Hi Bagman,
A new Hotspot, Jergen's Bridge, with a write up.!
FOTY:
4 Under 24” = 8 Pts
1 New Hotspot with Write Up = 15 Pts
JakeD, 06/16/08
Hi Bagman,
I thought I sent these to you the day after I caught them but I guess not. Last week I had a great day of finning! 6 bowfin!
Also here's a bowfin drawing I did, both before color and with extras after color and edited (I liked it before color better).
FOTY:
4 at 24–30” = 16 pts
2 at Under 24” = 4 Pts
1 Art Design = 5 Pts
JakeD, 06/03/08
Hi Bagman,
While landing a carp on one rod, I noticed my float was gone on the other! The fish turned out to be a small male bowfin.
I went back upstream and then I put a minnow on my float rod. Within 5 minutes my float shot away and my rod went flying in the water. I managed to get a hold of the rod before it was pulled out far enough so I would have to wade in the water to get it. After a long hard fight I landed this beautiful female bowfin. I unhooked her and put on a new minnow and half an hour after releasing her, my float started jiggling. Then it laid flat. I figured a small crappie or bass. I set the hook. The fish went crazy! I saw it a few times. And it was small and had a long cylinder shaped and was black, a snakehead?!?!? After a little longer I landed the fish. It was a bowfin!!! It was a very rare melanistic male!
More pics...
FOTY:
1 at 24–30”= 4 pts
2 at Under 24”= 4 Pts
JakeD, 06/02/08
Hi Bagman,
Thursday, I went fishing in my backyard for some 'fin. I brought only my fly rod and stalked some. I saw a few nice 'fins but never got a bite. I ended up getting 1 fin on a J-Diddy Special-T carp fly. The fish was my PB on the fly at 5 lb 7 oz. I brought her back down to the stream to release her. And as I walked into a slack water area (to let her build up strength before she had to fight the current) the water exploded. It turns out another fin was sitting there. I took my fly rod and tossed the fly in front of her. An immediate hookup and ultimately a new personal best on the fly at 6 lb 1oz. I brought both fish back up for a comparison shot.
Friday, I went on a field trip for big game wildlife management to a hunting preserve to the west of Alex. We got back @ 2:00 pm and school doesn't end until 3:00, but we still didn't have to go back to school, so I went home and went for bowfin again. I brought my new Ultra light Slab Seeker rod and some preserved shiners. I caught one fin and brought it back to show my brother. He wanted so see one since he hasn't seen one before and I showed my mom the teeth (she thought they just have those sandpaper type teeth that catfish and bullhead have). It weighed 4 lb 11 oz.
Today, I went stalking 'fins with my fly rod again. Nothing was spotted for a few hours. Eventually, I noticed 2 fins, and one was HUGE, in some fast current underneath some branches I had trouble getting the flies to drop right in front of them. After some time, I made it perfectly, and the big one took the fly. Hooked up! But after a couple seconds the fly came out. I thought she was gone for good, but she went right back up by the other bowfin who seemed unphased by the commotion. I tried again. Hooked up! I set the hook with 5 hard pulls just to be sure the hook was set (I might not get another chance) after 15 minutes I landed her. I thought "this Fish might be the state record!!!" a spawn bound female @ 28 1/2" long and 17" in girth! She weighed in @ 10 lb 11 SOOO CLOSE!!!! (MN state record(s) is 10 lb 15OZ (2 fish tied - one on French lake and one on Maple Lake which is just south town!) I tried to find and catch the other one and succeeded. It weighed in @ 7 lb 9 oz.
More pics...
