"This wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I told Michael I'd take him fishing this summer," she said, lugging coolers of cold drinks, bait and snacks to sustain them. "I was thinking of a nice lake with a pretty view and a breeze . . . not somewhere like this, where you have to douse yourself with bug spray and sweat all day."