A fish that is finally starting to get the respect it deserves. Patterning the northern species after years of trying was my favourite angling experience. They’re also the only fish I’ve gone after that have outright destroyed my terminal tackle (I once had one literally break the hook to get away). Their fight isn’t particularly long in my experience but very tricky due to sudden lunges, thrashing and a tendency to bolt for cover repeatedly.
They will definitely destroy some terminal tackle, I’ve had 8/0 circle hooks break off at the point and right below the barb after catching several bowfin back to back. Let alone the ewg’s I’ve had bent out and broke. It’s insane the amount of power they have in short bursts
They're one of my favorite catches here in MN. Rare and they fight hard as Hell. I'm surprised you didn't mention their reputation for wrecking lures - that's a big reason people unfairly malign them. Personally? If I hook into a fish that can destroy a spinnerbait or shred a frog to confetti, it must be an awesome fish!
I studied Bowfin in my Ichthyology class in college and fell in love with them. They became my favorite freshwater fish (next to paddlefish) I even have a tattoo of a bowfin now. Thanks for giving them the respect they deserve! Such interesting animals
Many years ago in Florida, an older guy told me "The easy half of the fight is over when you get it in the boat!". You got to watch out for those teeth. Other fish will cut you up, bowfin can break your fingers.
I couldn’t agree more, they have nasty choppers, they don’t get tired due to the fact they breathe air, and have quite a high bite force (I have had to wait for one to let go of my pliers).
I saw a video of a guy catching one on a kayak with a lure. The bowfin does what bowfin do and sunk two prongs from a treble hook right into his chest. Dude didn't even scream jusy contemplating life.
Thank you for making this video! I live in eastern N.C and I'm a very avid bowfin angler. But most importantly you're video is positive attention! I fly fish for them , throw all kinds of lures for them. My favorite time of year is February for them. Big pre spawn females grouped up in the deepest water around the oxbows they can find. A Ned rig fished very slow and methodically is about favorite way to get them in those conversations. When you have time a buddy of mine has a chance ExplorishingAdventures, he has a ton of bowfin content and 95% of it is all artificial fishing, there's even a video or two showing me landing them on fly gear. Again thank you for making this video, bowfin are a part of my soul ❤️
@@matthewanderson9876 You’re very welcome; this series is mostly about my love for fish even when a lot of other people don’t love them. I really do think these guys are the most underrated fish here in the US. Some people have been saying gar are, but I just think less people talk about bowfin compared to gar. However they both are definitely underrated! Glad you can enjoy these prehistoric fish
hey man, I catch them over ten pounds in the waccamaw river. I let em go , but some eat them when the flesh aint "puffy." Blackfish stew. I rather have chicken bog. lol.
Bowfin are incredible. Seeing one under the water is like coming face to face with a dinosaur. It’s humbling to see something so ancient wander into the modern world and I’m blown away every time I’m lucky enough to see one diving. They can be very very very hard to find in the Great Lakes region. While I have had the most success seeing them in swamps they can still be elusive there. Time of day is everything with virtually all my sightings in Dawn and dusk. Seeing one is sadly half the battle, filming one is equally as challenging because they like to run away. I wish I saw them more often
Decades ago, my cousin (then maybe 10 y.o.) hooked one of these bad boys. It dragged him down the muddy bank into the water - but he never let go of his pole and managed to land the monster, maybe 20” long. He was congratulated but razzed mercilessly!
@@Rukas6116 They get huge in the South. World Record is around 21 lbs 7 oz, I've heard cases of bigger caught in SC. One I saw by the scale many were hearsay, never called in for a record so
Go to Lake Ontario. They commonly get 5+ pounds, and 8 pounders are not uncommon up here. They fight super hard, and a big bowfin will even do pinwheels. Make sure to fish in weedy bays, like Sodus Bay. Use live baits, because it’s a surreal experience watching a bowfin stalk your bait. Please ask me anything you want about them, I need someone to talk to me about bowfin. Please!
OK . My sister had the doldrums one summer and I decided to take her fishing . Being a novice I brought her to Sodus Point peir and fished the rocks near the beginning of the peir right off the parking lot as she had vertigo also and didnt want to walk to far or be away from comforts . We where sitting there busting chops when her eyes lit up like a lightbulb and she began exhilarating my name and other words Im sure . She ended up scared and handed me the pole . I got it in to the waters edge and handed the pole back to her so I could finish the capture . She ended up trying to lift it out of the water while I was trying to secure it and pulled the hook . I was intimidated on how to handle it but do remember what I had a hold of was very boney and the gill plate was oddly shaped and it just slid back in . Like meeting an old wise entity and being graced for a moment . What was left of the fight for me was respectable for sure . I would say it was about 9lbs . I would also say it was very boney and why the hook didnt set so well ?? Way cool experience and one Im sure my sister took to her grave . I can still see those big ole eyes she had , lol .
When I was young I would ride my bicycle down the road where there were little ponds next to the road and pick up these dead frogs that got run over. Best bait. Put a weight on them so they go to the bottom of the lake. It always worked for me. 🐸 ribbit
I love the way these fish fight, they are definitely stronger than bass but not as speedy, and sometimes swim backwards. I’d recommend using a lure that’s tough or disposable or a live shinner
Definitely underrated. I’m a fish biologist and you can use bowfin genome to compare other reaserch fish dna to human dna. They are a so-called “ancient fish” and are like an intermediate between humans and zebra fish for example. Pretty cool fish and fun toothy native fight on rod and reel. I’ve got em on bass jigs mostly (and cut bait lol).
I recently started targetting bows in Northern Minnesota with slip bobbers and cutbait. My biggest was about 29 inches. So underrated but they are a nightmare to handle in a kayak lol.
The best way I target them specifically is to cut up a bluegill then let it dry out in the sun until it makes an oil slick when it touches the water. For some reason, it's like bowfin crack, I always catch way more bowfin than catfish doing this, and catfish eat everything, so I think there's definitely something about the smell in the bluegill oil that bowfin go nuts over.
I have never caught a bowfin either. However if there's one other fish I'd call "America's most underrated game fish", I would like to nominate the longnose gar for that title. You gotta have the finesse to hook them, and then they just go nuts
@@jacobschmitz9903 That’s a pretty solid pick! I am going to include that very fish in my next set of poles for this series (I still have the bullhead and round goby to do)! I know these fish get a lot of hate as well.
If you put a small piece of freyed rope on a trailer hook of a spinner, you hook gar immediately, cuz their needle-like teeth get snagged in the rope. I guarantee you won't struggle getting a good hookset, cuz they're notorious for being hard to hook
Ok. If you ever spend any time trying your luck in bass tournaments you may know exactly what I'm talking about. You make a perfect cast as you go to retrieve a massive smack on your only 11 dollar top water bait and Yes you can almost see yourself expecting that brand new 70lb GPS remote control minn kota for big bass about 8 seconds in to this near minute long life time of a nightmare you begging the fish gods for her not to jump " stay down stay down " becomes the chant. Now believing all your previous wishes have been granted you know this award winning fish is definitely net worthy stumbling over most of every thing in the boat twice you grab the net from under the four things you piled on it so it doesn't blow out of the boat. Then and only then you get a glimpse of what may not be what until now had produced sponsorship from a half a dozen big name brands. If you are fishing with a partner about now depending if he drove or not the I wish I could just wake up part of the nightmare begins. Because the laughing like Richard Pryor is in the room starts to echo on the river and you're only at the 30 second mark. Any to make this as short of a toe stubbing feeling as I can you have to net this thin untangle your brand new tore up balsa chew toy and start the bidding to see what it going to take for no one to ever hear about this. Just saying. I would not know.
They are a crazy fighting fish. I caught one on a ribbontail worm expecting Bass and I was stunned at this thing spending just as much time flailing high out of the water as it did fighting in the water. It was a spectacle and bigger than any other fish I’ve caught.
