If I wanted to catch a Bowfin....

[gofish]

..what would you suggest for bait ? I fished Dillenbech bay yesterday late afternoon for bass, didn't find any bass but did see three bowfin cruise by my canoe. They weren't interested in anything I had to offer. I've caught them before when fishing for pike, but never actually targeted them. Seems like it would be a lot of fun having one of them on the other end of the rod.


gofish

[islandhopper]

They will bite lures occasionaly, but you if want to target them, try using a frog, small perch with the belly split. hey are a tough fighting fish that goes underrated.

[Champlain Islander]

A bowfin will go for any type of small fish dead or alive if presented near them. A large dead minnow dangled in front of them will get a strike. I have dangled a spinner bait in front and they usually will hit it. Eating machine. Watch out for the teeth and good luck with the slime.

[dody727]

they all work and on the hot days when they do not want to show themselves use your paddle to call them in thrash it in the water like something trapped or dyeing and watch them come

[tan0311]

I fish for them all the time. My favorite bait is a quartered up perch or rock bass. They will always strike it if thrown towards them, but they are pretty "lazy", so I generally go looking for them rather than waiting for them to come to me.

[gofish]

Thanks for the tips, seems like a large piece of dead perch/rockbass should work. I was thinking of hanging it a foot or so under a bobber, keep it up in view.


gofish

[tmwtrfwler]

if I'm' not mistaken won't you have an equal chance of catching a channel cat this same way? cut bait on a circle hook and wait? I'm hoping to catch both.

There is a good grass bed near our camp and I suspect that both are in there..... i know the pike/smallmouth are. thoughts? thanks in advance.