MeatEater, Inc. is an outdoor lifestyle company founded by renowned writer and TV personality Steven Rinella. Host of the Netflix show MeatEater and The MeatEater Podcast, Rinella has gained wide popularity with hunters and non-hunters alike through his passion for outdoor adventure and wild foods, as well as his strong commitment to conservation. Founded with the belief that a deeper understanding of the natural world enriches all of our lives, MeatEater, Inc. brings together leading influencers in the outdoor space to create premium content experiences and unique apparel and equipment. MeatEater, Inc. is based in Bozeman, MT.

Fishing

Florida Angler Catches Massive World Record Snakehead

Man in camouflage shirt holding large snakehead fish by open truck door

Smiling man with short brown hair and trimmed beard, wearing jacket, blurred lakeside background

Sage MarshallSage Marshall is an accomplished outdoors writer and editor from southwest Colorado. He has lived across the U.S. and currently resides in Western Montana, where he explores the rivers and mountains around Missoula with his partner Bela and their adopted bird dog Gunney. He's a student of many outdoor pursuits, from skiing and backpacking to fly fishing and duck hunting. He’s a contributing writer and the former News Editor for Field & Steam. He’s also written for nationally renowned publications such as Men’s Journal, Outdoor Life, and Backpacker. Check out more of his writing and drop him a line atwww.SageMarshall.com.Jul 9, 2025

A Florida angler recently landed a whopper snakehead—and put his name in the record books.According to a Facebook post,Ryan Alvarez went fishing in South Florida’s Broward County this spring with a specific goal in mind: catching a big snakehead. He succeeded while using a Z-Man chatterbait at a canal in Pompano Beach.

heavy snakehead

“[I] went out yesterday to a spot I found that I knew had some giants,” wrote Alvarez. “[I] lost a bunch of big fish, so I went back this morning and lost another 10-plus-pound snakehead that frayed me in a broken dock…[I] almost went home after that, but I kept fishing for five more minutes and caught this absolute slob.”

Alvarez quickly brought the fish to the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) headquarters in nearby Dania Beach, where it was weighed on a certified scale. It came in at 17 pounds, 1 ounce, and was confirmed as thenew all-tackle world for the great snakehead species by the IGFA. The previous world record for the species was a 15.5 pounder caught by Corey Nowakowski,according to Anglers Journal.Alvarez's giant catch also measured in at a 37.5 inches long.

Great snakehead, also known as bullseye snakehead, are one of several closely related invasive snakehead species to establish populations in North American waters. The other species of snakehead commonly found in the U.S. is the northern snakehead, which perhaps unsurprisingly, is typically found north of where Alvarez caught his great snakehead.

According to the Everglades Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area,great snakeheads are native to tropical parts of Asia. The species has a flattened head, a torsional body, and adults are characterized by a black dot highlighted by red or orange on their tail fins.

snakehead

Bullseye snakeheads have varied diets. Scientists say they may compete with some native fish species but serious impacts to them have not been documented, perhaps because of great snakeheads’ general diets and ability to occupy low-oxygen waters where native species struggle. As with northern snakeheads, the species has become popular among recreational anglers for its aggressive strikes and willingness to take artificial lures.

Featured images and video via Ryan Alvarez Facebook.