If I go bass fishing and I catch a pike or bowfin, I ain’t gonna be mad. Fish is fish and as long as I’m catching something other than panfish I’m happy. Pan fishing is only done when the others ain’t biting.
I think bowfin are THE most underrated fish in North America. I'm so tired of hearing 'They're invasive they eat everything' when bass, rainbow and brown trout, carp, and pike aren't native either (in my area) but people just make an exception for bowfin. They're only in 1 body of water in my whole county and people have to ruin it by killing them, when these people can just go anywhere else without bowfin.
They are pretty cool. I catch them with worms, cut bait, and shrimp when I’m fishing for catfish. They jump out of the water and fight really hard. It’s kinda of swampy where I catch them down in SC. Nice video. Thanks
I caught a bowfin when I was a child. I was fishing for bluegills with a bamboo pole. I had a bluegill on my line and the bowfin grabbed it. My bamboo pole shredded but I dragged it up on the bank. I must have been 7 or 8 at the time.
Bowfin are one of my favorite freshwater fish to catch here in Virginia. The fight pound for pound blows bass out the water. They are highly aggressive. I once caught one bank fishing, and after releasing it it stalked me as I moved up the bank, following me in the water and nearly beaching itself in just a couple inches of water. I had to make sure to cast and retrieve away from it so I wouldn't catch the same fish over and over!
@@dalfonzowilliams4792 That’s pretty funny, it reminds me of all the stories I heard when making the video of how these guys will jump out of the water to chase people away from their babies
I’ve caught 2 in my life…been fishing for 47 years now as I’m 52 lol Caught one in each of last 2 years while crappie fishing during the spawn in shallow bays in Pymatuning Lake in Ohio…they were both amazing fighters and took me completely by surprise. Awesome fish and I was happy to catch, photograph and release them.
I have eaten bowfin before and also gotten strange looks from others when I was bringing it back haha. The meat is very soft and falls apart easily, however when I was fileting it, it had almost no bones and produced filets that were pretty much pure meat which is a plus. They also taste pretty good, or at least they did when I ate them; the biggest thing really is just the texture which did make me think they might be good in something similar to a crab ball. That said, there's no bowfin where I live so I don't catch them often, but I do enjoy catching them for the fight and the food. My craziest bowfin catch was with a size 10 hook and small piece of worm when I was fishing for bluegill; I'm pretty sure it weighed 6 lbs and I can't believe it didn't cut my line with it's teeth.
Thanks for mentioning the Bowfin. I'm from Southwest Michigan and they are fairly common in the lakes around me. I've caught them on plastic worms and spinners. They dig down and put up a good fight for their size. They were a favorite of my old fishing buddy so we often fished the lake edges that had good cover for their ambush style.
When i was ten or so i caught a 10 lbr out of Little Paw Paw Lake reeling in a small perch.I also caught a pretty big one by the Dam in Watervliet,same MO ,i was reeling in another smaller fish and boom
I love bowfin! I love how they fight and stuff, i go down to Okeechobee on vacation and i am planning on Purposely catching them. They fight really good guys.
I've caught a good few by the Mississippi River here in West TN. I seem to have better luck when the water is out and fields are flooded. They seem to like flooded forests and sometimes you can catch them in drainage ponds and lakes left over from the flood waters.
We have them natively in Illinois, not a common find but they are there. The IDNR classifies them as "rough fish" and are therefore legally able to be harvested with spear, bow, or net. Lack of respect for the fish doesn't really surprise me, especially here. Similarly we also have several species of Gar, that many people will INTENTIONALLY kill because "it's trash and just eats hooks/baits/fish you *actually* want." A lot of disrespect for various fish because they don't fight like a bass, or tastes like a crappie/bluegill, or mount on the wall like a Muskellunge. See a lot of Drum being left on the shore because people don't want to catch them.
Southern Illinois near the Mississippi theyre everywhere. My family has property with several lakes and small ponds. They're full of these those ngs. I catch them all day.
When I was a kid, we had a computer fishing game and one of the tag lines was "your lure was mangled by a bowfin". Being from Oregon, I never caught one but I figured they were a pretty tough fish
Big time fighter, taste great, however will not keep unless gut hooked, they are the ones that eliminate carp by eating the babies, and where they are notice you catch massive bluegill they solve the stunted bluegill problem, they are a great fish, beautiful hard fighting great tasting and solutions to carp and stunted bluegill problem
At times our southern Michigan lake would go into an aquarium like phase when conditions were right. I have seen these fish at over 30 inches long and perhaps more. Have caught 24 inchers regularly. They destroy tackle and fight like hell. Even small ones. Even when they are a bloody wreck, they swim off and survive. When fishing just to goof around I really appreciate hooking into one of these behemoths. It usually takes some effort to land them, especially on light mono line.
In Louisiana we call them "Choupique" (Choctaw word Shupik meaning mudfish). Also called Cypress Trout. They love crawfish and live near cypress trees. They are commonly eaten onsite like while camping. Soon as you clean them, cook them. You have to keep alive if you want to take home, unless the meat turns to mush. But even then you can make into fritters. They also are a caviar fish with edible eggs, though not as good as sturgeon caviar, still valuable.
Born and raised in Southeast Louisiana and I did not know how to spell it. Not to mention, I’ve caught these my whole life. So does that make me a transplant?😂
I saw one in the river behind my house the other day still trying to catch it ! I didnt even no they were in this river either i hope there are more i dont no about
@Fishman2114 what's weird is i live in Mobile Alabama i and live on a small coastal river we have a huge delta on the other side of the bay and when it floods my fish can change like once I saw a paddle fish ! So he actually could be the only one it's hard to explain but I am hopeful !
I have caught many Bowfin (Grinnel) in the "Big Thicket" of Southeast Texas. I've found that if you can manage to filet it and cook it without washing the meat or otherwise getting it wet it is fantastic. It does soak up water and becomes mushy then it's not good.
Bowfin fight harder than most fish and they DO taste good! You gotta bleed em out right away, or if they get mushy turn em into fish cake or fish balls. You want to catch one? Get some fresh cut or even live bluegill and toss along a shallow weedline. Wait, then hold on. You can get then in shallow areas you don't find many other fish too. Fresh cut bait is the way to go but I get a lot on live bluegills!
I've caught a bunch in both Southern IL and FL, I occasionally catch them from my yard which borders the Sebastian River in Micco FL. I've heard the best way to eat them is make patties out of them with seasonings, onions, peppers and fry it. They fight HARD! And they're smart! I watched one swimming in a swamp in N. FL, a log blocked its path, it checked left, and right, seeing it couldn't get around the log it backed up a couple feet then charged forward and jumped the log and continued on its way, pretty cool event to watch.
I live in Arkansas... I've caught several Bowfin! I've never targeted this fish, but lve taken quite a few! My biggest was just short of 8 pounds! And yes... They put up quite a fight! And.... Their not bad eating either!! We call them "Grinnell" here in the south!😅
Rare, but I've caught a handful on oneida lake NY- caught 1 near a big drain pipe in a marina and a few others in the weeds when I was targeting walleye
Kayaker in raleigh nc area. Bowfin are fairly common in the reservoirs around here and remarkably curious. They will follow your boat around and swim all around it watching you if you sit still. They are definitely the least skittish fish i encounter in shallow water.
@@davidharris453 Very interesting. The real question is are they more curious than a bass? Because where I am the bass love to follow divers around as sometimes they will flip over rocks are kick up things that the bass like to eat (like crayfish)
Bowfin fingerlings from Florida were sold as "Dogfish" in aquarium stores during the 1980s, but I haven't seen them offered in decades. Fascinating living fossils, love their rippling dorsal that enables them to move forwards and backwards, and their tubular nostrils reminiscent of Polypterus and Erpetoichthys. Adults are often beautifully colored and patterened, but even juveniles can inflict severe bites as they size up. Some fingerlings were infested with tapeworms that they tolerated well, but those protruding dead white reproductive segments...
