anybody ever caught a bowfin? we call them grinnel around here, but like most things we call around here i doubt anyone else knows it by that name.

i caught my first last year, about 4 1/2 lbs.

today i hooked a huge one, pushing 10 lbs. i got it to the boat and was fumbling for the net and he broke my line. they fight like crazy and are hard on your lures. they're fun to catch though.

I've caught just one in my life and that was 30 years ago. If I remember correctly, it was on a Mepps spinner. Most people call 'em dogfish around here.

It has been years since I have.  We also used to spear one every once in a while.  The first one I ever caught, I thought I discovered the missing link.  We call the grinnel too.

We caught them alot in Florida. From what they say Its a sport fish that was imported from Europe that never took off as a true sportfish. The fish has lungs and gills. We used to leave them on the deck of the boat most of the day then make bets with people who didn't know that If I put the fish back into the water would it swim off or just be dead. They are a cool fish and a hard fighter.

We caught them alot in Florida. ....  They are a cool fish and a hard fighter.

We do have quite a few in Florida. Down here they're known as "Mudfish".  I haven't caught one in a about a year or so. They'll hit a plastic worm every once in a while, but you don't accidently catch them as much as you do gar and pickeral. Mudfish (aka bowfin) are a decent fight, but it's always bittersweat because:

"HOLY CRAP! IT'S A 10 lb BASS!!!! I AM THE MAN!"  

"what the heck?"...  :-/

"Oh, it's a Mudfish. Great."  :

"HOLY CRAP! IT'S A 10 lb BASS!!!! I AM THE MAN!"  

"what the heck?"...  :-/

"Oh, it's a Mudfish. Great."  :

yep, that's the feeling i got the other day. i threw a spinnerbait beside a piece of standing timber and let it fall and as soon as i started reeling it hit hard. i was so excited, thinking i had a huge bass! it was a big let down when i saw the fish.

I caught one in a night tournament on a topwater lure one time at lake Toho. I didn't have a flashlight and I reached down to grab it like a bass. From that day on I always bring my flashlight

yep, they are called mudfish or blackfish down here in florida. catch them all the time, while fishing for bass. they will tear up your baits. another interesting thing about them is that they can walk....so to speak, its not uncommin to find them right on the shore walkin with their fins. first time i saw that i about flipped out cause i had no idea that could happen. this is the biggest mudfish i have caught, i rotated the pic so its easier to see...it was about 7lbs, and it lived to fight another day.   i caught it while crappie fishing on a small jig head and grub.

wow, i didn't know they could walk. i knew they had a lung to breathe air. i just thought it was to get oxegyn because of the stagnant water they tend to live in.

will they walk a great distance to get to another body of water? i have wondered how they got in this lake. there is a big slough a few hundred yards away. could they have walked that far?

no, they dont walk far, they just have those fins to walk with, they arnt strong enough to get themselves to bodies of water that far away. they will walk on the shore, mosy times so they can surprise baitfish for an easy meal. it really helps them to get to area only small bluegill are at. im talkin 5-6'' deep, they just walk into the shallows, and chase down baitfish....they are very interesting. they have no idea that there is any other body of water then the one they are in.....so for them to walk to a body of water they cant see wont happen, if you have ponds or lakes close to each other, with no obstructions, they will walk to it.  but a few hundreds yards is not gunna happen.

anyone know where to catch them in Illinois?  I've heard we got em'

I used to love catching bowfin and gar when I was a teenager living in Florida.     Happy fishing.

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

They seem to prefer slow moving backwater creeks.  They are not an import from Europe. Here is a small male in breeding colors:

My largest was a little over 11 lbs. At the time, that was three pounds over the NY state record, but I didn't know it. It would have only stood for a few months, though.

Here's a site that details more about them: http://www.bowfinanglers.com/

I catch about 5 a week, they fight hard u want a real good fight catch one about 15 pds. thats my biggest.

I catch them alot in south florida. As was posted, they are called mudfish down here. They are a good fight but I hate catching them because they can destroy a good crankbait. They are a nusance.

I've caught one that was 23 inches... not sure on the weight but it was beefy... got me really excited until I realized what it was

My friend caught a bug one when we were bass fishing, we spotted it just laying on the bottmo and he ended up catching it, man this thing was ugly.

They don't walk.  They can't walk.  It's a wives tail.  It probably came about by people assuming that they wcould walk because they found them in some puddle or mud pool.

Here's my last bowfin.  Caught this on a jig and paca chunk.