My strange bowfin story

Champlain Islander · 12-31-2004, 12:28 PM

Here is a strange but true story. I ice fish for blue gills, sunnies and crappie all winter and one day last year I was out alone and the wind came up and the temp dropped. I got into my fish trap which is a type of portable shanty that is on a sled and you sit on the seat and pull the top over you to make a temporary shelter that is about 4' by 5'. I was catching blue gills really fast and at the last part of the day I looked down into the hole and saw a large bowfin come up into the hole and gulp some air. For those who don't know what a bowfin is it is a large prehistoric predetory fish with razor sharp teeth, is dark brown, has a wide head and a tapered body and has a fin down the whole top of the back. Apparently they have an air bladder and can breathe both under water and out of water. Over the next hour a series of them came up in the hole and the pan fish just shut off. I was rather irritated and when another large one came to the hole I smacked it in the head with my metal ice scoop. The ice was about 3' thick and the fish filled the entire hole. When I struck the fish it thrashed its tail and came sailing right out of the hole into my lap. It was about 10-12 pounds and covered in slime. I pushed the snapping beast off my lap onto the ice and tried to raise the edge of the fish trap to get it away from me. The trap was frozen down onto the ice and the fish knocked my heater and bucket of fish over and started to destroy my fish trap. I started to kick at the edge of the trap to free it from the ice and finally got the top to swing up over my head and booted the fish away. After regaining my composure I picked up the fish and had to open a new hole to stuff it back down.

johnch · 12-31-2004, 09:06 PM

HA HA
I would have liked to see that.
Don't they fish for them ?
Has anyone eaten one ?

Carpmaster · 01-01-2005, 11:31 AM

I bowfish them and also when bass fishing you can get them to hit, what a fight for freshwater fish!!!! they eat similar to pike so minnows, and other large baits will catch them, as far as table fare goes, they are best served as fertilizer in the flower bed! Some buddies and I conned a fellow coworker to try it and he said the meat was slimy and nasty!!!

Champlain Islander · 01-01-2005, 03:17 PM

People do fish for them during the LCI fathers day weekend tournament. They are listed as extraordinary species and garner points similar to carp, sheephead and catfish. They are real nasty to catch with rod and reel because of the teeth and the slime that they will get all over your boat when you land them. Most people fight them and then cut the line so they don't have to get them into the boat.

Allen Denton · 01-13-2005, 11:16 AM

My uncles sand pit has some big bowfin and they make me mad when I am bass fishing. The make you think you got a lunker and then it is that ugly sucker!!!! I bet you will think twice before you wack another bowfin,LOL!!

3ptbuck · 01-15-2005, 09:53 PM

those have got to be the hardest fighting fish Ive ever caught. been a couple years since Ive caught one but back when I was growing up pit fishing I caught several in the 5-7lb range. fun fish to catch.