Wednesday, August 29, 2018

How to Catch Bowfin

How to Catch Bowfin

Bowfin are a fish most fishermen  either love or hate.    Bass anglers despise them because they can really just destroy a spinner bait or a plug but I think most Bass anglers just are not used to unhooking them which can be daunting to some especially since they have teeth.

What's not to like about them??   They get Big,  they fight hard,  they sometimes jump,  they are fairly easy to catch once you figure them out and they are tackle busters.  Come under gunned and they will leave you with your head hanging.  A True Sportfish they are.

So where do you find Bowfin?  Check out the map below.  2/3rds of the Eastern US is Prime Bowfin habitat.
What surprises me about this map is how little Bowfin range in Texas.    I actually feel sorry for people who live outside of where Bowfin Range !

Here is a map courtesy of usgs.gov
 
Anywhere they range you need to look for the backwaters or sluggish areas  and especially areas with lots of weed growth.   For example on my home lake of Jordan lake here in North Carolina they are all over the lake but less common on main lake points and areas w/o cover.   To find an abundance of them you need to go to backs of coves  where it is shallower and /or weedier.  To find a bigger abundance of them find a creek with  a beaver pond on it just above the lake.

I caught my first ever Bowfin  way back in 1982 on the then New Jordan Lake when  she was only a 1yr old lake. This 4 lb bowfin smashed a chartreuse Snagless Sally I was throwing for bass and I was forever hooked.   Now, some years my fishing for them wanes while I pursue other species but I always keep coming back to the incredible Bowfin.   I have caught them up to near 14 lbs but most are going to be 4-7 lbs with a occasional 8-10 lber thrown in.

One  place I fish for them is the Neuse River in Eastern N.C.   Down there it is a medium sized river that has some Cypress trees but to get into the really good bowfin water there you need to go into a feeder creek that is full of Cypress trees and back water areas,  Here the Bowfin is King.

So, remember backwaters, sluggish areas, beaverponds, etc.

Some days you can even see Bowfin gulping air  as they can breath air so if you see them doing this just know you are in a good spot.

So what kind of tackle do you use for Bowfins?    Any reel that can be used for Bass fishing can be used for Bowfins but usually I go a little heavier.  If I am truely Bowfin fishing I use at least 50 lb braid or 20 lb mono.

Tactics-  Bait or Lures

 Bait-   The best way to catch Bowfin  is to put a piece of cutbait on a Carolina rig using a 2 oz sinker and a 3-4/0 Gamagatsu J hook.   The next  best way is to float a minnow, shiner or very small bream 1-2 ' under a cork.

Lures-  IMO the best lure for Bowfins are a 3/8 oz spinnerbait with tandem blades black in color. Chartreuse and white work also. Always use a trailer hook and this is a Bowfin getter for sure.   Other good lures are a Chartreuse Snagless Sally,   Floating Yellow Worms ( Haw River Tackle Floating Worms are the best ) and Pink Senkos Wacky Rigged.    Truth be known they will hit any bass lure but the ones listed are the best IMHO.

Get the BEST Bowfin Lures  Here -
#1 Booyah Tux and Tails Spinnerbait - https://amzn.to/3gZbtkR
#2 Pink Senko - https://amzn.to/3B1LEaG
Hooks for Senko  -2/0 Wide Gap #230412 3/0 wide gap 230413 https://amzn.to/3gQzj2n
#3 Haw River Tackle Floating Worms - https://amzn.to/3gRxgLg
Haw River Tackle website  https://hrtackle.com/
Hooks for Haw river Tackle Worms - 
Lazer Sharp 3/0 - https://amzn.to/3ESTJzz
Lazer Sharp 4/0 - https://amzn.to/3VpZnAp
#4 Snagless Sally - https://amzn.to/3OSY22m


              Also Note the Fish Gripper in every picture .  This is a MUST when targeting Bowfins


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Here are a few videos I have on Bowfin on my YOUTUBE Channel














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THANKS ! MACK

Bowfin fishing
snakehead fishing
North carolina fishing

#bowfin
#bowfinfishing
#fishing
#fishingislife


6 comments:

venajoe said...

Mack, I'm with you. I've caught bowfin up to close to 10 lb., and they are savage, hard-fighting fish. Love catching them; glad you gave them some love!

Mack said...

Thanks for reading!

Thomas said...

First bowfin I caught was a fluke one in a zillion catch at Aberdeen Lake in Aberden. 9.4lbs on an ultralight with #2 line and 1/64 jig. Had a friend wade in to help land it. I've been hooked since. Thanks for all of this excellent information. I've started picking up a lot of bowfin now while bass fishing with spinner baits. I've sadly watched a few of my Terminators swim away and never come back. I started packing #50 braid when I'm in known bowfin water now. Actually going to try the Haw river this weekend with a buddy who's caught a few there.

Mack said...

Catch any in the haw??

stroud said...

Great read! I live in central VA and have become obsessed with finding bowfin this summer. I have managed to locate them only on one lake (chickohomony) a few times. I am eager to find where they can be found closer to my home in chesterfield. We do not seem to have them in ponds here and they are random in the bigger rivers.
A real question I have maybe you can help me with. Everything I ever read about bowfin mentions finding them in the back of creeks off main lakes in still water. I have had Zero luck doing this haha The only ones I have found are always at the start of the creeks near deeper drop offs. Any tips much appreciated!

Mack said...

Stroud, the backs of creeks and still water is spot on. Weedy areas in still water produces as well, Cutbait on bottom.