Think twice before you kill that Bowfin

Have you ever noticed that several Big Bluegill waters have populations of Bowfin too. The Bowfin may not appear beautiful in appearance but they have a unique role in helping produce trophy Bluegills.

My theory is that Bowfin eat smaller bluegills. Their mouth is not big enough to eat Big Bluegills. Northerns, on the other hand, will eat all sizes. These small Gills need to be culled out in order to provide increased forage for bigger Gills. If the predator/prey ratio is down then the “stunting effect” happens; too many panfish competing for food. So the next time you catch a big Dogfish, let him go so that that natural balance continues. This is just my opinion. Anybody else have any ideas about this?

Forest Lake has a ton of stunted gills and a good number of dogfish.
However, there is a lake close to my house that has some monster panfish, and a bunch of dogfish.
Interesting thing to think about.

The dogfish that have made their way to my boat always end up back in the lake, plus its fun to mess with the kids about them barking

I love catching bowfins(dogfish). Great fighters. I have never understood why, in todays modern world, people would kill any kind of indigenous fish just for the sake of it. If nature didnt need it there, it wouldn’t be there. When I see people slamming sheephead on their boats it makes me sick.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think bowfin are really cool looking fish. They are extremely well-adapted predators, and they are not as easy to catch as one might think.

They are also the street fighters of the fish world. They fight dirty. A bass or trout may do some slick aerobatics, a big cat will bulldog you with brute force, but a bowfin will pull the razor blade out of his shoe and take you on in the boat.

The first bowfin I caught was a surprise. I had never seen one before, and I was ill-prepared for what happened. I had my ultralight out in an attempt to catch some bullies for bait, and it just about yanked the rod out of my hand. It jumped, it tailwalked, it thrashed around on the surface and down deep. Then I landed it and the real fight began. It kept on fighting, eventually getting itself back into the water for a few more runs. I had to land it three times before it finally let me grab onto it. I weighed it… four pounds. What other four pound fish is going to give you that kind of fight?

I have been targeting bowfin ever since.

Excellent thread! My brother had this theory a few years back and I was convinced he was right. I’d like to add that I think they are beneficial to all species, not just gills. There are some metro lakes I wish they would start a stocking program with them.

A side note. Have you ever seen one nesting in coon tails? Pretty cool. They don’t just clear a spot on hard bottom for a nest, they actually make burrows in the roots of coon tails and other shoreline weeds.

There’s a bay on my lake full of them. I call it dogfish bay. Anyways I sight fish them now and then in shallow weedy water and they ARE dirty little street fighters. I land very few if thick weeds are present.

I just say that if God created it, then there is a perfect reason for why it exists, wherever it lives, period.

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I just say that if God created it, then there is a perfect reason for why it exists, wherever it lives, period.

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I was trying to think of a way to say that, thanks! I fish a lake near Aitkin for a week in June every year. I’ve caught some big ‘dogs in that lake and they are a lot of fun! The first one I caught was at dusk, for a while I was convinced I had a 28 inch long Largemouth on (it hit a spinnerbait).

I don’t know if there’s a connection between their population and the sunfish…I’m sure theere is, but it’s probably one part of very complicated system none of us will ever really understand. This lake has some sunfish that are OK…but most of them aren’t in spite of a good Bowfin popluation and 12 trillion little 14 inch long Northerns.

Rootski

I for one find killing any fish of any kind quite ridiculous unless instructed to do so by the DNR or other law enforcement. The only fish I would kill would be the Asian carp. I couldn’t believe it when I was ice fishing this winter..While Justin and I were having a blast battling the 16-17″ slob white bass, and we had them figured out, other guys were throwing the ones they caught on the ice… Luckily they didn’t have them dialed in so they weren’t throwing hundreds on the ice, but it was ridiculous to say the least…some people actually consider the white bass to be excellent table fare..I just don’t get it. Doggies also make their way back to the water from my boat.

A river that I fish often has Dogfish and Skipjack in good supply. Enjoy catching both species and except for keeping a few skipjack for Catfish bait they get released as gentle as a Smallmouth!!!

OK, I will bite. Feeding the turtles is never a bad thing and I will say the same thing when the snakehead makes it this way too.

I like to target dogfish when I can’t get the eyes to bite. Awesome fighters, but I don’t know about your theory. Last summer my son caught a roughly 2lb Bass. After sitting on a stringer attached to the dock for a couple hours we decided to take it up for cleaning. The Bass was nearly dead. I told my son to grab it and bring it in to the cabin. He grabbed the Bass, took it off the stringer, it “twitched” and scared the crap out of him and of course he dropped it into the lake-on the end of the dock which is about 4-5 feet deep. We watched as the Bass slowly sank to the bottom. Within seconds a 6-7lb Doggie was doing all he could to get that Bass into his mouth. We dropped a rock in the water to scare him away-and it worked- he swam away with that 2lb Bass half way in his mouth!

