Fish shouldn't have been there......

[Tightlinesdb]

Well...after all the relations left, finally got the old johnboat and the minn kota out to do a little fishing. Did really well for about 2 hours. The rain was sprinkling just a little and I was fishing around a rock basin that had a drop off of about 10 -12 feet.

Caught several in the 2-3 pound range. Right as the rain was beginning to subside, after I let my smokin shad superfluke drop off the rock ledge, something hits this thing.

The biggest bass I have ever caugt was 9.5 lbs. So, after I catch my Daiwa, I rare back as hard a a 6-4, 230 lbs man can. The fight is now on. I stood for the fight, and as I got him closer to the top of the water, I am terribly excited, this thing is 25 inches if it's one and is 11 lbs on a "salad" day.

The closer I get him to my boat, the more he doesn't look like a bass. The head doesn't look right. This lake is only 80 - 90 acres. Very small, and the only thing that I have ever caught out of there is largemouth, crappie, bluegill, bream, channel cat, blue cat, and mud cat.

When I pulled this thing into the boat, I didn't even know what I had. Didn't know what to do with the damn thing. So I place my foot on it, pull the hook out with a pair of pliars, and promptly dropped it back into it's little hole. Got home and on the net to find out that it was a grinnel or bowfin.

I have no idea how it ended up in our little lake, but, I don't think it should have been.

All in all, a great day's fishing 7 fish over the 2 pound mark, and a fish I couldn't identify.

[Bassin_Dude]

ya, them bowfin are annoying. but, you dont have to worry about them dieing from lack of water, they can breath air. and they walk on the bank. i caught a 7lb'er a few weeks ago. this is the one i caught: does that look like what you caught? anyways, they arnt good for much, sometimes they give a good fight, but the one i caught didnt give what it should have being around 7 lbs. down here we catch them alot, they take everything a bass will take.

[macgyver]

That's a good day in anyones book. Did you by any chance call the DNR and tell them about the Bowfin? Perhaps they need to know and will do something about it?

Lizards

[keeb]

its always fun to catch a fish you have never seen before.

[mallard]

I agree, call up your local fisheries department. If it's an invasive species, the sooner they know, the quicker they can react.

[Bassin_Dude]

depending on where you live, they are not evasive and are very common. if you live most anywhere in the eastern united states between the gulf of mexico to the great lakes, you will find bowfin. if they are evasive to your lake, you may get a cash reward for the catch of one, but make sure with your local DNR that is infact an alien specimen.

[mallard]

I see your point, however, just because they are common in the area does not mean they are native to that lake!

Every lake is a seperate ecosystem. Chain pickerel are native to southern Maine, however now you can find them in a good area of the state. In many waters, they have eaten many baby trout and have hurt the trout fishing.

Native to Maine? Yes. Invasive to some Maine waters? You got it.

[Bassin_Dude]

if they are native to that state, that means they can be in any NATURAL lake. making them a non evasive species. now if there is a man made lake, and it was not intended for bowfin, they are now classified as an evasive species. but if its a natural lake, and bowfin are native to that state, they are not evasive. if its a man made lake, and bowfin are in it they are evasive (unless they were stocked with these fish by the property owner) and if they are in any lake(man made or native) in a state that is not native to any bowfin, they are infact an evasive species 8)