BOWFIN LOVERS

[Jim Gronaw]

Since it must be Bowfin Monday, I just thought I'd offer this to any of our BBG members who have ever caught or photographed the powerful bowfin. Southern boys and mid-westerners alike, show us your bowfin!My personal best at 30-inches from the tidal James in Virginia...just made the citation minimum. This was actually my best fish of this particular trip. Powerful fish!

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Awesome.
I love the tenacity and longevity of the bowfin. I've caught one that I know of, and that was years ago.
So I've no real experience. But I suspect "pere choupique" will be around after we're gone - and you gotta admire that.

[John Sheehan]

What a pig of a fish Jim ! Here's my 1st Bowfin caught on a 16th oz. Leech style plastic Grub intended for small mouth . This was quite a surprise ! 21.5"

[Ben Seay]

This was my first Bowfin caught in July of 2013. She was very rough to handle (Nottoway River - VA)

[Ben Seay]

Here is another from June of 2014...a nice young Bowfin (Suwannoochee Creek - GA)

[John Sheehan]

Nice Bowfins Ben! What did  they hit?

[Ben Seay]

Thanks John! If I remember correctly, the first one hit a live minnow and the second one a live nightcrawler. For artificial baits, I have caught them with the Betts yellow/black stripe grub worm 1/32" with gold reflector and the Moxie inverted minnow lure. But quite honestly, Bowfin will strike just about any live or artificial bait that you cast! They are not a picky species when it comes to eating.

[John Sheehan]

Going back to the spot I caught mine at tomorrow .Hope to catch the smallmouths that followed my bait to the boat and get in on some more Bowfin , Crappie ,Bass , Pickerel and Atlantic Salmon action .

[John Sheehan]

From the New Jersey Fish and Wildlife site. New State record Bowfin 

Frank Hubert caught the new state record Bowfin in Mantua Creek on December 17, 2024. The fish weighed 12 pounds, 10 ounces, replacing Pierce Dopkin’s 11-pound, 8.5-ounce record from 2017, which was caught in the same creek. 

Frank was casting from a kayak and using a Sixgill spinning rod with a Shimano spinning reel loaded with 30-pound test Snakehead Outlawz braided line when the fish hit. A Snakehead Outlawz Dragon Destroyer was the lure used for catching this new record bowfin.