...so bass fishermen would have something to catch when the water is 41 degrees.

One of the lakes I fish dropped from 54 degrees to 41 degrees in 10 days.  I didn't get any bass, but did get my personal best Bowfin - 7 lbs - along with about a half dozen blue catfish, the biggest estimated at about 12 lbs (had to release him in the water.)  Caught this bowfin on a Dave's Tournament Tackle 1/2 oz football head jig in blue/black with a Paca Chunk in Okeechobee.  

Mudfish are fun as hell to catch! Specially trying to remove the lure outta their mouth without losing a finger.

Nice monster!

PS: Dont call them Bowfin. Ppl will laugh at you down here.

football jig, did that thing come off of deep structure?  i hear there are a couple bowfin in the potomac.

I was fishing adjacent to a dam, with water going anywhere from 8-30 feet.  He came out of about 18 feet of water, which is, by far, the deepest I've ever caught a bowfin.  There was some structure.  He was also near the upstream end of a fish ladder.  

those things look like monstrously huge mudminnows

I used to love catching bowfin and gar when I was a teenager living in Florida. Don't have them here in Arizona.     Happy fishing.

~B.A.S.S.~N.A.F.C.~BoatU.S.~N.R.A.~A.M.A.~

I always thought those fish looked so cool. I think we have them up in mass, but i've never caught them, and never seen anyone else catch them

Nice I've only caught one before, their fun!

The one that I caught was 25" as I recall, don't remember the girth. I caught it in a shallow canal no more than 10' across and 1' deep. Caught it on a 4" white x-rap if you wanna know!

That is one perdy mudfish!  Sure are fun aren't they?

I was in tourney and had 4 big fish in the box in less than an hour and then I got hit by a monster I was pumped I figured if he was over 5lbs Id be pushing 20lbs ready to cash the check,Then it came out of the timber and into sight a bowfin a few minutes later, got bite again bowfin.At the end of the day I had managed to boat 5 of these nasty things but at least they were exciting!

I love bowfin.  I rember spending a day fishing Florida Canals with my uncle and ending up with 7 spinnerbaits and 2 rat-l-traps that were just completly ruined by bowfin.    What I really like about them is their willingness to crush a topwater in the middle of a summer day!  Wish they had them out here.

is it just me or whereever you hook these nasty things they always bleed? even if you hook them in the proper area? i always get bleeders and yours looks a little bloody too, anyone know why?

Interested in the taste.

The river I fish is full of them and I'm talking world record size. ;D

But I never catch them in the winter months and don't know why but I don't.

How the heck did someone edit my post and turn it into a poll?