is this a bowfin

[98prosport]

not a great photo, but wondering if anyone can ID it. was caught in Ottertail county lake. it looks like it has scales, and it does have teeth! good fighter that's for sure.

[Northlander]

Sure does look like one from what I can see.

[Chad Peterson]

Looks like to me. Was it a good fight, and is it have a hard head?

Sniffer

[Brad B]

yes this a bowfin AKA : dogfish. they have many sharp teeth so becareful when unhooking them. they will have that fin that runs along the complete top of their back. this is a easy way to know it is one. I believe they are the only fish in minnesota that has a fin like this(I may be wrong thou).

[BassNut33]

It is a bowfin, I caught one last year and researched them quite a bit. they are actually a really cool fish. They are pre-historic and can breathe out of water for up to 4 hrs.

[sled59]

If thets a bowfin, is this also a bowfin?

[sled59]

Here is the picture of a bowfin I caught last summer. Is this truly a bowfin?

[pushbutton]

Yep and yep! Depending on the environment and time of year, they will have different coloration. Most certainly a cool fish! Catch a few every year and always enjoy doing so. The only reason i would think people would not want to catch one is that they were thinking they had on a pig eye on. They fight like the dickens and are good for they lake eco system.

[Traxxx]

Yep, that's a bowfin aka dogfish.

[buddha]

Looks like a bfin to me. What a great fish.

[itchmesir]

sure is a bowfin... one of the few species still left from the cretaceous period.. for those that don't know your time periods... aka.. a fish that's been around for a good 150 million years

[mrklean]

150 million years of ugly

[blakjack23]

Them dogs love wreckin a spinnerbaits, thats for sure. Good fighters.

[itchmesir]

150 million years of ugly

or 150 million years of superior genetics

[GlassEyeangler]

yep it's a Bowfin...aka Dogfish, or the anglers in New York call them Grinnys!

Grin-nies, because they have a devilish looking grin! They are a blast to catch. I always seem to hook into one every year.

[slipperybob]

Beautiful fish...especially when you catch them all colorful.

[solbes]

Awesome fighters. I caught a 29 or 30 incher a couple of years back and thought my rod was going to break in half. Was quite a fight and did not want to go in that net. Returned to fight another day.

[BobT]

yes this a bowfin AKA : dogfish. they have many sharp teeth so becareful when unhooking them. they will have that fin that runs along the complete top of their back. this is a easy way to know it is one. I believe they are the only fish in minnesota that has a fin like this(I may be wrong thou).

Eelpout also.

[Tracker55]

Eelpout and Dogfish are the same thing?

Guess you do learn something new every day.

[Nick Kuhn]

Eelpout and Dogfish are the same thing?

Guess you do learn something new every day.

No, they are in entirely different families. The only thing they have in common is the long dorsal fin.

[mrklean]

eelpout are a bit uglier then dogfish

[Fever]

I agree with the fact that they are Bowfin / dog fish but I'm not sold on the fact they are good for lake's ecosystem. #1 they grow faster than all other predatory fish, #2 they are typically successfull breeders and often breed multiple times a year, and #3 they have a voracious appetite often times out competing other predatory fish like bass, pike, and walleye. It's weird that on lakes that you have stunted high populations of bass, panfish, and pike, and low populations of Walleye, you often see Dogfish in realatively high populations and of a larger size. Being more primative than other bony fish they don't play by same rules and because of that have several advantages over game species. ie;;; imo - Not good for lake's ecosystem. I will give you this, They are fun to catch until you get them up to the boat and realize that it wasn't what you thought it was. Caught one last night on a topwater frog. Thought it was a 5 plus pound bass... to my dismay.

[bobbymalone]

I agree with the fact that they are Bowfin / dog fish but I'm not sold on the fact they are good for lake's ecosystem. #1 they grow faster than all other predatory fish, #2 they are typically successfull breeders and often breed multiple times a year, and #3 they have a voracious appetite often times out competing other predatory fish like bass, pike, and walleye. It's weird that on lakes that you have stunted high populations of bass, panfish, and pike, and low populations of Walleye, you often see Dogfish in realatively high populations and of a larger size. Being more primative than other bony fish they don't play by same rules and because of that have several advantages over game species. ie;;; imo - Not good for lake's ecosystem. I will give you this, They are fun to catch until you get them up to the boat and realize that it wasn't what you thought it was. Caught one last night on a topwater frog. Thought it was a 5 plus pound bass... to my dismay.

The ecosystem could give a rip whether your fishing is good or not or whether your gamefish are in large numbers with quality size structure. Although, I would like to see evidence that bowfin negatively affect populations of other game fish beyond the casual correlations you have made.

I won't even comment on your assertion that the primitive bowfin don't "play by the same rules" as other fish.

Time and time again, studies have shown that diversity is not only a sign of, but necessary for, a healthy ecosystem.

[Nick Kuhn]

The reason you see them more in stunted lakes is they are filling a role that other gamefish normally fill (ie big pike). If anglers keep all the big pike, then bowfin will fill that niche.

[Fever]

Dog fish are large predatory fish that are not at all fussy. They can tolerate warmer temperatures with less 02 than any other predatory fish in the state, they also breed more successfully than any other predatory fish in the state due to their ability to live, eat, digest, and otherwise handle such a wide range of habitats.... THAT is what I mean by don't play by the same rules. They are just as comfortable in 12 inches of water or 30 feet. Or in 88 degrees or 50. Their metabolism changes yes, but their activity is still higher than most. If you want to go fish for them by all means feel free, that is your right. You mention diversity indicating a healthy ecosystem. I agree with that. But I will stick with my opinion that they are not good for sport fishing as far as the larger predators (Walleye, Bass, Pike). Now, they may serve a good purpose in weeding out smaller panfish which would help reduce the competition there helping to eliminate a stunted pan fish situation.