Bowfin Newbie

[deuber]

When I was a kid, my old man and his friends talked about bowfin like carp... they called them dog fish and they didn't want to catch them. Although, like carp, they seemed to have fun when they talked about catching one by accident on the river.

I have a friend who has recently caught a bowfin, and was very excited about it, telling us how much fun he had catching it. He has only really been fishing for a few years, and his encounters were mainly with largemouth bass and northern pike. He says bass and pike are sissies next to bowfin, and he's been sending me articles on them.

He lives in Indiana, though, and so his passion is hard to translate into bowfin catching, for me.

From what I understand, you just fish for them like you fish for largemouth... near cover, like submerged wood and weeds.

Is that all there is to it?

Are certain times of the day/year better?

Are there certain bodies of water in the twin cities metro area that are more suited for bowfin than others?

To make a long story short, I'm hoping to tie into one, but I don't know the area well enough. I moved here in 2008, and have barely been able to get after walleye and bass, let alone bowfin.

Any advice anyone can offer would be welcome!

Thanks in advance!

[bp]

From what I understand, you just fish for them like you fish for largemouth... near cover, like submerged wood and weeds.

Is that all there is to it?

I think Bowfin tend to be a shallow water fish which naturally means they need to be around cover for concealment.

You definitely can fish them with presentations that work for bass. And that is what the club encourages. But they also can be caught with live and dead bait. I think most people who seriously pursue bowfins don't use artificials for the most part.

Are certain times of the day/year better?
Bowfin can be caught year round, but I think fishing is best for them in the summer. I am not sure if there is a best time of day as I have caught them at all times of day. I think the big thing is just locating them.

Are there certain bodies of water in the twin cities metro area that are more suited for bowfin than others?I am not really sure what makes one body of water better for bowfin than others. They can thrive in deep clear lakes and muddy and murky river backwaters.

[TheBowfinNerd]

Jun 15, 2010 3:59:14 GMT -6 bp said:

Are there certain bodies of water in the twin cities metro area that are more suited for bowfin than others?I am not really sure what makes one body of water better for bowfin than others. They can thrive in deep clear lakes and muddy and murky river backwaters.

That they can. Bowfins have a tendency to do the unexpected, and they seem to have their own personalities, in contrast with bass, who all seem to be one track minds. I've known bowfins that hated cameras, bowfins that tailwalked excessively, some that liked nosing in rock walls, and others with grudges against walleyes. So although there are places where you're more likely to find them, the potential to catch one is everywhere.