OK... I have read for an hour or so at your site. So thanks for the education.
I'm Carl R Jr. in Montpelier Ohio. I was pike fishing yesterday
out of my kayak when I caught a nice bowfin. 30 inches at 10lbs 4 oz., this
thing was ferocious! It fought like a muskie. It ate my XR-12 X-rap. I had to
bring it home to get the lure out, then I released it. Amazing fish! Durn
thing bit me several times in the kayak.
It was in a pit next to the St. Joseph River. If you're in the area come fishing with
me. There are bayous and pits along the river. This fish impressed me and
I've caught some big pike and muskies, so I'm used to a fight. This fish was
fierce! When I released him, he expelled a pint of air out of his
lung and swam away. I had to put him between my legs in the kayak and he was
biting and very aggressive. I put a wooden paddle over my crotch to avoid being
neutered. This is my first bowfin. Good golly they fight! I've caught 72 fish this year for 247 lbs and 131ft. I've got a pic of every one to prove it. I'm disabled and fish all
the time.
Carl R Jr., 10/15/08
OK... I have read for an hour or so at your site. So thanks for the education.
This Bowfin/Dogfish fish was caught in New Philadelphia Ohio at Tuscarawas County Park. It is a heavily fished small community pond and I was there with my 5 year old daughter catching small 5" Sunfish and Bluegill. She was fishing with a bobber and worm and I decided to change my set up for spinner bait, mainly to save on the limited worms
we had with us. So I picked out a fairly large spinner tackle that was about 3 inches long with iridescent blue color, and it looked like a minnow. I knew it was way too big but wanted to cast across the entire pond if I could... just for fun.
On the second cast I got the hit, my pole was bent over pretty good and I had about 30 feet to reel it in.
The reel hissed as the drag setting kept line going out as I was reeling it in. It took just a couple min or so to get it to the rocky shore and then I saw this un-expected beast. Seriously, a bit scary for my little girl and myself. I have fished for years in small Ohio ponds and Lake Erie and have only a few times caught larger fish of this sort.
I thought for sure my line would snap and I was very careful not to pull to hard on it. We grabbed a milk crate we happened to have with us and scooped it up. I could not identify the fish and had never seen anything like it. It had serious teeth that had I not been cautious, would have cut me bad. I took this quick picture and then I set the crate back in the water to keep it alive till some other anglers could see it. But one flop of the tail and it was out and gone! Only 3
adults saw it. It is a great tale to tell!
Eric S, 09/29/08
My wife caught this bowfin at Mentor Lagoons on 5-29-2008. She thought it was the wildest thing with the blue fins. Apparently it was a male breeding at the time. She caught this on a nightcrawler and a bobber. After we got the picture, it snapped the line. It was the only fish we caught that morning.
Frank and Kim, 05/30/08
I’ve been reading your website, very interesting. I might add another myth that I didn’t see mentioned. I live in NE Ohio and we have a lagoon area here right next to a large nature preserve called Mentor Headlands State Park and Marsh. It’s right on Lake Erie. The story around here is that this lagoon area is the only place bowfin are found…..in the world!? I have always doubted this and it’s obviously not true since Ohio isn’t even mentioned in your regulations section. Perhaps anglers in some of the other areas bowfin are found have a similar story.
Regards,
BobS, 04/23/07
Here is a good spot. I land them on leeches all the time fishing for smallmouths off of the state park pier at Catawba Island State Park.
Shawn W, 05/30/06
We've been doing some fishing this past week and we have been doing pretty good. I would guesstimate around 50 bowfin. I wish I had a big aquarium for one of them. He was the prettiest bowfin I have seen, very young, and very distinct coloration. I fish in the Tuscarwas and they're really on! Please don't show my secret fishing hole!
George, 04/26/06
February 2006, Loc'n Unknown
Greetings from your link partner Adam at www.coolwaterfish.com. I have just caught my second ever Bowfin, a stout 25 incher, while fishing for Steelhead in a creek in NW Ohio. I was extremely surprised by the catch and had never seen or heard of anyone getting one out of this body of water! This fish bested my first Bowfin by 2 inches (the 23" Bowfin is on your 2004 pics) so I now have a new personal record for the
species. I've attached 2 photos. The fish came on a small inline spinner, chrome color. I also forgot to mention that it was released after the catch. The creek is a very small body of water and has been getting a ton of angler pressure... so I'd like to really keep the spot anonymous. Thanks, keep up the great job on the site!
Respectfully-
Adam 02/25/06
July 2005
My
son Nathan caught this fish July 17th 2005 in the Ohio
River. We were bass fishing and thought he had a good one on. It took a
spinner bait. We took pictures and released it unharmed, except for
some slime. It had some sharp teeth. We didn't know what it was till
today. Thanks for your site,
Sam B Rutland OH 07/19/05
I
was fishing at Beach City Dam in Ohio, and saw a
gentleman catch a bowfin. Having not caught one myself ever, I referred
to the internet in search of information on the species. That's when I
came across your website and spent a lot of time researching bowfin and
what they feed on and how to catch them. After reading, I took that
knowledge and my fishing tackle and headed to the water. Taking along
some light tackle and some nightcrawlers, I fished for some panfish to
use for bait. I caught a couple bluegills and with just a simple hook
and sinker, used the bluegills as cutbait, I casted out, and within the
hour had my first ever bowfin (Picture). Since then I have caught more
at the same location. I just wanted to say thanks for the info and for
helping me catch my first one! Thanks again and good finnin'!
Larry S. 07/06/05
Greetings,
Adam here from www.coolwaterfish.com,
thanks for the link on your site, I have a link to your site on mine
now too. I've attached a picture of my one and only caught Bowfin, a
23" that took a Blue Fox Super Vibrax Size 2- all chrome while I was
targeting Bass... this fish was way cooler than any bass!!!
Ohio Finning
I've been studying up a lot on Ohio bowfin, and although I've
just caught the one, (the picture you posted on here that I sent ya)
I've learned quite a bit. Most the bowfin in Ohio are caught from shore
along Lake Erie (docks and marinas very good spots), tributaries of
Lake Erie (but not too far downstream), and a few smaller lakes/ponds
in the northern portion of the state. I compiled that information
mostly from talking to local captains/first mates around the Port
Clinton area, local fishermen, one DNR officer, and a board member from
a preservation society in Ottawa County. I plan on targeting them more
this fall and hope to have more pictures to send!
Adam/CoolWater 07/31/04
