Small Predator…..Bowfin……9/21/2024

Comment

Comment by John Sheehan 2 hours ago

New Jersey record Bowfin is an 11 #, 8oz. caught by an 8-year-old Boy in 2017.

I sure hope Bowfins aren't being destroyed because of misidentification with Snakeheads which are invasive and pretty numerous in the Delaware River and its tributaries.

SNAKEHEAD – Channa spp.

Bowfin are native species, actually dating back 250 million years and should be released unharmed. However, snakeheads are invasive and should be destroyed and submitted to Fish and Wildlife for verification.

Snakeheads were first found in the lower Delaware River and its tributaries in 2008. The species is now widely distributed throughout the Delaware River basin.

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney yesterday

In North Carolina there is no size limit or creel limit on bowfin but their sale is strongly prohibited…..

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney yesterday

I was exposed to bowfin fishing as a kid…..Louisiana would offer bowfin rodeos similar to a tournament but people were allowed to fish where they wanted too and faced a deadline for bringing their fish back to a certain location for official weights…,to my knowledge the largest bowfin rodeo is held in southern Alabama drawing over a hundred boats annually…..

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney yesterday

My biggest bowfin in North Carolina was the fish pictured at 11 pounds….caught on a 1/32 ounce Popeye jig tipped with a live cricket…..the North Carolina state record is over 17 pounds……saw quite a few double digit bowfin growing up in Louisiana where the state record is over 20 pounds……the world record was caught in South Carolina at 21 pounds 8 ounces…..typically you have to exceed 12 pounds locally to win the bowfin tournaments……..

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney yesterday

Comment by John Sheehan yesterday

My only Bowfin grabbed a 16th oz. Black Leech style grub, black jig head with yellow eyes. A May 2016 catch. 

Comment by John Sheehan yesterday

How big have you seen them, Jeffrey?

Comment by Bruce Tomaselli yesterday

Thanks. At a glance they're easy to misidentify.

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney yesterday

You can see the distinctive differences below…….Ive probably caught 500 bowfin in the last twenty years here in North Carolina……there’s even groups that have tournaments locally catch some monsters……in my native Louisiana we caught at least one bowfin 9 out of 10 freshwater fishing trips……many people in Louisiana would eat bowfin also called a “choupique” in Cajun country …..there are reports of snakehead being caught in North Carolina but most were mistaken bowfins….

Comment by John Sheehan yesterday

Such cool Fish , only caught one in my Life.

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