Record Dogfish?

[Biggerfish]

"The Dogfish"

The lake I fish often has many in there. Usually good for one each time I fish there. I have caught them on artificial and live baits. I too am guilty of belly aching them and releasing them. But I have found something amazing earlier this year in the stomach on one. This particular Dogfish was about 6-7 ponds and in his belly was a 2-3 pond northern pike. I was amazed how it could even fit in his mouth. Truly shows what millions of years of evolution can do. Clearly top of the food chain.

I too am going to have to start measuring them as I think that 35" state record may have been broken in my boat? We'll see????

[metro fisherman]

I know some people don't like hearing this but Carp are the #1 game fish in the world and Carp are most likely the smartest fish in the lakes you fish. Just because you don't get bombarded constantly with advertisements of how cool you would be if you use brand X to catch Carp. It doesn’t mean Carp are bad fish. There is a lake near where I live that is full of 12lb and bigger Carp. All I ever heard is people complain about all of these big fish in this lake. All I have to say to them is; when was the last time you caught a fish that weighted 18lb? For me it was today. It took me into the backing on my 8wt. Last week in one day I boated 10 fish for over 150lbs total. How has your fishing been?

I once heard someone say; It's the most fun you can have in fresh water. I concur.

Yeah carp are big in places like Europe and Asia where there native too. But this is the USA and there not native here nor do they help the lake in any way. I dont know about you but i could do without carp devouring Crappie beds in the spring.

You wanna know what else puts up a good fight? Snakeheads. So why dont you go out and put some in your favorite lake? Also my fishing has been great, tanks for asking.

[Muddog]

Quote:

Yeah carp are big in places like Europe and Asia where there native too. But this is the USA and there not native here nor do they help the lake in any way. I dont know about you but i could do without carp devouring Crappie beds in the spring.

Well, you and I are not native either. If the fish you catch are stocked. Guess what! I'm sorry (yes sorry) but they are here to stay and just because they are not native I'm not going to complain. I'm going to make lemmon aid.

Quote:

So why dont you go out and put some in your favorite lake?

Because it is against the Law!

[anordqu42]

No issues if people don't want to catch a bowfin. Leaves more for me! But if you do, respect them and just don't go kill and bury them. They are an amazing fish.

At my parent's lake my dad had to upgrade the fish box under the dock from a simple small mesh wire box (rabbit cage) to a heavy duty, custom made box because the bowfin would always tip it over and smash through the door. We'd sneak down to the dock and watch them do it. Even now they'll still hang below dock and ram the new box. Aggressive, top predator, and definitely smart. Then I just dangle a leech in front of them and hold on!!

Earlier this year I was keeping some dead sucker for cutbait for 'fins the next day, but that night I went down to the dock and watched a bowfin try to get into the bucket (yellow flow troll). I use to blame bait stealing on turtles, but not always anymore.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Ive only caught one, sucker fishing when I was younger. I wouldnt mind catching a few more of them. Why is it that they dont have populations like other predators?

[caocao]

I remember catching a ton of them at Lost lake, using Sunfish. Not much of them around any more.

[Jim Panfish Uran]

You can't use sunfish for bait! What's up with that?

[fishuhalik]

Ive only caught one, sucker fishing when I was younger. I wouldnt mind catching a few more of them. Why is it that they dont have populations like other predators?

I've always wondered that too.

[AaronM]

Any update on the record story?

[mrklean]

ill bring this one back to the top havent heard the final story what happened?

[JeffB]

When I was a kid we would spot clouds of bowfin fry swimming along shore being protected by daddy bowfin. We would take turns walking into the cloud till daddy tried to attack and drop a net in front of him right before he could take a bite. Kind of like playing with fire crackers. Before any one jumps on me for being unethical it was over 30 years ago and we put the fish back so the next kid could have his turn, and in know way am I promoting this behavior.

[JBMasterAngler]

You'd think a fish named after man's best friend would be treated with a little more respect than the infamous bowfin has over the years

[CarpKing921]

I'm also on board. This species as got to be one of the hardest hitting fish i've caught. I've lost many a spinner and top water baits to the teeth of fins. No fish I have ever caught mangled the lures like the Bowfin does. I like to fish reeds and pads in clear water lakes.

I'm willing to bet alot of the bass guys catch these accidentily.