I live in North Georgia and take an annual trip to the Okefenokee swamp in South Georgia to fish for Bowfin, they absolutely put up a fight and are hell on tackle!
I love these guys. Ive only caught 2 in my life and both were on accident while targeting other species. I ate my first one and can confirm tge flesh gets mushy fast. The flavor however is good. It has a somewhat sweet taste, like shellfish almost. They fight way harder than you would assume from their size. Another interesting characteristic is that they will growl at you once they are out of water. Like an actual growling noise, unique to other fish. I really like these guys and would love to somehow target them on a trip. I just dont know the best way to do it.
the Bashakill river in Wurtsboro ny state has Bowfin in it.The water is so clear that you can se 10 feet deep.Bald Eagles are also abundant. The place is usually empty on weekdays. Great kayaking spot .
You forgot to let viewers know: DO NOT TRY TO LIP THEM. They will take your finger off with their teeth. You might not see the teeth, but they are there, probably covered up by the soft gums . . . until they use their incredible bite force. I have a couple of videos catching bowfin in a marsh, including a picture of a bowfin skull. I decided that they are my favorite fish.
I reeled one in for a friend who shied from the struggle it gave. No leaps or splashes as it clung to the bottom right up to the boat. I doubt if it was 18" long or weighed more than 2 lb, but what a fight! Id say 2-3x above its weight compared to walleye, pike, bass, or carp. It croaked once or twice ('dogfish') like a chihuahua hacking up a rubber band before I released it w/o losing any skin to those teeth and jaws.
They're on my flyfishing Bucket List. A good friend of mine lives the Florida Panhandle and states there are plenty of Bowfin to target around his town
I didn't know that these existed until I caught one earlier this summer. Early July in Northeastern Indiana, on a 3-4 in blue gill in a drainage creek along an old field. It was approximately 24-28 inches long. I'd like to catch a smaller one to keep in a tank for a while
I caught a bowfin at Presque Isle in Lake Erie. It was one of the hardest fighting fish I have caught. It took a while to reel in. I didn't even know what it was when I caught it. We had to ask another fisherman what it was, and he called it a "Dogfish" that still didn't help us because we couldn't find it in the Pennsylvania fishing regulation guide the state gives out. It was almost two foot long, probably one of the biggest fish I have ever caught.
I have caught them a few times, Once Indiana and twice in Florida. The ones that I caught put up a great fight and one of them is still my personal best freshwater fish by weight. I think they are such a cool fish, Very underrated in my opinion.
I live in a city right along the Mississippi River, and as ive seen people mention before, they are notorious for destroying bass fisherman’s baits. When I bought my fishing rod and lures and asked for the best spots to fish I was told to “watch out for the dog fish”. They are very cool though and as you said, they are living dinosaurs, I’ve always wanted to catch one but they are kindve a random fish that will just sorta pop up lol.
Bowfin definitely underrated! I have caught 1! We were fishing for northern pike in michigan…fish fought hard!!😮took me nearly 10 mins to land it!they are a great alternative to snakeheads which are illeagal.
As a fish palaeontologist I think them as the most fascinating fish- they are the sole remnant of a group that once dominated. They have a skull unlike that of any other fish with the bones fused into a solid box, unlike teleost (almost all other) fish where the skull bones are only loosely attached.
Fun Fact: They are actually one of my favourite fish for their prehistoric background and reptilian looks (just like the musky, gar and pike). And I haven’t caught one (at least not yet). I really want to catch them and live in an area known for bowfin activity (Ontario).
I've caught them up to 16 pounds. Tremendously strong with a tough as steel mouth.Always disappointed when my "biggest walleye into the lake turns out to be a "damn dogfish".
There’s Bowfin in Braddock’s bay by Rochester, and I’ve caught 3 in a marina off Sandy creek which is about 10 miles up the road from there. They fight like Hell.
@Fishman2114 Brown chartreuse tipped senkos fished wacky style, but I was lucky enough to stand right over top of 2 of them and just wiggle it in front of their face. 3rd one was by pure luck.
We catch them on live bait and cut bait while fishing for bullhead and catfish all the time in the bays on the eastern shore of Lake Ontario in northern NY. Great fight, always released.
I caught one in Lake Erie in a marina last fall on a trout worm and bobber under a dock. 24" long. I've been fishing for 45 years and that was my first.
The cooler the water the longer and harder they are able to fight. The fight in a two-three pound blackfish is truly surprising. I have never eaten any of the fish I've caught, but always put them back for another day.
I’ve caught them when bass or catfish fishing. Great fighters, and they can get pretty big. Readily bite lures or live bait and fight like mad-what’s not to like? I’ve always wondered why they’re so despised-doesn’t make sense to me. Thanks for your informative and entertaining video featuring this much-maligned species!
I’ve caught bunches of these guys. I can tell you they fight hard and whatever lure you’re using at the time will probably be destroyed after landing the fish. Those teeth don’t play. I hear a lot of the guys where I live complain about them but they don’t bother me much. I have no intentions of ever eating them but I don’t mind a good hard fight when I hook one. They definitely are a cool looking fish.
I've caught them in Indiana below the spillway of a nearby lake. But, I always released them. But, I recently learned that Bowfin caviar is delicacy. It goes for up to $47 per ounce on Amazon.
Howdy from Texas. I live in deep East Texas in the Piney Woods and Swamps. I've only caught one of these fish myself out of a farm pond close by where I live. And exactly as you said I first thought that I had actually caught a snakehead. I was so excited because I've heard hundreds of stories about just how good snakeheads are to eat. So I was a little disappointed when I posted it's picture on one of my Facebook fishing groups and several people let me know that it was actually a bowfin and not a snakehead. But I was going to take it home and Cook it anyway because it was a new freshwater species for me and I'm in my Sixties and have been fishing since I was four years old. But so many people in that same fishing group told me that bowfin are a trash fish and of course all the nasty stories that you mentioned. So I didn't bother cooking it after all. That makes the second new freshwater fish species that I've caught since moving to this part of Texas. The first one was a juvenile Chain Pickerel.
My first experience with bowfin..... A friend and I were on the East Fork of The Trinity River between the resiviours of Lake Lavon and Lake Ray Hubbard in Colin County near Wilie Texas. We each had a small inflatable boat. The bite was slow that day but I hooked something. It pulled like a catfish. As I got it near the boat a blur jumped out of the water, slapped me with it's tail and was off the hook and back in the water before I could get a look. At first I assumed it was a catfish but there were these big scales left on me. The next year we caught one on a little frog we caught on the river bank. I recognized the scales . Caught a few of them over the years but they are not plentiful.
I've caught my share of "cypress trout" here in south Louisiana while bass fishing. Never did try to eat one but I was told if you cooked it right after catching it was okay.
back in the early 80s i went fishing with my dad in the glades. we caught dozens of bowfin. first time we caught them. some were pretty big. brought a few home. dad cut them up and the flesh was pasty. never messed with them again. another thing is they twist and spin when caught and twist your line up.
The easiest place I have found to catch bowfin in Florida is at c canal spillways. You can catch them by floating any bait in the outflow. They are fun to catch, especially if they are large. Watch your fingers as they have very sharp teeth that you won't be expecting if you never handled one before. They usually mix with gar and pickerel in the flow.
These are abundant in most any creek, river, or stagnant swamp in the southeast. When I was a kid and teenager we used to fish for them regularly for sport, as we didn't consider them edible. They can be caught on live bait or cut bait and will aggressively take lures, and put up quite a fight. Fun to catch, but that's about it.
