No clue what it is in new to fishing and actually catching things

A photo would help

My iPhone is being horrible won't upload it

It's a little pic cause I had to resize

It looks like a bowfin?

It looks like a bowfin?

If it is, it's the first Mudfish that I have seen with a red tail.

it's a type of bowfin:

 

https://www.another site.com/images/fishrecords/VA-Bowfin.jpg

yup, it's a bowfin.  they come in all kinds of crazy colors.  if you want to see some real crazy ones, do a google images search for bowfin spawning colors.

If it is, it's the first Mudfish that I have seen with a red tail.

If it isnt, what is it?

If it isnt, what is it?

It is bowfin so no need to wonder lol

To be honest we dont have them here in oklahoma but id love to catch them sometime! The fish in the pic on this thread looks like it could put up a mean fight. Nice catch by the way!

they are one of my favorite fish to catch but unfortunately they are not something i can target as they are not super numerous in the areas i fish.  They do put up a crazy fight and they are tough to get a solid hooks in because they are pretty much all bone in their mouth.   I had one on today, nailed a chatterbait, but he got off at the kayak.

Here is a bad picture of the last one i caught...

Mudfish aka bowfin. 

If it is, it's the first Mudfish that I have seen with a red tail.

Its probably blood, just like bass I catch bowfin with bleeding tailfins all the time.

Yea guys thanks! My buddy told me as well.

Wasn't expecting something this size in the small canal I go to. Its the only thing that's hit my chatter bait

LMB tails will look like that also when they are prepping beds to spawn in especially in areas where there is rock under the silt they move away to create their beds.

And definitely a mudfish/bowfin.