I netted a juvy bowfin in the Nemasket River in Middleboro MA. Besides
Lake Waldo in Brockton MA, I've never heard or seen them in the South Shore
of MA. This river is also part of an extensive system, so these fish
could be spread all over the place. It was pretty exciting to find one.
Hopefully I can catch a large one on a rod and reel.
I thought I'd send you an email because I didn't see any reports of them
in my area. I sent a similar note to the Fisheries Division and here's their reply:
Hello,
Bowfin have been reported before in the Taunton River Watershed, upstream from Waldo Lake in Brockton and downstream from the Three Mile River in Taunton. The Nemasket River would be a new record. Did you take a picture?
Bowfin could be occassionally encountered throughout the Taunton River in the mainstem and below fish passage barriers in tributaries to the mainstem.
Steve H
Southeast District Fisheries Manager
-JayT, 10/23/06
I was recently informed by a local fisherman that there was a fishing tournament near this cove in the Connecticut River , and every year they catch bowfin. I, being a fan of this fish, decided to check it out. I've been seeking out more places to catch bowfin ever since I caught a 2 lb fish when I was 7 years old in Scoville Reservoir, located in Wolcott CT. Someone illegally stocked bowfin in the lake and they have been there ever since, despite numerous drainings and attempts to get rid of them by the town. A testament to the fish's toughness, that's for sure.
I hiked to this cove up in Massachusetts and lo and behold there was nothing BUT bowfin, bass, and carp back there. I can confirm the bowfin are present. I hooked one and fought it to shore but alas the hook didn't penetrate well enough into that tough bony jaw and she fell off the hook. I scrambled frantically to grab her to get a photo but to no avail. This area is shallow muddy and weedy. I saw many huge splashes. the fish were over 5 lbs. Some of the silhouettes of bowfin and carp in this area were absolutely huge and it is hard to tell them apart when observing them from the waters edge. But I suspect this time of year the bowfins that are present in the Massachusetts portion of the CT River come here to breed. The conditions are essentially perfect for bowfin spawning. I saw large splashes big tails sticking out of the water, some with a vivid spot on them. (Are they known to stick their tails and heads out of the water when spawning?)
I don't think anyone knows how the bowfin got into this river to begin with, but one thing is certain; they are there. The CT DEP can confirm this as well as the Massachusetts EPA . I'm going to do my best to catch one, get a pic and officially enter bowfin into the record books. Now all i have to do is get one from Scoville Reservoir and I can claim the CT bowfin record!
DannyB 05/09/06
This
is a bowfin that I caught in the oxbow in
Northampton, Massachusetts this month weighing in at over 9 lbs and 32
inches! In Massachusetts, we don't see these much - in fact, I had no
idea what it was at first. I caught it on a live 6 inch creek chub
(pike bait). It was a big, strong fish to catch through the ice. We are
still talking about it! By the way that bowfin was promptly released
after the pictures. Thanks,
Art B 02/20/05
