After seeing that fish attack a Subwalk and the ensuing fight, I would not hesitate targeting them at all. At first glance, we both thought it looked like a Rainbow, then we thought catfish without the whiskers and then I saw the rear section and knew it was a bowfin. There is an area on the river that keeps them around during the summer months and a few locals target them but I always drive past it because there isn’t much else there but carp.

The funny part was once we get her in the net and ready for pics, I could not gill her like a musky nor did I want to lip her like a bass cuz of the teeth situation. The gills were locked down and impossible to get open with my fingers. So, I did the “hoagie” lift out. Very slimy fish as well!


Fun facts……The gills did not need to move like other fish because they can breathe atmospheric air via their swim bladder which allows them to tolerate very low Oxygen levels. They can burrow themselves into the mud and survive for weeks if their habitat dries up. Very likely the most pre-historic freshwater fish I will ever encounter.