FLORIDA: Anyone for Clown Knifefish?
Posted on October 14th, 2008
My friend Don DeMott has been hammering peacock bass down in Florida, and says about once a trip he pulls out one of these. Add it to the list of many non-native fish patrolling Florida’s freshwater drainage system. Roughfisher, the blogging community demands that you get on the case.
Tagged: canals, clown knifefish, ditch fishing, out of the fishbowl, peaock bass
That’s some funky stuff right there. Why don’t you hit that and a snakehead and a grass carp or something and call it a canal slam?
Take care of my boss and my wife and I’ll be down there in a heartbeat. Those fish are gnarly. The tucanare better beware…
We have to plan a trip down there just for fishing. How about a rough fish conclave this winter. We could put the call out for sponsors.
Game on. Let’s make it happen.
That is a hell of a fish, I’ve seen them in aquariums but nothing that size.
I’d read about them being in the canals but had never seen one or heard of anybody catching one until Don sent me this photo. Don is also a professional-level bass angler, so he’s pretty good at catching things.
Hi Fisho’s,
I live in Sri Lanka and have landed 18″+ clown knife fish on 3″ lures (trolling) which have been introduced into a large fresh water lake near Colombo. These fish were originally imported as ornamental fish and have been released into the lake as the carers probably lost interest or could not be bothered to continue with their pets.
However, the introduction of the knife fish have depleted the native Barramundi and other species with their voracious appetite.
Hope you folks have suggestions to redress the situation faced by the native species. Looking forward to your replies…
From my understanding, when a new species is introduced and thrives, there’s not a lot you can do to get rid of it. I don’t know much at all about clown knifefish, my friend is the one who catches them, but I think a catch and kill policy might help cull the population. Maybe I’ll forward your question to a fisheries expert, which I am not.
I caught two of these one right after the other back in june of 08 off the canal between boynton bch blvd and ocean ave in Leisureville blvd . I have caught an 8lb bass tops at the same location but i have been fishing in florida for the past 30 years fresh and saltwater and never before did i come across these so called clown knife fish. Iam glad i decided not to eat these . the two i caught were about ten lbs and 24 inches i have a picture but no scanner. I would never have known the name of these fish until i stopped in the bait store in
delray over by the frog lounge on federal. They each had 6 spots. Havent caught any more since but iam glad i finally saw that picture at the bait shop!!! happy fishing
I caught one of these fish in the exact same location as Jack Salik on Feb. 28, 2008. The one I caught had seven spots and was approx. 18″. Craziest looking fish I have ever had on my line!!!
I have one of them (CLOWNKNIFE FISH) in my Fish Tank 28” long I heard that was a record in an aquarium.
My friend caught a 10lb last wknd-now I found out my thai friends love this fish and will buy, we live in lantana, Fl