FOTY so far this season:
7 at 24–30”= 28 pts
2 at Under 24”= 4 Pts
Total= 32 pts
JakeD, 05/21/08
Hi Bagman,
I went downstream from the creek in my backyard. I had seen a couple dogfish basking in the sun in the open water or hiding in cattails for nightfall. I was armed with my new Zebco slab seeker crappie rod, equipped with a Redfox reel spooled with 4 lb Trilene original. For ammo I had a few different types of plastic lures, many jig heads in varying sizes, shapes and colors, numerous flies, and shiners I preserved from January. I was determined to catch a 'fin. I started by using a weedless hook with a small preserved shiner and used no weight at all. I cast into a small bay surrounded by cattails and with a very mucky bottom. An hour passed and I changed my shiner a few times to keep it fresh, but no hits came, only taps from frightened carp darting under my line. Then at exactly 4:34 my rod bent double, I set the hook. Immediately the surface of the water exploded and the fish began tail walking. A remarkable sight for any fisherman! Eventually I landed the fish. An amazingly colored male with the neon fins they get during the spawn. He was 24 inches long, 11 inches in girth, and according to the weight table here, he weighed about 4 lbs 5 oz. Not bad for my first 'fin of 2008. Afterward the predator was released to terrorize the shiners once again.
After a while, I moved upstream about 200 feet and fished in a smaller arm of the creek. I spotted a large cloud of mud coming from the bottom and I figured it was a carp, but I had no way of being certain unless I caught it. I tied on a fly that would be visible to the fish. Almost instantly after casting into the cloud my line tightened and I set the hook. Lo and behold after a while I landed my second fin of '08. "Wait a minute," I thought as I grabbed my camera, "this looks like the same fish." After comparing it to the pics on my camera, I concluded it was. My first ever for sure recapture. About 45 minutes apart, the fly that caught it was a fly I got from the carp fly swap on CAG (Carp Anglers Group). A weird looking fly with many rubber legs coming out of the head and an ice chenille body.
The next day, my friend Cody and I went down to a stream connecting to Lake Le Homme Dieu. We were going for bowfin, since I had seen a few the past few days and caught one yesterday. He was using my 10' Slab Seeker crappie rod with 4 lb test and a size 2 wide gap hook. I had my 6 foot medium action Ugly Stick with 2 lb test. When we got down to the stream we decided we would start by fishing carp. We walked down stream searching for some. When I went near a slackwater area of the stream I saw a large bowfin sitting near the shore under some fallen cattails. I called Cody over to catch this 'fin since it would be his first, and then I noticed a smaller male behind her. We stalked up to the fins until we were both about 15 feet away and made short flip casts. I was the first to hook up with the small male. After a few minutes battle I landed my 4th ever bowfin. Very cool looking male. Nice green fins on him he was 21 1/2' long and 9' in girth weighing 4 lb 9oz
After I landed him I helped Cody hook up with the female. And a few minutes of tug of war later he landed his first ever bowfin! She was 25' long 11' in girth and 5 lbs 4 oz . We headed further downstream I caught a couple small carp around 1-3 lbs. When we reached the lake we turned back around and went upstream. We waded onto a small island that I see a lot of carp near. Then I noticed a small male bowfin sunning himself on a mudflat. I quickly retied a bowfin setup. But by the time I finished he was gone. We went further upstream. Cody missed a few carp and when I was helping him out he yelled 'dogfish! ''Where?' I asked, 'coming downstream', he replied, then I saq him. I quickly cast out my bait and brought it in front of it. It stopped after I brought it past its face. Then next cast hooked up! After landing him I immediately recognized him as the very aggressive male I caught 2 times yesterday. 23' long and 11' in girth. 5 lbs even. More pics...
JakeD, 05/14/08
Bagman,
I'm a Minnesota angler and although i don't go looking for bowfin in particular, I have been know to catch a few in my day. At the young age of 5 I managed to catch a 6.5 pounder and a few years later one that was almost ten. One of Minnesota's two records was caught in French Lake, but the French Lake you have it in is not right. It was caught in French Lake in Rice County, Minnesota. Another lake you may want to add to the map is Dora Lake in Le Sueur county. This lake has a large population of these fish and I have seen some over ten pounds in this lake.
Thank you,
Tyler F., 02/26/08
Hi Bagman,
My wife and I live in Williamsburg VA near Chickahominy Lake. We fish there often and LOVE catchin' fins!!! I have just recently found your site and was wondering if I could become a member? My name is Brandon P and I would like Foolzgold21 as my username if its available. Thanks.
