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Post by pup hunter on May 3, 2009 6:42:52 GMT -6
White Spinner Baits are ideal for early season Bowfin!! Angling Importance Although bowfins are not usually sought after in Minnesota, it is generally acknowledged that once hooked they are excellent fighters. Indeed, some anglers relish the thought of hooking a bowfin. Relative to consumption, bowfins are typically considered a rough fish rather than one for the table. Biology Bowfins spawn in Minnesota in the Spring generally in May. Nests are constructed by males in shallow, weedy areas. Vegetation and silt are removed from the nest by males and the adhesive eggs attach to any hard structure that is left, such as roots, gravel, wood, etc. Eggs hatch in 8-10 days. Males guard both incubating eggs and fry which may remain in the nest for about nine days after hatching. Initially, bowfin young feed on small invertebrates such as cladocerans (water fleas). By the time they reach about four inches in length they are primarily piscivorous, although crayfish can make up a substantial proportion of the diet, and frogs are also consumed. Young fish may grow as much as 12-14 inches during their first year. Bowfins tend to be found in deeper water during the day, and migrate into shallower areas used to feed at night. Their swim bladder is used as a lung and they may be seen surfacing to renew their air supply from time to time. In general, the average size in Minnesota is six to eight pounds
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bp
Baby Pup
2 Time MNBC Grand Champion
Posts: 14
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Post by bp on Apr 26, 2010 16:43:02 GMT -6
Excerpt from blog essay: BP On Dogfish (Bowfin) Fishing Fishing for Dogfish: Being a two time Bowfin Grand Champion I suppose that makes me some sort of expert at the pursuit of dogfish. However, There is a lot I don't know about them and I get skunked more times than I catch them. Here are my tips: In the winter I know dogfish hold on fairly shallow weed flats where the water has just a little more depth to it than the surrounding area. In the spring dogfish can be found in the same dark bottom bays that hold panfish, bass, and pike. I think the dogfish are in those area's feeding up and soaking in the warmer water just like all the other fish. . Old weed growth and emerging weed growth are things to look for. I don't think dogfish are very active until the water temp is over 50°F and the warmer the water the more active they get. I think the peak time to get into dogfish is when the water temps get into the 60's. I think that once you find a spot that holds dogfish you can count on it to draw them in year after year. In water that is sub 50°F the best way to fish for dogfish is to sight fish them with a white colored bass jig or big black worm or tube. The dogfish will sun themselves in fairly shallow water around old weed growth at this time. They are not apt to chase, so looking for them on sunny calm days is best. At all times during the spring, summer, and fall sightfishing is a great technique because dogfish get big and their dark bodies can stick out in clear water. Once water warms up into the 50's you are as likely to catch them blind fishing as sight fishing. I recommend using white or pink colors. Spinnerbaits, swim jigs, jerkbaits, buzzbaits, and Spooks are all good choices. One thing I like to do is to cover water with topwaters or by "bulging" a spinnerbait or swim jig looking for a dogfish to make a wake while in pursuit of the lure. Once you find one you know where it lives and can work it over with fast and slow presentations. After the 2009 Season it seems another excellent dogfish lure is a black and red bass jig with a black and red jig trailer. In 2009 I caught 2 dogfish on this combination while blind casting including one that would have won the 2009 Minnesota Bowfin Club Grand Championship, but I caught it on June 16th a day after the tournament deadline. One nice thing about a bass jig is they tend to be able to hold up under the pressure of a big dogfish. That is pretty much the the extent of what I know about how to catch them.
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Post by ijiwopurnd on Jul 15, 2019 23:32:54 GMT -6
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Post by ejoroou on Jul 16, 2019 1:43:30 GMT -6
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