I think this fish is the one people in Louisiana call the choupique. I never fished in Louisiana. I should have, but I didn't. I did some kayaking in the bayous and slow rivers of the area. I was once at the St. James Boat Launch on the Blind River. When I finished kayaking, I found a bunch of people at the launch. They were having a choupique festival that Saturday. I guess that the Blind River must have a pretty good population of these or at least had a good population back around 2004. When I was kayaking, I usually went upstream from the launch under a couple of bridges that excluded most of the power boats. That allowed me to paddle leisurely past the alligators without being in the way of power boats. As I got further up the river, I ran into numerous canals in the area. That was fun kayaking. I think I went downstream once in cooler weather when fewer people would be on the water. Maybe you'll get a chance to go to Louisiana someday and fish there. I've been gone for over ten years, so I can't promise that the launch is still there. I can't promise that they still have choupique, but if they do, maybe you'll get a chance to catch one of these.
in my region of the deep south we call them "Mudfish." Some of the old folks call them "cypress bass". theres plenty of them in the waterways down here. they love plastic worms and bright colored spinners. snagging a 4-5lb mudfish while in a kayak is an adventure, especially down here. get drug under a low limb, have to be looking for cottonmouths and wasp nests
Caught my first bowfin this year in New York at Black Lake and caught my first pike there as well. From my experience the bowfin had a lot more fight than the pike granted it was slightly larger.
They're becoming a very important commercial fish. Their roe is apparently getting sold as a caviar. It's cheaper than sturgeon by a lot, but apparently tastes really great if you like that kind of thing. I love roe, but I've only ever tried saltwater fish roe.
They're pretty good eating but it's best to keep them alive until you clean them because they'll get mushy. They make good fish patties ground with potatoes and seasoning blend
So sad how people treat bowfins where I live. They’re treated as a predatory trash fish, that scares off other game fish like crappie and bass…but I’ve never heard of bass fishermen complaining about bass damaging other fish populations…I’ve only ever caught two. One that was a beautiful golden brown with blueish green fins, and probably ab 5-6lbs. Caught out of a canal using a wacky worm targeting bass. Sadly ripped it’s eye out using a wide gap hook...The other was dark brown with normal colored fins probably ab 3-4lbs, and I caught that one out of a big crappie lake using live minnows. Both bowfin fought insanely hard on medium-light set ups. Such an incredible fish.
Havent caught one yet but I did see one while snorkeling. It was schooling with a small group of bass at a drop off close to shore. I casted out to it and caught the bass but no bowfin. This was in Canada at Beausoleil Island Georgian bay Lake Huron.
I love catching bowfins. I'm from the Quad Cities on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. I have three rivers and a channel that runs by us. We catch them all the time. I love catching any and all fish. No such thing as a thrash fish to me. I also catch and release everything I catch. Thanks for the video.
I caught one on lake Erie this year at dusk on the fourth of July waiting for fireworks to start. I keep bichir at home and immediately recognized it as a close cousin
We have tons down in South West Arkansas, especially in the smaller lakes and creeks. They fight like hell, but I haven't had a chance to try and eat one yet. They fight so much that by the time I've got em on the bank and trying to get my hook out the razor trap called their mouth, they end up flipping and flopping back into the water. Fun little boogers, but seriously watch out for the teeth. Made the mistake of thinking a little juvenile wouldn't do much and he stuck a hole straight into my finger. I want to try the meat, but I want to make sure I do it right before harvesting it so I haven't got to it yet. I do hear that they actually have very good black caviar tho. I've been more interested in getting some of that and trying it.
My grandfather taught me how to prepare them when I was a kid, he called them mud fish. Filet them off the bone while still alive, filet the meat off of the skin (unless you are going to grill it), use paper towels to dry up the blood and clean the filet, DO NOT USE WATER, it will destroy the meat, cook it while fresh and do not try to refrigerate it, cut into pieces and fry them for best results. I usually just eat them when I’m camping.
I live in South Alabama, and we call them Cotton Fish! Every creek, river, mud hole or lake has them. Have caught them in everything but Puddle in the local Walmart parking lot! Fun to catch great fighters but even a Hog will not eat one!!!
Thank you for showing the difference between a Bowfin and a Snakehead. Hopefully this video will save a few of them from being misidentified and killed.
Aside from the fun side of fishing for bowfin, is to have one in an aquarium. I had one as a teen. It was so entertaining. I would feed it live minnows. It would go wild eating all it could stuff into its belly. It would attack anything I put in the tank. Pencil, finger, whatever. LOL And they look so cool.
Here in Michigan I catch them fairly often. Mostly in smaller warm water, moderate flowing rivers and streams. But we have caught them in connecting lakes as well. They aren’t something we typically target, but they’re not overly picky about forage and each year we usually catch one or two throughout the season. We’ve caught them on live bait both worms and minnows, but also a fair number on spinners and shallow running cranks as well, usually when targeting pike. I typically see them hovering over weeds in shallower river backwaters and in muddier areas behind log jams and wing dams. Often in areas favored by pike, especially during spawning. Excellent parents, I believe it’s the males will stay with the young till they disperse. Hard stubborn fighters that will really text your gear, and they have very sharp teeth…be warned.
A fish that is finally starting to get the respect it deserves. Patterning the northern species after years of trying was my favourite angling experience.
They’re also the only fish I’ve gone after that have outright destroyed my terminal tackle (I once had one literally break the hook to get away). Their fight isn’t particularly long in my experience but very tricky due to sudden lunges, thrashing and a tendency to bolt for cover repeatedly.
They will definitely destroy some terminal tackle, I’ve had 8/0 circle hooks break off at the point and right below the barb after catching several bowfin back to back. Let alone the ewg’s I’ve had bent out and broke. It’s insane the amount of power they have in short bursts
They're one of my favorite catches here in MN. Rare and they fight hard as Hell. I'm surprised you didn't mention their reputation for wrecking lures - that's a big reason people unfairly malign them. Personally? If I hook into a fish that can destroy a spinnerbait or shred a frog to confetti, it must be an awesome fish!
I studied Bowfin in my Ichthyology class in college and fell in love with them. They became my favorite freshwater fish (next to paddlefish) I even have a tattoo of a bowfin now. Thanks for giving them the respect they deserve! Such interesting animals
@@Leslie-es5ij nothing wring with that
@@aydenreed1527 “tattoo of a bowfin”? You sound like my kinda person lol
@@aydenreed1527 you need real help. Just have a pet rat. Egads.
Many years ago in Florida, an older guy told me "The easy half of the fight is over when you get it in the boat!". You got to watch out for those teeth. Other fish will cut you up, bowfin can break your fingers.
I couldn’t agree more, they have nasty choppers, they don’t get tired due to the fact they breathe air, and have quite a high bite force (I have had to wait for one to let go of my pliers).
I saw a video of a guy catching one on a kayak with a lure. The bowfin does what bowfin do and sunk two prongs from a treble hook right into his chest. Dude didn't even scream jusy contemplating life.
yup. they'll flip and flop and roll and waller. everything in the boat will be greasy when it finally gets still enough for you to get your hands on
Thank you for making this video! I live in eastern N.C and I'm a very avid bowfin angler. But most importantly you're video is positive attention! I fly fish for them , throw all kinds of lures for them. My favorite time of year is February for them. Big pre spawn females grouped up in the deepest water around the oxbows they can find. A Ned rig fished very slow and methodically is about favorite way to get them in those conversations. When you have time a buddy of mine has a chance ExplorishingAdventures, he has a ton of bowfin content and 95% of it is all artificial fishing, there's even a video or two showing me landing them on fly gear. Again thank you for making this video, bowfin are a part of my soul ❤️
@@matthewanderson9876 You’re very welcome; this series is mostly about my love for fish even when a lot of other people don’t love them. I really do think these guys are the most underrated fish here in the US. Some people have been saying gar are, but I just think less people talk about bowfin compared to gar. However they both are definitely underrated! Glad you can enjoy these prehistoric fish
I can't imagine what it's like to fly fish for them sounds crazy.
hey man, I catch them over ten pounds in the waccamaw river. I let em go , but some eat them when the flesh aint "puffy." Blackfish stew. I rather have chicken bog. lol.
