Bowfin

[catman529]

Have never seen one in person. Are they around the middle tennessee area? Any specific bodies of water?

 

[Travis E]

I think they call those mud fish down here. If its the same fish they are nasty. I caught one and got slime and fish poop allover the boat. :/

 

[woodchuckc]

I've caught them in Kentucky Lake, but not in middle TN. I'm sure there are some here, though.

I'd rather catch a carp - as Travis said, they are nasty, toothy things.

 

[Mossy Oak]

We shoot them all the time here in Montgomery County. They put up a heck of a fight and are mean as all get out!

 

[spitndrum]

Never seen or shot one myself

 

[catman529]

I remember reading that they fight real hard and I thought they are cool being prehistoric and all. We got so many gar here but no bowfin that I have seen. Maybe one day I'll get lucky or something. Even if they are slimy nasty fish I still want to catch one...

 

[easy45]

I've caught quite a few around here, they are a blast to catch, fight extremely hard

 

[B.D.]

I've caught one in Old Hickory but they are not common. They prefer swampy backwaters like the ones in West Tennessee.

bd

 

[Rowdy]

I snagged one by accident in the Big Sandy river a couple years back, but couldn't land it. Dang thing was huge...musta weighed every bit of 25 or 30 lbs, and I only had 4lb line on my little rig. Got it right up to the bank tho, but the bank was wet and slippery and I couldn't get to him before the darn hook pulled loose. Lota fun tho....lol

They also call'em Grinnels don' they???

 

[catman529]

Meanest fish that lives in fresh water. Fun to catch but will destroy a $6 spinnerbait in 2 seconds.

No worries here, I use beetle spins :grin:

 

[bowriter]

Tear up everything they get near. Go by many names: bowfin, dog fish, grinell, mud fish and probably more. I caught a lot of them in LA until I learned how to get a lure away from them before they hit. Some folks down there eat the dang things. I guess they get up to 10-12 pounds. I've never seen one over about six or seven.

 

[rukiddin]

We shoot'em every trip while bowfishing in NC, but I'm yet to see in East TN. The water is "supposedly" too cool to support them.
My biggest is 11.5 lbs, we regularily shoot them 8lbs+. Let their skulls dry out and they make a cool "skull mount". Kinda like a mini shark.haha

 

[TheLBLman]

I guess they get up to 10-12 pounds. I've never seen one over about six or seven.

I once caught a 16-lber out of Reelfoot Lake, and have seen larger there. Have caught many over 10 lbs. And they will totally destroy whatever lure you catch them on. They must have stronger jaws than most fish.

 

[bowriter]

Let one bite you sometime, Wes and you'll know.

 

[Tony USMC]

My sons first fish was a Bowfin he caught in Northeast NC with a worm and bobber.

 

[grapple]

We catch them all the time on the TN river. Always in backwater. I really don't think you would find one on the harpeth. I found a mount of one in a antique store. I had to buy it. Never seen one mounted before. Its the ugliest thing in my house now.

 

[deerkiller300wsm]

My friend caught one one day while we were fishing tellico below chilhowee dam

 

[deerkiller300wsm]

My friend caught one one day while we were fishing tellico below chilhowee dam

 

[4onaside]

Don't you boys watch Swamp People? Its Choupique down there. In the mid-south they are grinnel, and I suppose bowfin(their proper name) way up north.

 

[grapple]

Here I've always heard them called bowfin. I lived in Wisconsin for 4 years and they called them mudfish or dogfish.

 

[4onaside]

Here I've always heard them called bowfin. I lived in Wisconsin for 4 years and they called them mudfish or dogfish.

You must run with the academic crowd, grapple. I'll bet they even call crawfish crayfish. lol

 

[catman529]

Here I've always heard them called bowfin. I lived in Wisconsin for 4 years and they called them mudfish or dogfish.

You must run with the academic crowd, grapple. I'll bet they even call crawfish crayfish. lol

I always call em crawfish or crawdads but for most fish, I call them by the proper name. But often shortened... smallmouth bass to smallie, buffalo to buff, bluegill to gill, channel catfish to cat or channel cat, etc... but I don't call em any weird names like gaspergou or mudfish or superwhoppertoothfangfinfish or whatever.

 

[bowriter]

Gaspergou is the proper name for drum.


If you live in LA

 

[catman529]

I think gaspergou is the proper name for a specific species of freshwater drum especially around LA but for all I know it is the same species we catch up here in TN and they are more commonly called freshwater drum so really, what the heck is the proper common name? Scientific names tend to clear things up for me. So many species have too many different common names.

 

[Bigmonts]

They are great fun to catch, give a heck of a battle. I love to catch them.Get a big minnow under a large cork bobber and look out! They say they have been here a long long time, surrivors.