I am including a few pics of Fins we caught in Coleraine, Minnesota at Trout Lake (just north of Grand Rapids). My folks live up there and we visit every Summer to get out of the heat and fish for a week or so. My wife caught hers on a spinner bait with 12lb test floro. And somehow I hauled mine in on 10lb test braid with a 6lb test floro leader throwin a weightless worm. Man, I love that fight you get when you hook into a good fin, or any fin really!! Just gets your heart beatin', doesn't it?! Love the site, so glad I found it.
Tight Lines
Brandon P., 02/19/08
Bagman,
On Father's Day (June 17) 2007, I was enjoying a relaxing day at the cabin with friends
and family. My nitecrawler was hanging from a bobber in about three feet of water off my
dock in Sakatah Bay at Waterville, MN. I was using ultra-light gear with 4# test line
when my bobber went down and the rod tip began to curl. I quickly set the hook and
loosened the drag to avoid breaking the line. For the next ten minutes I had a ball
cranking him in, only to have him strip out more line. Ultimately, he got tired before I
did and from the dock I netted this slippery fighter. We posed for pictures and I
released him with the hope that he'll grow and find my hook once again.
John M. , 02/13/08
February 2008, Loc'n Unknown
Bagman,
Here's a pic of a dogger that my buddy Pete caught in Minnesota. We didn't
weigh the fish. The state record is Minnesota is 10lb,15oz. I think this
fish was bigger. We didn't get a measurement or anything. I did catch a 30 1/2" 10lb walleye
the day after and that dogger was bigger. It was caught on some back waters
of the Mississippi River in northern Minnesota.
NateR, 02/01/08
Hi Bagman,
My dad and I were out b@$$ fishing on Madison Lake in MN tonight and we
caught three bowfins. This was the largest. It was 31” in length and very
silvery in color. Sorry I wasn’t holding it. They’re kind of freaky
looking fish so I just let it sit by my dad’s feet while I took the pic with
my camera on my cell phone. I had only caught one before (in Alexandria,
MN) in my life and it was dark brown with a yellow belly. I learned a lot
off your site about bowfins. Thanks for all the info! When I caught my
first one I thought it was the Chinese Snakefish and I sent pictures to the
DNR. He explained the differences that you do on our site as well. Now I
also know that the one I caught this time was a female since there is no
spot by the tail.
JonP, 08/17/07
July 2007, Loc'n Unknown
Hi Bagman,
I went to my buddy Cody's house and we went down to a lake about 300 feet from
his house. We were going for b@$$ and caught a lot but none of any real good
size- 1lb max. Later Cody went home, and I caught a few more b@$$ then I
saw a bowfin!!! A nice one too!!! I cast my worm; she shot at it and
missed. I recast; she hit it again, but I set it too soon and it came out
of her mouth. I recast; she got it and the fight was on! I got
her close enought to shore so I was able to grab her. I put her in my
trailer and took her to up to Cody's house to get her pic taken. She was 25
inches long and 13 inches in girth and according to the Weight Table, she weighed 6.1 lbs.
JakeD, 07/13/07
Hi Bagman,
I was fishing on a backwater of the Minnesota River about a mile from where it joins the Mississippi. Crawlers on the bottom. Not a nibble all day and then as I was reeling this thing slammed it. Hauled it in and had no idea what it was. Weighed about four pounds, lots of fight. I brought it over to where some old timers were fishing and one said it was a grennell. Your website confirmed this. Now that I have your recipes no more will go back in the water.
HaroldG, 07/03/07
Hi Bagman,
This is the story you wanted of my first 'fin. I caught this ‘fin on May 21st. She was 24 inches long and 13 inches in girth. I was trying to get her for a week before she decided to take my spinner.