Bowfin are incredible. Seeing one under the water is like coming face to face with a dinosaur. It’s humbling to see something so ancient wander into the modern world and I’m blown away every time I’m lucky enough to see one diving. They can be very very very hard to find in the Great Lakes region. While I have had the most success seeing them in swamps they can still be elusive there. Time of day is everything with virtually all my sightings in Dawn and dusk. Seeing one is sadly half the battle, filming one is equally as challenging because they like to run away. I wish I saw them more often
@@Belowbluewaterdiver That’s seriously amazing that you’ve dived and seen them face-to-face! I have yet to even seen one
i usually see a ton whenever i go to a bayou, although water there might be too murky to see anything
@@Fishman2114 If you go to the Florida springs, you can snorkel with all kinds of fish like bass, striped bass, gar, and occasionally bowfin
You can find bowfin in MANY rivers in Wisconsin. They are Not that hard to find
Decades ago, my cousin (then maybe 10 y.o.) hooked one of these bad boys. It dragged him down the muddy bank into the water - but he never let go of his pole and managed to land the monster, maybe 20” long. He was congratulated but razzed mercilessly!
Caught a 16lb bowfin in Louisiana fought super hard. Comparable to saltwater fish.
Wow 16lbs is a monster
@@AidanGilchrist Crazy fish!
@@Rukas6116 They get huge in the South. World Record is around 21 lbs 7 oz, I've heard cases of bigger caught in SC. One I saw by the scale many were hearsay, never called in for a record so
That’s a huge bowfin.
I caught a Bowfin bass fishing. It hit that Senko like a freight train.
Go to Lake Ontario. They commonly get 5+ pounds, and 8 pounders are not uncommon up here. They fight super hard, and a big bowfin will even do pinwheels. Make sure to fish in weedy bays, like Sodus Bay. Use live baits, because it’s a surreal experience watching a bowfin stalk your bait. Please ask me anything you want about them, I need someone to talk to me about bowfin. Please!
I've seen them up to 18 pounds in the past
OK . My sister had the doldrums one summer and I decided to take her fishing . Being a novice I brought her to Sodus Point peir and fished the rocks near the beginning of the peir right off the parking lot as she had vertigo also and didnt want to walk to far or be away from comforts . We where sitting there busting chops when her eyes lit up like a lightbulb and she began exhilarating my name and other words Im sure . She ended up scared and handed me the pole . I got it in to the waters edge and handed the pole back to her so I could finish the capture . She ended up trying to lift it out of the water while I was trying to secure it and pulled the hook . I was intimidated on how to handle it but do remember what I had a hold of was very boney and the gill plate was oddly shaped and it just slid back in . Like meeting an old wise entity and being graced for a moment . What was left of the fight for me was respectable for sure . I would say it was about 9lbs . I would also say it was very boney and why the hook didnt set so well ?? Way cool experience and one Im sure my sister took to her grave . I can still see those big ole eyes she had , lol .
When I was young I would ride my bicycle down the road where there were little ponds next to the road and pick up these dead frogs that got run over. Best bait. Put a weight on them so they go to the bottom of the lake. It always worked for me. 🐸 ribbit
Bowfin are one of my favorite fish. I caught a 27 inch one 4 years ago. That picture hangs up on my wall to this day. Such an underrated fish.
@@HazelVsTheWrld A super underrated fish, I unfortunately hear too many stories of people hating them and just wanting to kill them…
Another great video! Love your editing style by the way. Definitely my kind of humor 😂
@@BryceCorbitt Glad you enjoy my content 😂
I love the way these fish fight, they are definitely stronger than bass but not as speedy, and sometimes swim backwards. I’d recommend using a lure that’s tough or disposable or a live shinner
Definitely underrated. I’m a fish biologist and you can use bowfin genome to compare other reaserch fish dna to human dna. They are a so-called “ancient fish” and are like an intermediate between humans and zebra fish for example. Pretty cool fish and fun toothy native fight on rod and reel. I’ve got em on bass jigs mostly (and cut bait lol).
how is a fish that evolved in parallel with mammals an intermediate link between mammals and a modern fin fish?
ridiculous
I recently started targetting bows in Northern Minnesota with slip bobbers and cutbait. My biggest was about 29 inches. So underrated but they are a nightmare to handle in a kayak lol.
The best way I target them specifically is to cut up a bluegill then let it dry out in the sun until it makes an oil slick when it touches the water. For some reason, it's like bowfin crack, I always catch way more bowfin than catfish doing this, and catfish eat everything, so I think there's definitely something about the smell in the bluegill oil that bowfin go nuts over.
I have never caught a bowfin either. However if there's one other fish I'd call "America's most underrated game fish", I would like to nominate the longnose gar for that title. You gotta have the finesse to hook them, and then they just go nuts
@@jacobschmitz9903 That’s a pretty solid pick! I am going to include that very fish in my next set of poles for this series (I still have the bullhead and round goby to do)! I know these fish get a lot of hate as well.
@@Fishman2114 my favorite bass pond is loaded with bullhead catfish too and I love it can't wait to see that vid
Choupique (bowfin) fight like crazy but are very good at biting through line...and don't think about lipping one like a bass 😂😂
If you put a small piece of freyed rope on a trailer hook of a spinner, you hook gar immediately, cuz their needle-like teeth get snagged in the rope. I guarantee you won't struggle getting a good hookset, cuz they're notorious for being hard to hook
@@squillium3091 frayed nylon works best
Another reason they’re disliked is their jaws are strong enough to destroy most lures bass fisherman use.
@@zachath4625 Very very true
They also are strong enough to tear up tackle on the inside of the boat by flopping around.
Ok. If you ever spend any time trying your luck in bass tournaments you may know exactly what I'm talking about. You make a perfect cast as you go to retrieve a massive smack on your only 11 dollar top water bait and Yes you can almost see yourself expecting that brand new 70lb GPS remote control minn kota for big bass about 8 seconds in to this near minute long life time of a nightmare you begging the fish gods for her not to jump " stay down stay down " becomes the chant. Now believing all your previous wishes have been granted you know this award winning fish is definitely net worthy stumbling over most of every thing in the boat twice you grab the net from under the four things you piled on it so it doesn't blow out of the boat. Then and only then you get a glimpse of what may not be what until now had produced sponsorship from a half a dozen big name brands. If you are fishing with a partner about now depending if he drove or not the I wish I could just wake up part of the nightmare begins. Because the laughing like Richard Pryor is in the room starts to echo on the river and you're only at the 30 second mark. Any to make this as short of a toe stubbing feeling as I can you have to net this thin untangle your brand new tore up balsa chew toy and start the bidding to see what it going to take for no one to ever hear about this. Just saying. I would not know.
They're alot of fun to catch. I release them.
They are a crazy fighting fish. I caught one on a ribbontail worm expecting Bass and I was stunned at this thing spending just as much time flailing high out of the water as it did fighting in the water. It was a spectacle and bigger than any other fish I’ve caught.
If I go bass fishing and I catch a pike or bowfin, I ain’t gonna be mad. Fish is fish and as long as I’m catching something other than panfish I’m happy. Pan fishing is only done when the others ain’t biting.
I think bowfin are THE most underrated fish in North America. I'm so tired of hearing 'They're invasive they eat everything' when bass, rainbow and brown trout, carp, and pike aren't native either (in my area) but people just make an exception for bowfin. They're only in 1 body of water in my whole county and people have to ruin it by killing them, when these people can just go anywhere else without bowfin.
