Bowfin fish, also known as bowfish, rely on their sense of smell to locate bait fish such as minnows, shiners, crayfish and cut bluefish as bait fish.
Frog lures and bass-style spinnerbaits will attract bowfin in shallow pad fields or hydrilla mats; however, slower presentations tend to be more effective.
Location
Bowfin fishes resemble ancient dinosaurs in appearance and are known for being excellent fighters. Their distinctive features include an ancient, dinosaur-like body; large mouth with small teeth; long dorsal fin and rounded tail fin – as well as their air bladder that acts like a lung to take air from the surface of water.
Their aggressive, ambush-style hunting makes the fish popular among saltwater anglers. Commonly found in coastal ponds, swamps and backwaters of rivers. Males guard them until hatching begins in shallow, vegetated waters in spring before their eggs are laid in saucer-like depressions in the bottom or over vegetation – the young then herd around until they’ve grown strong enough to care for themselves.
Bowfin feed on anything they can find in the water, including game fish and their young, minnows, crustaceans, and insect larvae. Bowfin typically feed in shallow waters by ambushing prey that sneaks past their defenses – this makes them often seen near weed-choked coves or muddy flats and spillways.
bowfin may seem like trash to some anglers, but they play a vital role in maintaining an aquatic ecosystem’s balance. Bowfin serve as a natural population control mechanism and serve as an indicator for poor nutrient or sediment-laden areas where they tend to reside.
Fly anglers looking to catch bowfin are advised to fish during the fall and winter seasons, when bowfin migrate from deep waters into shallow, shady coves and backwaters where they can hide until spawning begins in earnest. At night they become even more active skulking along shorelines with intent of ambushing prey.
Fly fishing for bowfin can be both challenging and rewarding. A typical setup consists of an 8-weight fly rod fitted with an 0x fluorocarbon leader and tippet, as well as a small, stout, sharp hook. In order to ensure fast retrieve times and enough weight on the bait at all times, fast retrievals must also be utilized; otherwise predators such as bass, pike, pickerel and gar may become interested. It is wiser to opt for stationary lures.
Bait
Bowfin fish are carnivorous predators that respond well to fresh bait. Cut bluefish works particularly well – just cut off the fins – so when fishing for bowfin it is crucial that your setup can handle their powerful fight – an 8’5 to 7’0 medium heavy spinning rod with moderate test fluorocarbon line is ideal, given they possess hard jaws with conical needle teeth; lip grippers and pliers will come in handy in retrieving your hook from their hard jaws!
As with other freshwater game fish, bowfin are opportunistic feeders and will consume virtually anything available to them. Bait fish and small vertebrates tend to be their main food sources, although crayfish, crustaceans, amphibians, insect larvae and worms will also make an appearance on their menus. Nightcrawlers, minnows, shad, salamanders frogs or chatter baits are effective tools when targeting bowfin.
By their very nature, bowfin are ambush predators who use short bursts of speed to strike prey from dense cover. Fast-moving lures tend to pass quickly through their short strike radius and lead to missed opportunities; therefore, noisy bait that resembles an injured or distressed baitfish is often the best approach when hunting bowfin.
As Summer transitions into Fall, look for bowfin to move into shallow, muddy oxbow lakes and river systems with large lily pad fields. These fish tend to spend most of their time between three and four feet of water and patrolling grass edges looking for access into deeper pools. Work long grass lines on overcast days by bombing casts parallel to the grass while simultaneously slow rolling bladed baits along its edges.
Okefenoke Swamp, Altamaha, Satilla and Suwannee rivers as well as Banks Lake are prime spots in south Georgia to target bowfin. These fierce predators can provide hours of fishing fun; just one cast could result in your next state record catch! Search out some bowfin today, and prepare yourself for battle!
Technique
Bowfin fish, often considered unattractive by anglers due to their appearance, can actually be quite fun and challenging to catch. Their presence provides an excellent challenge to any angler willing to give it a shot; these creatures thrive in swampy backwaters where they lurk under cypress trees or sun themselves on shallow flats; indeed, an abundance of bowfin populations is often an indicator of overall watershed health; often considered disgusting or gross by many observers, bowfin serve as a key indicator of clean waters!
To maximize your chances of catching these fish, it is crucial that your presentation takes its time. These fish are ambush predators who prefer laying low under heavy cover before using short bursts of speed to attack. Fast moving lures may pass too quickly through their strike zones and result in missed opportunities; for optimal success use noisy and erratic lures at a slower pace so the target species has time to locate your bait and react appropriately.
Be sure to use a heavy line when fishing bowfin. These fish possess rock-hard jaws adorned with conical, needle-like teeth that can easily slice through your line if caught within range. A steel leader may help reduce this problem; but even if you prefer using heavier lines, always have an emergency backup rig handy in case one of yours becomes damaged by their hard jaws.
One tip for effective bait fishing is using baits that resemble fresh dead shiners or slices of cut bluefish, since these carnivorous species respond favorably compared to brightly colored plastic baits that tend to startle them quickly.
On hot summer days, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits or any bladed baits may also be effective at finding bowfin. Look for areas with shallow grass where bowfin have access to deeper pools (5+ feet of water). Drop your lure along a grass line before slowly rolling it along its bottom allowing it to pass through weeds.
Tackle
Bowfin fishes are prehistoric marine organisms resembling prehistoric dinosaurs with air bladders that function much like lungs, which allows them to breathe without drinking freshwater and survive without oxygen consumption. Due to this characteristic they thrive in warm, poorly oxygenated backwater environments like bays and rivers with weak oxygen supplies; making bowfin the only living representative of their ancient family which once roamed from Alaska all the way down to Louisiana! Their unique morphology makes bowfin both challenging and rewarding to target.
As bowfin sharks are ambush predators with a short strike radius and tend to stage themselves within dense vegetation and cover, they can be hard to detect. After seven years chasing bowfins, I’ve never seen one come from more than 10 feet away to hit my lure; but what they may lack in eyesight they more than make up for with advanced senses of smell; bait fish instincts will send ripples through the water that bowfins can quickly pick up on and respond aggressively towards.
Therefore, dead bait is the best approach when targeting bowfin. A heavy jig with minnow, crayfish or stinkbait on it works wonders; alternatively chatterbait or spinnerbaits may work to entice these wary predators to strike!
Targeting these fierce creatures requires using a 3/0 hook with a long shank. Beginner anglers often make the mistake of choosing too small a hook; bowfin have been known to inhale baits quickly and break off smaller hooks easily, which is why I highly advise using heavy steel leader and a 3/0 hook that has one.
Bowfin tend to favor weedy pads or hyacinth during spring and summer, especially when bedded down for shade and concealment. Punching pad fields with jig’n pig or weighted weedless craw bait is an effective strategy for finding them; just be sure to thoroughly survey all areas, looking out for pockets of hydrilla, hyacinth or any dense vegetation that you might encounter, then pitch your bait there to gain an understanding of where they reside and their reactions.