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I love catching bowfins(dogfish). Great fighters. I have never understood why, in todays modern world, people would kill any kind of indigenous fish just for the sake of it. If nature didnt need it there, it wouldn’t be there. When I see people slamming sheephead on their boats it makes me sick.

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I agree totally!!! It makes me mad when I see people do that as well..I pulled this straight out of the MN regulation book.
“Any fish that is caught and will not be utilized must be immediately
returned alive back into the water. A person cannot wantonly waste
a fish that is caught by leaving it or any usable portion on the ice,
thrown up on the bank, or intentionally killing it and returning it back
into the water unless authorized.”
So not only is it ridiculous it is illegal as well

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He grabbed the Bass, took it off the stringer, it “twitched” and scared the crap out of him and of course he dropped it into the lake-on the end of the dock which is about 4-5 feet deep. We watched as the Bass slowly sank to the bottom. Within seconds a 6-7lb Doggie was doing all he could to get that Bass into his mouth. We dropped a rock in the water to scare him away-and it worked- he swam away with that 2lb Bass half way in his mouth!

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The fish was taking an easy meal and keeping the water free of a rotting fish. Bad thing? I think not.

To the person talking of feeding turtles and comparing our Native Dogfish to Snakehead………two separate fish. The reason MN has great fishing is the diversity of fish they hold not because of the precious walleye that get stocked in the lakes.

Thanks for all your replies. I’m not sure about my theory but it is good to see that there is others out there who respect this species enough to release it. I have seen them dead laying on the ice before because someone caught them and thought they were no good for the water.

I’m sure Bowfin are only one component to trophy Gill waters. There are probably other variables that need to be in place too.

I have witnessed their street fighting prowess before in my boat too. I had a big one take a musky bucktail once and when I got it in the boat, it thrashed until the big Mepps lure was snapped right off. I gotta say I have never seen a musky do that before and I have boated quite a few muskies.

I know that Bowfin are a different species than the Snakehead but I could barely tell the difference if you put this Snakehead up against a Bowfin.

We have 6 different Snakehead species in my area but this one looks just like our Bowfin.

Striped Snakehead

Bowfin that snapped my Mepps in half

Over here they have been using Buffalo Blood to lure snakeheads in the area. I think they are scavenger as much as predator.

They creep me out,so back in the water as fast as can be.

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He grabbed the Bass, took it off the stringer, it “twitched” and scared the crap out of him and of course he dropped it into the lake-on the end of the dock which is about 4-5 feet deep. We watched as the Bass slowly sank to the bottom. Within seconds a 6-7lb Doggie was doing all he could to get that Bass into his mouth. We dropped a rock in the water to scare him away-and it worked- he swam away with that 2lb Bass half way in his mouth!

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The fish was taking an easy meal and keeping the water free of a rotting fish. Bad thing? I think not.

To the person talking of feeding turtles and comparing our Native Dogfish to Snakehead………two separate fish. The reason MN has great fishing is the diversity of fish they hold not because of the precious walleye that get stocked in the lakes.

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I agree. Stocking of fish is a complete joke. If they can’t reproduce and thrive on their own they probly don’t belong there. Either the fishery is evolving too fast for the species or the species can’t evolve to adapt.

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To the person talking of feeding turtles and comparing our Native Dogfish to Snakehead………two separate fish. The reason MN has great fishing is the diversity of fish they hold not because of the precious walleye that get stocked in the lakes.

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I agree. Stocking of fish is a complete joke. If they can’t reproduce and thrive on their own they probably don’t belong there. Either the fishery is evolving too fast for the species or the species can’t evolve to adapt.

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If I sound bitter I am sorry. I enjoy fishing for all fish but the diversity is what I love about MN. I can have 10 plus species in a day and there are people who fish years and fish one species. I was ecstatic to catch my 2nd bowfin this year because the first one I caught was not appreciated. I was 12 or so and no pic. They are such a cool fish and can have colors that rival saltwater fish. I am privileged to talk with people all over our country and even some from Europe. They are always so jealous of the number of fish and the diversity we have here. We have trophy fish because of this. CastAndBlast is one heck of a fisherman because he researches where he wants to fish and makes plans. No matter the species we always go for the trophy sizes of those fish. If you ever get to meet him and see his “Lifelist” of photos it is drop your jaw on the floor sizes and quality photos.
OK off my soapbox

Happy fishing guys!