They are pretty cool. I catch them with worms, cut bait, and shrimp when I’m fishing for catfish. They jump out of the water and fight really hard. It’s kinda of swampy where I catch them down in SC.
Nice video. Thanks
@@erikhinds-cy9cx Thankyou for enjoying it!
I caught a bowfin when I was a child. I was fishing for bluegills with a bamboo pole. I had a bluegill on my line and the bowfin grabbed it. My bamboo pole shredded but I dragged it up on the bank. I must have been 7 or 8 at the time.
Bowfin are one of my favorite freshwater fish to catch here in Virginia. The fight pound for pound blows bass out the water. They are highly aggressive. I once caught one bank fishing, and after releasing it it stalked me as I moved up the bank, following me in the water and nearly beaching itself in just a couple inches of water. I had to make sure to cast and retrieve away from it so I wouldn't catch the same fish over and over!
@@dalfonzowilliams4792 That’s pretty funny, it reminds me of all the stories I heard when making the video of how these guys will jump out of the water to chase people away from their babies
I’ve caught 2 in my life…been fishing for 47 years now as I’m 52 lol
Caught one in each of last 2 years while crappie fishing during the spawn in shallow bays in
Pymatuning Lake in Ohio…they were both amazing fighters and took me completely by surprise.
Awesome fish and I was happy to catch, photograph and release them.
@@cwcrider72 Love to hear that! Its fun to catch something totally by surprise :)
Glad to see someone talking about bowfin
I have eaten bowfin before and also gotten strange looks from others when I was bringing it back haha. The meat is very soft and falls apart easily, however when I was fileting it, it had almost no bones and produced filets that were pretty much pure meat which is a plus. They also taste pretty good, or at least they did when I ate them; the biggest thing really is just the texture which did make me think they might be good in something similar to a crab ball.
That said, there's no bowfin where I live so I don't catch them often, but I do enjoy catching them for the fight and the food. My craziest bowfin catch was with a size 10 hook and small piece of worm when I was fishing for bluegill; I'm pretty sure it weighed 6 lbs and I can't believe it didn't cut my line with it's teeth.
Thanks for mentioning the Bowfin. I'm from Southwest Michigan and they are fairly common in the lakes around me. I've caught them on plastic worms and spinners. They dig down and put up a good fight for their size. They were a favorite of my old fishing buddy so we often fished the lake edges that had good cover for their ambush style.
@@melchurch3019 No problem I plan on getting one for myself at some point
When i was ten or so i caught a 10 lbr out of Little Paw Paw Lake reeling in a small perch.I also caught a pretty big one by the Dam in Watervliet,same MO ,i was reeling in another smaller fish and boom
I love bowfin!
I love how they fight and stuff, i go down to Okeechobee on vacation and i am planning on Purposely catching them.
They fight really good guys.
Try a craw worm or spinner bait with a bit of green in it, although they'll mangle a spinner bait beyond repair sometimes 😊
@kenneth9874 thanks
@@flyglider08etc you're welcome, they fight hard but can destroy some tackle, good luck
I've caught a good few by the Mississippi River here in West TN. I seem to have better luck when the water is out and fields are flooded. They seem to like flooded forests and sometimes you can catch them in drainage ponds and lakes left over from the flood waters.
We have them natively in Illinois, not a common find but they are there.
The IDNR classifies them as "rough fish" and are therefore legally able to be harvested with spear, bow, or net.
Lack of respect for the fish doesn't really surprise me, especially here. Similarly we also have several species of Gar, that many people will INTENTIONALLY kill because "it's trash and just eats hooks/baits/fish you *actually* want."
A lot of disrespect for various fish because they don't fight like a bass, or tastes like a crappie/bluegill, or mount on the wall like a Muskellunge. See a lot of Drum being left on the shore because people don't want to catch them.
@@Shippo89 It’s a real shame; in my eyes you’re not a true fisherman if you’re leaving species of fish on the bank
Southern Illinois near the Mississippi theyre everywhere. My family has property with several lakes and small ponds. They're full of these those ngs. I catch them all day.
When I was a kid, we had a computer fishing game and one of the tag lines was "your lure was mangled by a bowfin". Being from Oregon, I never caught one but I figured they were a pretty tough fish
Big time fighter, taste great, however will not keep unless gut hooked, they are the ones that eliminate carp by eating the babies, and where they are notice you catch massive bluegill they solve the stunted bluegill problem, they are a great fish, beautiful hard fighting great tasting and solutions to carp and stunted bluegill problem
At times our southern Michigan lake would go into an aquarium like phase when conditions were right. I have seen these fish at over 30 inches long and perhaps more. Have caught 24 inchers regularly. They destroy tackle and fight like hell. Even small ones. Even when they are a bloody wreck, they swim off and survive. When fishing just to goof around I really appreciate hooking into one of these behemoths. It usually takes some effort to land them, especially on light mono line.
In Louisiana we call them "Choupique" (Choctaw word Shupik meaning mudfish). Also called Cypress Trout. They love crawfish and live near cypress trees. They are commonly eaten onsite like while camping. Soon as you clean them, cook them. You have to keep alive if you want to take home, unless the meat turns to mush. But even then you can make into fritters. They also are a caviar fish with edible eggs, though not as good as sturgeon caviar, still valuable.
Ok you're not a transplant you spelled it correctly. I'm from a little river bank town called Moss bluff over in the heel. ✌️😎
Born and raised in Southeast Louisiana and I did not know how to spell it. Not to mention, I’ve caught these my whole life. So does that make me a transplant?😂
I saw one in the river behind my house the other day still trying to catch it ! I didnt even no they were in this river either i hope there are more i dont no about
@@jacobguy3343 If there’s one there’s surely more
@Fishman2114 what's weird is i live in Mobile Alabama i and live on a small coastal river we have a huge delta on the other side of the bay and when it floods my fish can change like once I saw a paddle fish ! So he actually could be the only one it's hard to explain but I am hopeful !
@ Wow I’ll tell you what seeing a paddlefish is way more impressive than a bowfin 😂
I have caught many Bowfin (Grinnel) in the "Big Thicket" of Southeast Texas. I've found that if you can manage to filet it and cook it without washing the meat or otherwise getting it wet it is fantastic. It does soak up water and becomes mushy then it's not good.
Bowfin fight harder than most fish and they DO taste good! You gotta bleed em out right away, or if they get mushy turn em into fish cake or fish balls. You want to catch one? Get some fresh cut or even live bluegill and toss along a shallow weedline. Wait, then hold on. You can get then in shallow areas you don't find many other fish too. Fresh cut bait is the way to go but I get a lot on live bluegills!
@@FoxTenson my friend likes them grilled
I've caught a bunch in both Southern IL and FL, I occasionally catch them from my yard which borders the Sebastian River in Micco FL. I've heard the best way to eat them is make patties out of them with seasonings, onions, peppers and fry it. They fight HARD! And they're smart! I watched one swimming in a swamp in N. FL, a log blocked its path, it checked left, and right, seeing it couldn't get around the log it backed up a couple feet then charged forward and jumped the log and continued on its way, pretty cool event to watch.
I live in Arkansas...
I've caught several Bowfin!
I've never targeted this fish, but lve taken quite a few!
My biggest was just short of 8 pounds!
And yes...
They put up quite a fight!
And....
Their not bad eating either!!
We call them "Grinnell" here in the south!😅
Rare, but I've caught a handful on oneida lake NY- caught 1 near a big drain pipe in a marina and a few others in the weeds when I was targeting walleye
@@Cyph3rX Good to know… maybe I’ll have to take a trip out there 👀
Kayaker in raleigh nc area. Bowfin are fairly common in the reservoirs around here and remarkably curious. They will follow your boat around and swim all around it watching you if you sit still. They are definitely the least skittish fish i encounter in shallow water.