It was supposed to storm that day, but it barely missed us to the north, so I decided to go down to my backyard stream that leads into a lake further downstream. I was trying for northerns, casting a ˝ ounce inline fire-tiger spinner with a gold blade and a pearl flash on the hook. I was getting small northerns in about 1-2 feet of water. Then I saw a large fish slithering through the shallows. I immediately knew it was a bowfin, and she was coming straight for my spinner! She hit the lure full speed and my 4 lb line started shredding off my spool. It felt as if I had snagged a train. After she traveled 30 feet she got into some deeper water, then she came to the surface and began tail walking. She tail walked for 10 yards before going back into the water. After that she slowed down. And I decided now was my chance to unfold my net. I began to unfold it
when she suddenly decided to charge right at me. I was cranking in loose line like crazy. She got stuck between a few branches in the water and I walked over and grabbed her, unhooked her, and brought her up to the house to take some pictures.
While I went inside to get the camera, I set her in a bucket. I told my little brother to come out and take the pictures. I was about to take her out of the bucket when she suddenly turned and jumped straight out of the bucket about 2˝ feet in the air, almost hitting me in the face! I picked her up off the ground and washed the woodchips off her and got the picture taken. Once I was done I brought her back down to the stream and released her safe and unharmed. She would be about 5 pounds 12 ounces not bad for my first fin.
The cart is homemade by myself and my grandpa. We welded it together one day and it works great. We made a rotating hitch so if the cart tips, it doesn't bend the hitch. It's a great rig for those hard to access fishing holes.
JakeD, 05/22/07
May 2007, St Cloud (Loc'n unknown)
Hi Bagman,
My buddy, Joe, caught this 25" bowfin near St. Cloud MN on a cut shiner on 4 pound test. First fin of his life and he can't wait to get another one. I myself am still searching for them here in NH.
I plan on catching some bowfin when I go to Lake Champlain later this summer. I hear the swampy marshes and backwaters are loaded with them. I love your site and I wish NH had a better population of these fish. I have been fishing for
warmwater species here for years and have never evern seen one. The lower reaches of the Conn. river near Keene/Hinsdale have them but that's over 2 hours from where I live in the lakes region. When I get a NH fin you can bet I will send it your way, and I will update the Vermont page with my first bowfin later this summer.
Jason H, 05/22/07
November 2006, Upper Mississippi R (Loc'n unknown)
Hi Bagman,
I thought you might like this photo of a Bowfin I caught this fall on the
upper Mississippi River. This fish took a nightcrawler while I was
fishing for buffalo. Even though it was fall, the fish showed a lot of
green - maybe because it was near a wastewater plant leaching hormones
into the water. I have some more shots of the green mouth and such if
you want them.
Your site continues to grow and get better. Great work, keep it up.
Corey G, 11/18/06
It's
been a while, but the bowfin bite at Little Long is still
very productive - just haven't been taken many pics lately. Here's one
from late May while I was pre-fishing for a tourney.
Bee K 10/01/05
February 2005, Loc'n Unknown
I
just wanted to share with you the Bowfin I
caught on a shiner while fishing for pike through the ice. I had my
tip-up in a shallow and very weedy area. I gotta say I was pleased to
catch it. After spending the last year in Thailand where we caught and
ate some of the cousins (Giant Snakehead, Cobra Snakehead, &
Striped Snakehead) to the Bowfin, I couldn't wait to try my luck in
home waters for our version (the Bowfin). To my suprise (and
luck--thanks to God) I caught this nice one on hard water. By the way,
in Thailand, the snakeheads were not bad eating. I will try some Thai
recipes on this bad boy. Anybody want a dinner invite?
Mike C, Mendota Hts, MN 02/23/05
Been
awhile but finally got my film developed. Here are 2
bowfins my brother Dang caught early this spring. One was at Skimmer
pond and the other is from Little Long. I'm still looking for that
black bowfin though and the roll of film that has him in it. Can't lose
that roll of film.
Bee K 09/30/04
I
caught this male on a nightcrawler at Pickeral Slough. The
water is very low (spooky, normally the Mississippi river is flooded in
mid-April) and the weather was cool and cloudy. The bites were slow and
this was our only fish. (5 of us, using 9 rods, for two hours.)
