Catching bowfin and snakeshead

[Jay2017]

Around here we have something we call grinnel but there known as bowfin but another species of them is snakeshead. Does anybody actually like or go out to catch these. We generally do not like catching them because it seems like a bass and we get a grinnel.

does anybody actually go out and try to catch these like most people do bass or crappie?

[ethan-333]

im gonna try today. everything i read says its just about the best fighting fish out there. and imaways up for a challenge

[CaptMikeStarrett]

I guide for them and love them. Oh BTW we changed the name of snakehead to "Potomac Pike" years ago.

Grinnel trips are some the best/funnest trips we do each year. Capt Dave who is on this board also guides for them.

 

Capt Mike

 

 

[SneakyPete]

Yes a lot of people do. I'm addicted to catching them, great eating also. Snakeheads that is.

[soflabasser]

Yes I sometimes fish for bowfin and bullseye snakehead.They are very fun to catch and both species of fish fight harder pound for pound than a largemouth bass.

[RoLo]

I've never had the opportunity to target snakeheads,

but bowfin are a super game fish, and more powerful than a largemouth bass of equal weight.

 

Roger

[fish devil]

Caught my first bowfin in New Jersey last year. I was really dissapointed with the battle, kind of just layed down. no fight at all. Water was in the 70's. Maybe its a different strain up here. A few bass club members caught snakeheads in the last few years and really rave about the fight.

 

 

[N Florida Mike]

We call em mudfish in my area.( bowfin that is) I hooked one over10 pounds once while bass fishing with live shiners and thought it was a huge bass until I got it almost up on the bank.It started snapping with those cutters and bit through the line and flopped back in. I wasnt heartbroken.

[jr231]

12 years ago when I was 12, I caught a big bowfin in a state park bobber fishing for bluegill. I was there with a friend and we put it in a bucket and ran to my step father who was an EMT sitting inside an ambulance in the parking area. His buddy chimed in and said it was a "dogfish" . Which made perfect sense to me at the time because it was making very odd noises when it was out of the water. Like a grunting noise. I put it back and haven't caught once since but I don't live in Michigan anymore and mainly target bass, crappie and catfish. 

 

Looking back at the event I realize how aggressive bowfin truly are. It attacked my bobber repeatedly before hitting the worm. I remember it's teeth and it's eel like body. Good times.