# Bowfin or Snakehead?



## Bubba (Jul 10, 2008)

Any of you guys ever caught or heard of either one of these being caught in your neck-of-the-woods? 

Bowfin






Snakehead(Invasive species native to Asia)







Ugly lookin' critters.... :shock:


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## Jim (Jul 10, 2008)

No thank god!


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## Bubba (Jul 10, 2008)

Jim said:


> No thank god!



I've heard they fight like crazy though, Would be fun to catch one anyways.

I C&P'd this from what I posted on ETF...

"Never heard of anyone catching one around here immediately. I do know there are quite a few bowfins in Reelfoot lake, that is where the State record came from.(15lbs 7oz!  ) There is another record for Archery Fishing for one of these at "Cedar Creek"? Its somewhere in Tennessee....21lbs 12oz!!  Also found that the world record(i'm assuming on rod&reel) is 21 lbs. 8 ounces which came out of Forest Lake, South Carolina.

As far as snakeheads, they are in the US by accident(not intentionally by any wildlife agencies). I know the main source of them started in a pond up in Maryland, and they somehow spread to the Potomac river....Not sure where people catch them now other than that. I read they can live for 4 days out of water, and they actually "crawl" across land by wiggling their bodies, which makes them easier to spread. And they eat everything they come across, so they are a huge threat."


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## Quackrstackr (Jul 10, 2008)

I've caught plenty of grinnel (bowfin). The oxbow lakes near here are full of the things. That would be the same chain of oxbows that run down to Reelfoot.

They fight like hell and are seriously hard on your tackle. Have a mouth full of teeth, too.


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## KMixson (Jul 10, 2008)

I have caught bowfin (mudfish) here in SC in the Goose Creek Reservoir and at Bushy Park on the Cooper River. They seem to fight like crazy although I am using ultralight tackle which may be why. The ones I have caught average around 3 to 4 pounds each.


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## Captain Ahab (Jul 10, 2008)

We have both here - I have never hooked either :x


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## FishinsMyLife (Jul 10, 2008)

There are mudfish (bowfin) all are around here but I have never caught one. I sure hope that there aren't any snakeheads...


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## pbw (Jul 10, 2008)

KY Fish and Wildlife post that they are to be killed if caught, snakeheads that is.


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## EagleBaseball (Jul 11, 2008)

Down here I can go to some of the waters that back up round the big lakes and catch a boatfull of mudfish in a day. And trust me they are one of the fightinness fish I've ever caught.


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## redbug (Jul 11, 2008)

I have caught a few bowfin both here in a and fla. they are nasty slimy fish i haven't caught a snakehead yet but the way they are talking i will someday :twisted: :evil:


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## slim357 (Jul 11, 2008)

Not sure if the potomac has bowfin, but i think I had a snakehead following a trap in the spring. Still have yet to catch one or see anyone else catch one, but I always see md fish and game goin up in the creek I fish with the electric stuff.


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## captclay (Jul 12, 2008)

The bowfin (mudfish) is very common down here. They do fight like crazy but dont stick your finger in their mouth.


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## Popeye (Jul 13, 2008)

I hear tell the Bowfin can pretty much mangle a bass bait. Never seen or caught one to know for sure.


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## ShadowWalker (Jul 13, 2008)

NatGeo had a show on called "fishzilla" that was all about snakeheads in the US. It was pretty interesting, and they were being imported in California illegally for food at an Asian market. I believe some waters out there hold some from people releasing them, as they were not genetically the same when they compared them to the ones in MD.


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## Jim (Jul 13, 2008)

ShadowWalker said:


> NatGeo had a show on called "fishzilla" that was all about snakeheads in the US. It was pretty interesting, and they were being imported in California illegally for food at an Asian market. I believe some waters out there hold some from people releasing them, as they were not genetically the same when they compared them to the ones in MD.




I saw it! It was an interesting show.


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## xmytruck (Jul 14, 2008)

Bowfins are protected make sure you know the difference..


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## Butthead (Jul 14, 2008)

There are definitely snakeheads in the Potomac. There was an article last years in the Washington Post magazine that I saved about the snakeheads. I also found a link to a preview of it online: Click here for Article Preview
Anyway, what the article said is that when you actually hook into one they put up a great fight. The problem is that they are very good at telling apart a real meal apart from a lure, so they're hard to catch. There are guides around here that will help you get into the snakeheads, but there's no guarantees about actually catching one. It did mention something about looking for spots on the water where there seems to be a circle of a bunch of little fish swimming at the top of the water in the springtime. That's little snakeheads and the parent should be undeneath protecting them. Cast into the circle or right behind it and pull your lure through and you might have a better chance of getting one.

If you do manage to catch one you definitely need to report it to DNR and don't release it. It will definitely be killed either way, but if they let you keep it I hear it's actually a pretty good eating fish.


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## Jim (Jul 14, 2008)

Butthead said:


> There are definitely snakeheads in the Potomac. There was an article last years in the Washington Post magazine that I saved about the snakeheads. I also found a link to a preview of it online: Click here for Article Preview
> Anyway, what the article said is that when you actually hook into one they put up a great fight. The problem is that they are very good at telling apart a real meal apart from a lure, so they're hard to catch. There are guides around here that will help you get into the snakeheads, but there's no guarantees about actually catching one. It did mention something about looking for spots on the water where there seems to be a circle of a bunch of little fish swimming at the top of the water in the springtime. That's little snakeheads and the parent should be undeneath protecting them. Cast into the circle or right behind it and pull your lure through and you might have a better chance of getting one.
> 
> If you do manage to catch one you definitely need to report it to DNR and don't release it. It will definitely be killed either way, but if they let you keep it I hear it's actually a pretty good eating fish.



Welcome aboard!

Thanks for joining! :beer:

I was reding the article, They have not caught one yet! :LOL2:


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## captclay (Jul 14, 2008)

Bowfins (mudfish) are not protected in Florida.
https://floridafisheries.com/Fishes/other.html#bowfin


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## ShadowWalker (Jul 14, 2008)

captclay said:


> Bowfins (mudfish) are not protected in Florida.
> https://floridafisheries.com/Fishes/other.html#bowfin


also are not protected in Illinois because you can take them by bow and arrow.


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