Josh L 04/22/04
Here are some pics from the
MN Bowfin Angler archives. Thanks for the nice start Josh - let's make
2004 the best ever! Remember, this isn't TV - you supply the content.
If you want to see it, send it! A glove comes in real handy so you can
liplock your fin and rinse him before you shoot the pic.
Here's
my little bro and his bowfin he caught at Lake Minnetonka. We don't see
them there often because of the size of the lake but they do average
larger then other lakes I've been to.
Bee K
August 2003
This
is Steven (aka shwetty). He and I doubled up on these 6-7 lb fins. Haven't broken Steven in yet...He's afraid to touch fish!
Josh
The
26" I'm holding horizontally was caught early this spring
on fathead minnows in Skimmer Pond while sight fishing for bowfin. I
caught 2 more but was unable to keep them still for a pic. They
withered out of my hands and back into the water. The larger one I'm
holding vertically was also caught on fathead minnows in the same pond
way back in 1997 when I first discovered this place. We were actually
fishing for carp and bullheads and caught this beauty. That was the
first year we started targeting bowfins. Been including them in my
catches ever since. This one is my largest bowfin caught and landed to
date and I don't even know how long it is. It was such an exciting
moment I forgot to measure her before release. I've seen one that is
larger this spring, I still wonder if it is the same one but has grown.
I'm guessing this one is 30". What do you veteran bowfin guys think?
Bee K
I've
been hitting my bowfin hole with cutbait yesturday and
today. Heres the combined totals of what we caught: 8 bowfin, 2 painted
turtles, 1 channel catfish, 1 largemouth bass, and 1 snapping turtle. I
used cutbait on 4 rods (2 people; border waters), including my 5 wt.
flyrod. I had several large dogfish and a painted turtle on my flyrod,
but all got away. My friend caught the snapping turtle on my 5 wt. but
we cheated. We put a 14 lb fireline for a tippet, a 15" wire leader,
and a 6/0 hook on with a hunk of cut sucker minnow, and casted it out
and waited. It's still funner to fight 'em on the flyrod though. Maybe
I can truly get a bowfin on a fly soon.
Josh L - Pickeral Slough MN
Josh and Cousin Ben with fins from Pickeral Slough, MN. Ben's 8 pounder was his first fin and biggest fish ever. That's the way to break him in Josh!
I
was fishing Little Long in MN(108 acres). This
lake has produced some nice size sunfish, that's what I was going for
that day. I was working a sunfish honeycomb. It's bunch of sunfish
nests grouped up together like a bee hive honeycomb, that's what I call
it. I'm pretty sure you've seen it. I've seen anywhere from 4 to 30
nests in a honeycomb. But anyways, it was about the middle of June,
with temps in the high 70's with winds from the NWabout 10-15mph. I was
sight fishing for sunfish in 1ft-7ft of water when I spotted this
beauty, couldn't miss it with this lakes 18ft water clarity. Being
black, he stood out easily among the light green bottom. I quickly
switched from my sunfish lure to a black sinking weedless tadpole lure
that I use a lot for bowfins that hide in the weeds and algae. I swung
the lure about 15ft out passing him by approximately 4ft-5ft. I let it
sink to the bottom then slowly worked it until it was 1ft away from
him. Another twitch and he turns to my lure slowly fanning his dorsal
until he was about 2" away. Then just as usual, a quick gulp and he has
it, I set the hook and the fight was on. A minute later he was in the
net with the help of my younger brother. A quick photo with the Black
Knight and off he went. The red on the tail is blood from a netting
injury. Sometimes it's too late when you realize what you just let go.
I do regret not thinking at the time because that day I was pursuing
another species. I have caught bowfins from this lake everytime I go
there. Sizes range from 17" to 30". Being only 108 acres with very cear
water, I hope to see him again one day.
Bee K
I have seen other fall fins coloring up. Maybe water temp has an effect? BAGgers - help us out! What have you observed? Be sure to visit Corey's great site Roughfish.com.