Cannon River Bowfin

[Comit 2]

It is that time of year again and pan fish are just part of the menu.

I found a spot on the Cannon River where the Sunfish were biting and found a half dozen Bowfin dead on the shore line (Boy that is going to stink in a few days) one was around 8 lbs. So today I went out for Bowfin.

Bowfin heaven.

It sure beats little sunfish!!!!!

All fish in the pics still swim.

[flipper]

Glad to hear they are swimming. Bowfin are good for the fishery.

[bobbymalone]

found a half dozen Bowfin dead on the shore line

sounds like somebody thinks they are 'helping' the fishery...

i like those things, one of the stranger fish you can come across. pretty cool when they turn blue during the spawn.

[reinhard1]

they are fearless as well at times. i spotted one near my boat in some lilly pads and i pounded his head with my spinnerbait and finaly he had enough of my games and destroyed the bait. they are important to our fishery, but keep your hands clear of their mouth. good luck.

[Comit 2]

Quote:

but keep your hands clear of their mouth.

Oh yea, I have had them close there mouths with a jaw spreader in it and one of my fingers!

[reinhard1]

the worst bite i had was from a bowfin, in second place was from an eel, and third was from a pike. all nasty and all my fault. good luck.

[Stick500]

man that stinks somebody was killing them like that

bowfin are cool!

can't wait to catch another

[JBMasterAngler]

I don't necessarily think foul play was involved. It's pretty common to see dead bowfin right after ice out (among other species). I just think they have a harder time than other fish surviving the winter.

[Stick500]

yeh I bet your'e right JBMaster

we just went hiking over the weekend and even though it was a mild winter we saw two dead coons, 3 dead muskrats and 2 dead turtles

well, spring is for new babies!

[Comit 2]

Quote:

I don't necessarily think foul play was involved. It's pretty common to see dead bowfin right after ice out (among other species). I just think they have a harder time than other fish surviving the winter.

Oh no they were throwing them on shore.

I was hearing thing like, There not good for anything! There egg eaters! I would much rather live with out them!

You have to remember I live in an area where they hate Muskies too! There can only be one top predator seem to be the rally cry. I don't under stand it myself but it kept Muskies out of Lake Tetonka.

Let me put it this way. This area is farm land. Where monoculture rules, If you can't eat it you destroy it!

It really went against their grain to see me throw them back. Then again it was the same people filling there buckets with fish 3 days in a row.

I ended up catching 10 Bowfin that day, 2 big females and the rest small males all CPR. There were 12 dead Bowfin in the trees Sunday morning and 4 near the dam.

[roughfish29]

nice fins comit! mind doing a spot swap? if you wouldn't mind giving me some info i could give you some bowfin/roughfish/trout holes. if you don't want to, i completely understand

my email is [email protected]

[Comit 2]

roughfish29

Check the top of this page near My stuff. You have mail.

[Chris Barlage]

No sheephead. We used to catch them there hand over fist back in the day.

[Comit 2]

No Drum. Just L M Bass, Northers, Crappies (small), Bowfin and Sunfish.

No White Bass, Two years ago that area had a lot of 17 and 18 inch White Bass but I think that age class of fish died off. They only live 4 year or so if I remember right.

[smeese]

You have to remember I live in an area where they hate Muskies too! There can only be one top predator seem to be the rally cry. I don't under stand it myself but it kept Muskies out of Lake Tetonka.

This will be revisited this next spring, I have been in touch with the DNR monthly on this and this summers creel survey will result in more info.

[Friar_Tuck]

land, sea or lakes, the healthiest ecosystems are those with apex predators but some just can't seem to wrap their minds around that FACT.

[Comit 2]

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land, sea or lakes, the healthiest ecosystems are those with apex predators but some just can't seem to wrap their minds around that FACT.

It reminds me of something that happened to me the other day.

A question was asked; If you are standing on the center step of a stairway and you take 2 steps up. 3 steps down, 5 steps up and find your self at the top of the stairway how many step total are there in the stairway?

Think about it.

Just about everyone said 8. Just about everyone who said 8 couldn't understand how those who didn't say 8 could think that the ones who said 8 were wrong!

Now how many fingers do you have on your left hand? Do you have a middle finger? Is 5 an even number? So if you start on the middle step you know right then that the answer will be an odd number.

Just because everyone is doing it it doesn't make it right!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[goblueM]

The difference in your analogy was that the question was asked to the general public, rather than math experts. Much like if you ask the angling public to come up with fisheries science, you'd get a ton of poor answers.

The science and the professionals will tell you that generally a healthy balanced system with apex predators is desirable for fish size structure and community, much like a mathematics professor would tell you the correct answer to your math riddle.

[Comit 2]

Quote:

The science and the professionals will tell you that generally a healthy balanced system with apex predators is desirable for fish size structure and community, much like a mathematics professor would tell you the correct answer to your math riddle

It's a Q right out of an IQ test. In fact when the Q was asked the first thing I said was, Are you taking a IQ test and need help? It is as easy as the number zero. +1,0,-1. 4 above 0. 4 below 0. plus 0. I think you can thank the Persians for that.

Here is a Healthy balance I found today.

I stopped counting at 20.

Any fish that is caught and will not be utilized must be immediately returned

alive back into the water. A person cannot wantonly waste a fish that is

caught by leaving it or any usable portion on the ice, thrown up on the

bank, or intentionally killing it and returning it back into the water unless

authorized.

.

page 13.

Ya there biting but there all small. Gee I wonder why?????????????

Quality vs quantity. I think they want a lot of small sunfish.

[maj330]

Has anybody called TIP? Seems like there is enough evidence to warrant a sting operation. Would love to see these people held accountable.

[OnAFly]

That picture is depressing

[Stick in Mud]

Yeah, I hate seeing that. Unfortunately, it's amazingly common, though. My spring carp/sucker fishing trips are frequently accompanied by many, many dead fish on shore....thankfully it's not yet warm enough to make them rot, but by walleye opener, there will be a stench.

It's just something I don't quite understand...what pleasure is there in killing these fish? Or is it really just the "they kill gamefish" argument?

[Comit 2]

Quote:

It's just something I don't quite understand...what pleasure is there in killing these fish? Or is it really just the "they kill gamefish" argument?

I'm with you on this one.

One thing I have noticed is, the person who is doing this type of thing is the person who will try not to catch a fish if he thinks your watching and might start fishing near him. So if he wants Sunfish and he catches something that he thinks is eating Sunfish, In his head it is competition (like another fisherman).

I wish they would realize that the Bowfin are pushing the Sunfish into the shallow areas and keep them in a nice tight ball. Which makes them easy to catch. Get rid of the Bowfin and the ball of fish breaks up and the Sunfish spread out. Kind of like looking for for sea bird when ocean fishing.

[Grum]

Man that's a depressing sight, but I see it along the creek by my place. They think they are "Helping" to clean out the fishing hole. Maybe that's why they leave all their trash there too!?

[maj330]

I witnessed that example of human ignorance today. It was truly depressing.