[HankV]

Members of the fishing club who are interested in targeting this great sportfish might be interested in reading my recent contribution to the Bowfin Angler's Group site. If you have never caught a Bowfin, you should try for one in this excellent - and very local - fishery.

Bowfin Angling in the Durham Impoundments

And if you want to hear about the Bowfin's fight, just ask Dalton from the club about his encounter with one of them.

 

[dalton]

Great article Henry, I'll have to check out Rashoman.

These bowfin really do put up quite the fight. As I've heard from several people, these fish put up the fight of a bass twice their size. At one of the impoundments I hooked one up on a green lipless crankbait and had a nice 30 second battle with the fish, I got him to the bank but was unable to land the fish, the 10 pound test line snapped while holding him at the bank and trying to lip the fish.

 

[5pounds+]

Lip a Bowfin!? Last time I checked they had teeth like a pickeral. I caught my first Bowfin on ultralight tackle at the impoundment off of 54 and George King Rd. Just watch out for the snakes. I fished the back side of the damn, facing away from 54, never had any real luck in the 54 facing direction.

 

[dalton]

I would never lip one... we had a lip grip, but couldn't get it latched on good with the fish thrashing. That bowfin was hooked over at the large impoundment on Stagecoach Rd. My fishing in the George King impoundment is exactly the opposite of what you're saying...I've only caught fish on the side facing 54.

For the most part, I go home from the impoundments skunked, but the jumping fish, occasional large bass and relief of getting away from school keeps drawing me back.