My son and I went out a few hours today. And we saw something we've never seen before. We were fishing in a stand of large cypress trees. One of the trees near shore was particularly large. A large fish had herded a handful of baitfish into one of the bows in between the roots of the cypress tree. It was a bowfin and it repeatedly and vigorously breached the surface going after these fish which had literally resorted to leaping out of the water and UP the base of the tree. Man, it was wild. These little fishes were jumping up and tumbling back into the water as this bowfin kept them coralled in this bow.

Coolest thing I've seen all year.

BTW, I saw another bowfin 50 or so yards further up. I cast a weightless 4" purple senko and it prompltly tore the tail off. I tried two more time and the same thing happened. At that point, I decided it was not economical to feed this fish senkos and moved on.

Anyway, Bowfins rock!

lol senkos are expensive enough when used for bass

Toss a black cuprit on a light weight at em next time.In my experience they have a soft spot for a black worm.

How about taking the Bowfin home with you to try to depopulate them from our rivers?

They are destructive to the bass population.

And one actually destroyed one of my spinnerbaits.  Tore the skirt and bent the wire.

Just a thought.

Wive's tale - they don't destroy the bass population. The lake I was fishing is both the best lake in Virginia for bowfin, and one of the best lakes in the state for bass.

Wive's tale - they don't destroy the bass population. The lake I was fishing is both the best lake in Virginia for bowfin, and one of the best lakes in the state for bass.

which lake would that be if you don't mind sharing =D?

I would love to catch a bowfin sometime.  I think they would be a blast to fish for.  We don't have many around my neck of the woods.  I would have to go over to the Ohio River in some of the backwaters to hunt a few.

i don't care if they destroy the bass population or not, i still hate them nasty things and hope to gut hook every one of em'.  >  come down to Florida and get frustrated with them...you'd understand.

alger I completly agree with you on that!!! I hate bowfin with a passion.  I wouldn't mind one bit if they all dissapeared.

out of curiosity, why do yall hate them?

Stick your finger in ones mouth and you will know real quick. As well as destroying lots of good tackle.