Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

Recommended Posts

Posted

Was fishing for Panfish and caught a big Bowfin (dad called it a dogfish?). Man did that thing fight. Bent my hook and was it an ugly thing. First time I have seen one of these fish. Do people eat these things. My dad said nothing but bad things about it.

Posted

Oh isssssssssssssshy, No you don't want to eat them. Try smelling one once and you will know why. There ugly for a reason.

They do put up a fight though, I watched a netter up by Cohasset and he filled a pick up full of them to the brim. He sends them to Chicago and they feed them to the Chicago White Sox. No not really. They used them for feed for pigs I think.

Posted

Dogfish put up one heck of a fight man. If I see one loungin, I will usually try to catch it. They are ugly to most, but in the right light they have some really awesome colors. A lot of iridescents in the scales of them bad boys.

Posted

Bowfin will grow on until after awhile they will start to look kind a "purty"! I tried eating one once - wouldn't recommend that though.

Posted

Bowfin will grow on until after awhile they will start to look kind a "purty"! I tried eating one once - wouldn't recommend that though.

It had a black circle on it's tail. Is there a special way of handling them? I want to catch some more!

Posted

They're hard to handle as their heads are covered with armored plates. Even the underside of their head has an armored plate. Males have a black spot ringed with yellow. I caught a few this spring, even one last week, that were still tinged in green from the spawn. Males protect nests and young fish and are very territorial, so if you sight fish for shallow 'dogs, you can get in a few dogfights that will get the adrenaline pumping. Bowfin are a cool fish as old as dinosaurs.

Posted

how do you target a dogfish? what do you throw? Worm and hook? how do i catch one, and where can i get a big one?

Posted

I caught this one up in chisago. I was using a leech and hook and bobber.

Posted

I caught one on an X-Rap a month ago. I put up one whale of a fight. I enjoyed it.

Are you just supposed to kill them? They say they tear up the game fish - but I don't know if that's just an old polish wives tale or not...

Posted

I was told by a DNR fisheries manager that Bowfin can help control the sunfish population in lakes. Their round mouth structure makes it easy for them to munch little sunnies. The DNR guy said the bowfin living in my favorite central MN lake was helping to control the sunfish population so they don't get stunted.

I fish them in May when they are spawning by sight fishing the shallows (same time the crappies are spawning).

Later in the summer they bite on sucker minnows just before dark.

Posted

I've only targeted them by sight fishing in spring and early summer. It's pretty tough otherwise. They like to hang by dense weedbeds, but those same weedbeds can hinder their foraging by giving their prey lots of places to hide.

They were exploratory stocked in the 80's into Lake Winona to control bluegill, but their numbers dived and the panfish numbers didn't change. In trials it was found they prefer fatheads and crayfish over 'gills.

Posted

Chisago lake is a good place to catch a few nice bowfin. But the all time best bowfin destination is the vermillion river in hastings. Water is too dirty to do any sight fishing, but it's full of them in there...and they are BIG!

Killing them for no purpose is of course illegal. But throwing them on the shore wouldn't do any good anyway, they can live out of water for quite some time. Just appreciate the fight they give and put them back in the water.

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.


  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • leech~~
    • smurfy
      🤣 did your nose just grow a bit!😏🤭
    • Wanderer
      I hope to be fishing….  It’s so rare that I get to go, I hate passing up the opportunity. 😉   
    • leech~~
      Since the Vikings are never in it. We use it for an excuse to make some fun stuff!  Last year was a bit light. Hot cheese bean dip, hot wings and pepperoni cheese bread! 😋
    • Hookmaster
      That snow and the 15-25 mph winds on Thursday with higher gusts will be nasty drifting. I didn't go to LOW (can I say that in the this thread?🤫) this week because of it.
    • smurfy
      Who's watching the big game Sunday? More importantly what's ya'all cooking!   I like good football si I'm tuning in. Food... yea no clue yet 
    • Wanderer
      Hard to see em well enough to tell.
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the South Shore...  Ice fishing is strong across the south shore of Lake of the Woods out on Big Traverse Bay.  Most anglers are targeting deep mud with others fishing structure if available where they are going out of.  There are fish in both areas.     Some ice roads are now extending more than 16 miles out, with over two feet of ice reported in most areas. Resorts and outfitters continue increasing weight limits. As a rule, fishing continues to be very good with consistent action for anglers.  Most fishing activity is taking place in 26-32 feet of water.  Anglers are finding a healthy mix of walleyes and saugers, with plenty of opportunities to enjoy fresh fish frys and bring fish home.   On the jigging line, jigging spoons with rattles tipped with a minnow head have been consistent.  Lipless crankbaits and jigging rap style lures also doing well.   On the deadstick, a plain hook or a small jig with a live minnow 6 inches to a foot off of the bottom.    You never know when the fish will move through.  Anglers fishing the entire day normally have success.  Electronics are a big help as well. On the Rainy River...  The morning and evening hours are the best for fishing walleyes. A jig and minnow combination has been a good presentation.  A jigging spoon tipped with a minnow head is also producing some fish. Catch-and-release sturgeon fishing is still producing some big fish through the ice.  There are two sturgeon seasons on Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River, a catch and release season and a harvest season in which you can keep one fish per calendar year.    The harvest season runs from April 24th – May 7th and July 1 – Sept. 30. The catch and release season runs May 8th – May 15th and Oct. 1 – April 23rd.    Although ice conditions on the river are good, they can vary significantly due to the current, so anglers should always consult local resorts or outfitters for the most up-to-date safety information and fishing advice. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing remains good at the Northwest Angle.  Resorts continue to move their fish houses staying on fish.  Some fish houses are set up on structure while others are targeting deeper mud flats.    Anglers are catching a nice mix of walleyes, saugers, jumbo perch, pike, and tullibees.  Good numbers of big crappies are still being caught in select areas and hard sided fish houses are available to target them.  Check with a NW Angle resort for info.   Jigging one line, deadsticking the second is effective.  Some days the jigging line is hot, other days the deadstick.  Some good colors have been gold, glow red, glow white, wonder bread, pink, chartreuse and orange. Lake of the Woods enjoys an extended ice fishing season with fish houses on the ice through March 31st and walleye and sauger seasons open through April 14th. Perch, crappie, and pike seasons remain open year-round.  
    • JerkinLips
      Same story, different day (Monday).  Caught several small walleyes (biggest were 14 and 15 inches) with the best bite from 2-5pm.  Caught my record walleye this winter at 6½ (inches, not pounds).  Was wondering why the bobber kept going down a couple inches for several minutes until I finally reeled it up.  Fortunately it was just hooked in the lips.  Having a lively minnow definitely improved the action.  I put down a pike sucker for the first time this winter and got an immediate hard bite.  When I went to set the hook, the line broke just above the hook.  Don't know if it was a northern bite-off or just weak line by the hook.  May try some pike suckers next trip.   Ice conditions were very good except for heavy drifting (even with very little fresh snow).  Didn't see any vehicles traveling off road except for snowmobiles and a tracked SxS, although there weren't many people out on the lake.  Water came up around my house about 1½ inches but froze very quickly with the cold weather and no snow on top.  Will probably have to block it up again next time up.   Good luck fishing and be careful of severe drifting of snow, especially with the 3-5 inches they are predicting for Wednesday night.  
    • leech~~
      Why, do they all only wear Sitka camo over there? 😏
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.