[Shortstriker]

Launched at Chain O lakes State Park about 7:30am. Using electric trolling motor only, headed immediately up to the river. Trolled and casted for 3 hours, nothing. Headed back down the river decided to throw a worm against the reeds. Hooked into what I first thought was a BIG walleye. Turned out to be a 3 or 4lb bowfin. Nasty teeth! Returned it to the water unharmed, should I? Same area, next cast was with a Gulp leech. Hooked 14 inch largemouth. That was it. Off the water by 12:30.

[Popeye]

Nothing wrong with returning a Bowfin unharmed to the waters it was caught in. As long as you didn't confuse it with a Snakehead.

[digitalbluecat]

would have liked to see a picture, what is the Bowfin?

[tinyfisher]

digitalbluecat wrote:

would have liked to see a picture, what is the Bowfin?

Same as a dogfish.

[Popeye]

tinyfisher wrote:

digitalbluecat wrote:

would have liked to see a picture, what is the Bowfin?

Same as a dogfish.

If that's true, then they've been around these parts for many, many years. I remember my dad and his buddy seining a small local river/large creek to get them out of there. I was close to 10-12 years old then, I'm 50 now.

[tinyfisher]

Popeye wrote:

tinyfisher wrote:

digitalbluecat wrote:

would have liked to see a picture, what is the Bowfin?

Same as a dogfish.

If that's true, then they've been around these parts for many, many years. I remember my dad and his buddy seining a small local river/large creek to get them out of there. I was close to 10-12 years old then, I'm 50 now.

Pretty sure they're one of the earliest bony fish species, so they've been around. They're native, also, so I agree with returning them to the water. I guess for me that applies to all fish, though...if they're not heading to the table, they go back into the lake. I don't like the idea of tossing fish on the shore to rot. Except gobies, which don't count.