@@davidharris453 Very interesting. The real question is are they more curious than a bass? Because where I am the bass love to follow divers around as sometimes they will flip over rocks are kick up things that the bass like to eat (like crayfish)
The only way that I eat them are in fish patties , they are also called mud fish , they eat just about anything
Great video, thanks.
Bowfin fingerlings from Florida were sold as "Dogfish" in aquarium stores during the 1980s, but I haven't seen them offered in decades. Fascinating living fossils, love their rippling dorsal that enables them to move forwards and backwards, and their tubular nostrils reminiscent of Polypterus and Erpetoichthys. Adults are often beautifully colored and patterened, but even juveniles can inflict severe bites as they size up. Some fingerlings were infested with tapeworms that they tolerated well, but those protruding dead white reproductive segments...
I live in North Georgia and take an annual trip to the Okefenokee swamp in South Georgia to fish for Bowfin, they absolutely put up a fight and are hell on tackle!
Great Episode
@@PAOutdoorsCouple Glad you enjoyed it!
I love these guys. Ive only caught 2 in my life and both were on accident while targeting other species. I ate my first one and can confirm tge flesh gets mushy fast. The flavor however is good. It has a somewhat sweet taste, like shellfish almost. They fight way harder than you would assume from their size. Another interesting characteristic is that they will growl at you once they are out of water. Like an actual growling noise, unique to other fish. I really like these guys and would love to somehow target them on a trip. I just dont know the best way to do it.
the Bashakill river in Wurtsboro ny state has Bowfin in it.The water is so clear that you can se 10 feet deep.Bald Eagles are also abundant. The place is usually empty on weekdays. Great kayaking spot .
You forgot to let viewers know: DO NOT TRY TO LIP THEM. They will take your finger off with their teeth. You might not see the teeth, but they are there, probably covered up by the soft gums . . . until they use their incredible bite force. I have a couple of videos catching bowfin in a marsh, including a picture of a bowfin skull. I decided that they are my favorite fish.
I reeled one in for a friend who shied from the struggle it gave. No leaps or splashes as it clung to the bottom right up to the boat. I doubt if it was 18" long or weighed more than 2 lb, but what a fight! Id say 2-3x above its weight compared to walleye, pike, bass, or carp. It croaked once or twice ('dogfish') like a chihuahua hacking up a rubber band before I released it w/o losing any skin to those teeth and jaws.
They're on my flyfishing Bucket List. A good friend of mine lives the Florida Panhandle and states there are plenty of Bowfin to target around his town
I didn't know that these existed until I caught one earlier this summer. Early July in Northeastern Indiana, on a 3-4 in blue gill in a drainage creek along an old field. It was approximately 24-28 inches long. I'd like to catch a smaller one to keep in a tank for a while
I caught a bowfin at Presque Isle in Lake Erie. It was one of the hardest fighting fish I have caught. It took a while to reel in. I didn't even know what it was when I caught it. We had to ask another fisherman what it was, and he called it a "Dogfish" that still didn't help us because we couldn't find it in the Pennsylvania fishing regulation guide the state gives out. It was almost two foot long, probably one of the biggest fish I have ever caught.
I have caught them a few times, Once Indiana and twice in Florida. The ones that I caught put up a great fight and one of them is still my personal best freshwater fish by weight. I think they are such a cool fish, Very underrated in my opinion.
I live in a city right along the Mississippi River, and as ive seen people mention before, they are notorious for destroying bass fisherman’s baits. When I bought my fishing rod and lures and asked for the best spots to fish I was told to “watch out for the dog fish”. They are very cool though and as you said, they are living dinosaurs, I’ve always wanted to catch one but they are kindve a random fish that will just sorta pop up lol.
Bowfin definitely underrated! I have caught 1! We were fishing for northern pike in michigan…fish fought hard!!😮took me nearly 10 mins to land it!they are a great alternative to snakeheads which are illeagal.
As a fish palaeontologist I think them as the most fascinating fish- they are the sole remnant of a group that once dominated. They have a skull unlike that of any other fish with the bones fused into a solid box, unlike teleost (almost all other) fish where the skull bones are only loosely attached.
Fun Fact: They are actually one of my favourite fish for their prehistoric background and reptilian looks (just like the musky, gar and pike). And I haven’t caught one (at least not yet). I really want to catch them and live in an area known for bowfin activity (Ontario).
hey buddy, great video. thank you very much.
@@andrewzazz Glad you enjoyed it!
I've caught them up to 16 pounds. Tremendously strong with a tough as steel mouth.Always disappointed when my "biggest walleye into the lake turns out to be a "damn dogfish".
Caught 2 in my life in Wisconsin. A smaller one this past summer and a huge one when I was a kid. Solid fighter in both cases.
There’s Bowfin in Braddock’s bay by Rochester, and I’ve caught 3 in a marina off Sandy creek which is about 10 miles up the road from there. They fight like Hell.
@@Zane_Endicott_ Thankyou so much for sharing! What did you use to get them? I might be going this weekend
@Fishman2114 Brown chartreuse tipped senkos fished wacky style, but I was lucky enough to stand right over top of 2 of them and just wiggle it in front of their face. 3rd one was by pure luck.
Super common in Lake Ontario tributary estuaries.
@@ajgulisano7353 Good to know, do you target them?
We catch them on live bait and cut bait while fishing for bullhead and catfish all the time in the bays on the eastern shore of Lake Ontario in northern NY. Great fight, always released.
I caught one in Lake Erie in a marina last fall on a trout worm and bobber under a dock. 24" long. I've been fishing for 45 years and that was my first.
In Erie? Wow what an unusual catch for there. I've never caught anything weird like that there.
The cooler the water the longer and harder they are able to fight. The fight in a two-three pound blackfish is truly surprising. I have never eaten any of the fish I've caught, but always put them back for another day.
I’ve caught them when bass or catfish fishing. Great fighters, and they can get pretty big. Readily bite lures or live bait and fight like mad-what’s not to like? I’ve always wondered why they’re so despised-doesn’t make sense to me. Thanks for your informative and entertaining video featuring this much-maligned species!
When I moved from NY to Florida I started targeting them
I like them more than the bass
They will wreck some lures for you
Highly recommend
I caught one on a Johnson silver minnow while fishing for largemouth bass . Strong fish !
I’ve caught bunches of these guys. I can tell you they fight hard and whatever lure you’re using at the time will probably be destroyed after landing the fish. Those teeth don’t play. I hear a lot of the guys where I live complain about them but they don’t bother me much. I have no intentions of ever eating them but I don’t mind a good hard fight when I hook one. They definitely are a cool looking fish.
I've caught them in Indiana below the spillway of a nearby lake. But, I always released them. But, I recently learned that Bowfin caviar is delicacy. It goes for up to $47 per ounce on Amazon.
Howdy from Texas.
I live in deep East Texas in the Piney Woods and Swamps. I've only caught one of these fish myself out of a farm pond close by where I live. And exactly as you said I first thought that I had actually caught a snakehead. I was so excited because I've heard hundreds of stories about just how good snakeheads are to eat. So I was a little disappointed when I posted it's picture on one of my Facebook fishing groups and several people let me know that it was actually a bowfin and not a snakehead. But I was going to take it home and Cook it anyway because it was a new freshwater species for me and I'm in my Sixties and have been fishing since I was four years old. But so many people in that same fishing group told me that bowfin are a trash fish and of course all the nasty stories that you mentioned. So I didn't bother cooking it after all.
That makes the second new freshwater fish species that I've caught since moving to this part of Texas. The first one was a juvenile Chain Pickerel.
