What kind of fish is this?

[lilmule]

It is a fighter however non native,anyone who imports such should be severely fined.
There are those due to its invasion who like it and would take it to other waters.
And it was those who ate them elsewhere that imported them,not doubting its edible or a fighter,just that it should not be here.
If left up to people then pythons,cobras would take over fla,pythons are doing a good job now,next nile crocs.Their is a reason why they arnt here,as no natural predators.
Any invasive species,should be treated as such,merely as they replace whats here naturally.Doesnt mean the species isnt admirable,just that theres no defence the potomic being an example of how the snakehead spreads so quickly.
20 years ago it was almost a dead fishery with the top bass pattern flipping a commode that made national tv,from your prospect being a guide it does give you clients that want a fight,and brought back the fishing to a point.Me id rather have a natural fishery but better than in the past,a lot due to dnr and fish management than thought.Planting of natural grasses and proper management would have given you a natural just as good as you have now.Should I ever catch one will certainly try eating it as sure wont put it back,and hate to waste anything.
And your welcome to them please keep them there.

[Captmikestarrett]

They can stay right here.. and I would be happy with that.

Oddly enough as the swamps where dredged for houses and the forest breaks cleared it changed the water to gin clear or four creams in your coffee. This was not suitible for the pickeral population that all but disappeared from the Potomac.

Used to get 20-30 a day and now it has been 8 years since I caught one on the Potomac. The snakehead has filled those backwaters in now and it seems to work.

nature will find a way..

Capt Mike

[lilmule]

Would have to agree it filled a vacant spot,but made vacant by man.
Here we make wetlands not destroy them,against the law to plow within a certain distance to a body of water,not a perfect world as tva is in charge of a lot of that.
Yet weve doubled our wetlands in twenty years,not drained them for that would need a permit and it would never happen.
Most of our wetlands arnt swamps but those that are are protected,with natual predators expanding their range like the american alligator,we do have a few and protected species here.Some natives I dont care for like cottonmouths,but dont go out of my way to harm them,they are thicker here than in fla,with Murphies pond ky containing the thickest population in the world.A bald cyprus swamp at the end of the obion waterway,just above reelfoot.
I do however understand why you like them,but wouldnt a good pickeral fishery be just about as good,just not viable now due to man.

[nova385]

This bow fin is out of lincoln lake in Ludington MI. They are a blast to catch and will bite anything.

[Frogman20]

Here is a bowfin I caught last spring>

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by nofearengineer

I'm not mad, Bama. I just hate it when ignorant behavior is reveled in.

Bowfin aren't "stupid" any more than any other fish is. Ironically, they're probably smarter than most fish. They are actually incredible parents. They defend their school of fry better than any soccer mom. Fishermen have been bitten on the leg by Dad while wading too close to the swarm of young Bowfin.

I just find it hypocritical and stupid that bass fishermen by the thousands kill them just for being ugly and inedible (which isn't even true). And they do it in such cruel ways, such as leaving them to slowly suffocate on the bank for days.

Bowfin fight twice as hard as a bass, and most bass fishermen these days won't eat bass anyway...so what's the difference? Ignorance....that's the difference.

I'd hafta disagree with 2 points. Dogfish ARE stupid, or at least, they can be. When you have a stringer of perch tied to your hip boots, and a dogfish is bumping into your leg....not what I'd call intelligent....

Dogfish are very often killed around here, not because they're ugly or inedible, but because they can wipe out a ton of baitfish in a hurry. It's actually encouraged, and I've heard, legal.
With that being said though, I've never done it myself

[nofearengineer]

Mallen...the bowfin is bumping against your leg in defense of its fry...I fail to see how that makes them dumb. I just think it makes them vigilant parents.

They don't eat baitfish any faster than bass, pike, or walleye do. If they did, they'd all weigh 50 lbs, since they have the same cold-blooded metabolism.

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by nofearengineer

Mallen...the bowfin is bumping against your leg in defense of its fry...I fail to see how that makes them dumb. I just think it makes them vigilant parents.

They don't eat baitfish any faster than bass, pike, or walleye do. If they did, they'd all weigh 50 lbs, since they have the same cold-blooded metabolism.

Interesting! I wasn't aware Perch were Dogfish fry.......

[nofearengineer]

HAHA..you smarta$$.

You just assume he was after the perch, so you didn't look for the swarm of fry.