I have a hard time getting a good hookset on these guys because their skull is all bone.

 

Try targeting the live ones - there's a lot more to sink your hooks into than bones.

If anyone wants to catch some of these bad boys in huge numbers let me know. They have taken over just about every creek and lake around here. I don't eat them but I give them to neady family's I never throw them back.

When it gets to the point you go fishing in your local waters to catch some bream, catfish, and bass and all you can do is pull in mudfish something needs to change. If it's rare to catch one in your area then yea throw it back.

They are like wild hogs once they take over, everything else starts to just disappear it seams like.

Since they thrive in water with low oxygen, my bet is your creeks are just providing what they can. Sounds like either your creek is the problem or the solution, depending on hoe you look at it.

 I have a hard time getting a good hookset on these guys because their skull is all bone.

 

   Xenomorph canicula . 

Since they thrive in water with low oxygen, my bet is your creeks are just providing what they can. Sounds like either your creek is the problem or the solution, depending on hoe you look at it.

x2  One of the best things about these fish is they'll live where others won't and are willing to bite when others won't like the dog days of August. 

They breath air too! These fish are built for the long run... Lol

Since they thrive in water with low oxygen, my bet is your creeks are just providing what they can. Sounds like either your creek is the problem or the solution, depending on hoe you look at it.

it's the water. You can't go to Many boat ramps around here without seeing a warning about mercury and not to eat the bowfin. We have a bomb plant called the Savannah river sight upstream and most people believe it's the cause. The Savannah river is ranked third most polluted in the United states. Been eating fish out of there my whole life. Come to think of it maybe that's what's wro g.

They also can be found in good numbers in a healthy lake as the one I refer to is.  Good populations of bluegill, crappie, bass and minnows are proof to me that they are not a threat to other species.  The only fish lacking in this lake are catfish

We would shoot these all the time in western Michigan while bowfishing for carp. They sure do wiggle a lot when you hit them in the side. We would either leave the carcasses in the lake (completely legal) or take them with us and throw them in the woods to feed the deer.

We would shoot these all the time in western Michigan while bowfishing for carp. They sure do wiggle a lot when you hit them in the side. We would either leave the carcasses in the lake (completely legal) or take them with us and throw them in the woods to feed the deer.

Really ? You feed dead dogfish to deer ? How do they like it ?  

We would shoot these all the time in western Michigan while bowfishing for carp. They sure do wiggle a lot when you hit them in the side. We would either leave the carcasses in the lake (completely legal) or take them with us and throw them in the woods to feed the deer.

Why?

Well I'll be . 

Really ? You feed dead dogfish to deer ? How do they like it ?

They'd eat it up!

Why?

The short answer is: It's a lot of fun to shoot fish with a bow and arrow at night.

The short answer is: It's a lot of fun to shoot fish with a bow and arrow at night.

Did you waste the carp too?

Well I'll be . 

Deer in nature are omnivores... when you see them in nature they are eating insects aswell as snails and other small Nitrogen providing sources when available to them.

Did you waste the carp too?

Well, they're overpopulated so in MI it's open season. I don't question DNR.

Well, they're overpopulated so in MI it's open season. I don't question DNR.

Are the bowfin considered over-populated there too? If not, what's the point in killing them if the targeted species is carp? If carp there are so abundant then shouldn't you just leave the bowfin alone and continue killing the carp?

Wait, deer eat fish?

Are the bowfin considered over-populated there too? If not, what's the point in killing them if the targeted species is carp? If carp there are so abundant then shouldn't you just leave the bowfin alone and continue killing the carp?

There's actually a lot other species we can legally target. Bowfin and carp are jut the most abundant.

http://www.eregulations.com/michigan/fishing/bow-spear-fishing-regulations/

Mudfish and the Everglades are synonymous. I have caught my fair share of big mudfish. They have fooled me more than once in thinking I have caught my personal best bass until I feel the death roll. As far killing them. I am really against that. Don't worry our precious bass are doing just fine living amongst all the mudfish and gar. My son loves catching mudfish. They put up one heck of a fight and they can be pretty big. To a 7-8 yr old kid mudfish are awesome!! 

 

 

No bowfin where I fish, but from what I gather they seem like fair game. Any special tactic that targets them?

No bowfin where I fish, but from what I gather they seem like fair game. Any special tactic that targets them?

 

Every time I have caught one I was fishing different bass fishing techniques. I have caught them on soft plastics, frogs, jigs, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits. If a big one gets a hold of your favorite lure there is a strong possibility that it will be destroyed. I have found however, that if you use the fishgrip on them, it will neutralize them from thrashing and spinning. Making lure retrieval a little easier and safer. 

No bowfin where I fish, but from what I gather they seem like fair game. Any special tactic that targets them?

It's more about finding them then what lure your using, they will bite most bass lures but some days they can be pretty finicky too.... One of my favorite things to catch them on is a Marabou jig!

I learned to bass fish on the Waccamaw River.  Seemed that all the bass would bite is a grape worm.  Problem was the mudfish LOVE purple worms...

                                     

                                                                               Bowfin 8-4

                       

                                            They're more powerful than bass.

                                          I cringe when they're called 'mudfish'

 

 

Roger