My first experience with bowfin..... A friend and I were on the East Fork of The Trinity River between the resiviours of Lake Lavon and Lake Ray Hubbard in Colin County near Wilie Texas. We each had a small inflatable boat. The bite was slow that day but I hooked something. It pulled like a catfish. As I got it near the boat a blur jumped out of the water, slapped me with it's tail and was off the hook and back in the water before I could get a look. At first I assumed it was a catfish but there were these big scales left on me. The next year we caught one on a little frog we caught on the river bank. I recognized the scales . Caught a few of them over the years but they are not plentiful.
I've caught my share of "cypress trout" here in south Louisiana while bass fishing. Never did try to eat one but I was told if you cooked it right after catching it was okay.
back in the early 80s i went fishing with my dad in the glades. we caught dozens of bowfin. first time we caught them. some were pretty big. brought a few home. dad cut them up and the flesh was pasty. never messed with them again. another thing is they twist and spin when caught and twist your line up.
The easiest place I have found to catch bowfin in Florida is at c canal spillways. You can catch them by floating any bait in the outflow. They are fun to catch, especially if they are large. Watch your fingers as they have very sharp teeth that you won't be expecting if you never handled one before. They usually mix with gar and pickerel in the flow.
These are abundant in most any creek, river, or stagnant swamp in the southeast. When I was a kid and teenager we used to fish for them regularly for sport, as we didn't consider them edible. They can be caught on live bait or cut bait and will aggressively take lures, and put up quite a fight. Fun to catch, but that's about it.
I think this fish is the one people in Louisiana call the choupique. I never fished in Louisiana. I should have, but I didn't. I did some kayaking in the bayous and slow rivers of the area. I was once at the St. James Boat Launch on the Blind River. When I finished kayaking, I found a bunch of people at the launch. They were having a choupique festival that Saturday. I guess that the Blind River must have a pretty good population of these or at least had a good population back around 2004. When I was kayaking, I usually went upstream from the launch under a couple of bridges that excluded most of the power boats. That allowed me to paddle leisurely past the alligators without being in the way of power boats. As I got further up the river, I ran into numerous canals in the area. That was fun kayaking. I think I went downstream once in cooler weather when fewer people would be on the water.
Maybe you'll get a chance to go to Louisiana someday and fish there. I've been gone for over ten years, so I can't promise that the launch is still there. I can't promise that they still have choupique, but if they do, maybe you'll get a chance to catch one of these.
in my region of the deep south we call them "Mudfish." Some of the old folks call them "cypress bass". theres plenty of them in the waterways down here. they love plastic worms and bright colored spinners. snagging a 4-5lb mudfish while in a kayak is an adventure, especially down here. get drug under a low limb, have to be looking for cottonmouths and wasp nests
Caught my first bowfin this year in New York at Black Lake and caught my first pike there as well. From my experience the bowfin had a lot more fight than the pike granted it was slightly larger.
@@waterwater6816 Interesting to note, especially because pike are great fighters themselves
They're becoming a very important commercial fish. Their roe is apparently getting sold as a caviar. It's cheaper than sturgeon by a lot, but apparently tastes really great if you like that kind of thing. I love roe, but I've only ever tried saltwater fish roe.
They're pretty good eating but it's best to keep them alive until you clean them because they'll get mushy. They make good fish patties ground with potatoes and seasoning blend
So sad how people treat bowfins where I live. They’re treated as a predatory trash fish, that scares off other game fish like crappie and bass…but I’ve never heard of bass fishermen complaining about bass damaging other fish populations…I’ve only ever caught two. One that was a beautiful golden brown with blueish green fins, and probably ab 5-6lbs. Caught out of a canal using a wacky worm targeting bass. Sadly ripped it’s eye out using a wide gap hook...The other was dark brown with normal colored fins probably ab 3-4lbs, and I caught that one out of a big crappie lake using live minnows. Both bowfin fought insanely hard on medium-light set ups. Such an incredible fish.
We were flooded with these at Somerset Lake years ago.
I've caught them in Lake Okeechobee while fishing for bass. They do put up a good fight, but you didn't mention my big negative, they're really slimy.
Havent caught one yet but I did see one while snorkeling. It was schooling with a small group of bass at a drop off close to shore. I casted out to it and caught the bass but no bowfin. This was in Canada at Beausoleil Island Georgian bay Lake Huron.
I love catching bowfins. I'm from the Quad Cities on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. I have three rivers and a channel that runs by us. We catch them all the time. I love catching any and all fish. No such thing as a thrash fish to me. I also catch and release everything I catch. Thanks for the video.
I caught one on lake Erie this year at dusk on the fourth of July waiting for fireworks to start. I keep bichir at home and immediately recognized it as a close cousin
We have tons down in South West Arkansas, especially in the smaller lakes and creeks. They fight like hell, but I haven't had a chance to try and eat one yet. They fight so much that by the time I've got em on the bank and trying to get my hook out the razor trap called their mouth, they end up flipping and flopping back into the water. Fun little boogers, but seriously watch out for the teeth. Made the mistake of thinking a little juvenile wouldn't do much and he stuck a hole straight into my finger. I want to try the meat, but I want to make sure I do it right before harvesting it so I haven't got to it yet. I do hear that they actually have very good black caviar tho. I've been more interested in getting some of that and trying it.
My grandfather taught me how to prepare them when I was a kid, he called them mud fish. Filet them off the bone while still alive, filet the meat off of the skin (unless you are going to grill it), use paper towels to dry up the blood and clean the filet, DO NOT USE WATER, it will destroy the meat, cook it while fresh and do not try to refrigerate it, cut into pieces and fry them for best results. I usually just eat them when I’m camping.
When the bluegills are spawning bowfin are usually protecting their young. If you see a big black blob cast at it amd it will hammer your bait.
Hope you get to catch one someday, great fight
Use to catch em all the time bass fishing they get big and they are a fun catch
@@manteebaby1620 What lures would they often go for?
@ anything Texas rig craws worms lizards
I live in South Alabama, and we call them Cotton Fish! Every creek, river, mud hole or lake has them. Have caught them in everything but Puddle in the local Walmart parking lot! Fun to catch great fighters but even a Hog will not eat one!!!
Cut-bait and worms work great in the Welland River in the Niagara Region.
They fight good.! They also smash the bait. No little nibbles or mild tugs.
@@ronmarchis2623 I also like fish that do that 😂. No need to question whether they are actually on or not
Thank you for showing the difference between a Bowfin and a Snakehead. Hopefully this video will save a few of them from being misidentified and killed.
@@hpdodge2894 I hope that’s the case, that was the goal!
Best friggin fish. You can make caviar with their roe and they fight like a beast.
Aside from the fun side of fishing for bowfin, is to have one in an aquarium. I had one as a teen. It was so entertaining. I would feed it live minnows. It would go wild eating all it could stuff into its belly. It would attack anything I put in the tank. Pencil, finger, whatever. LOL And they look so cool.
I have caught 2 of these. One was a few pounds, and the other was a 2 and a half foot long monster. Like around 12 pounds. Fun to catch.
Bowfin would be awesome to have in a giant aquarium/pond
@@brunobro6572 they're mean and can eat a pretty good sized fish in relation to their own size...
@@brunobro6572 I’d love to see somebody do that!
Bowfin are cool as hell. I have caught a few big ones.
Here in Michigan I catch them fairly often. Mostly in smaller warm water, moderate flowing rivers and streams. But we have caught them in connecting lakes as well. They aren’t something we typically target, but they’re not overly picky about forage and each year we usually catch one or two throughout the season. We’ve caught them on live bait both worms and minnows, but also a fair number on spinners and shallow running cranks as well, usually when targeting pike.
I typically see them hovering over weeds in shallower river backwaters and in muddier areas behind log jams and wing dams. Often in areas favored by pike, especially during spawning. Excellent parents, I believe it’s the males will stay with the young till they disperse.
Hard stubborn fighters that will really text your gear, and they have very sharp teeth…be warned.