# Bowfin Help!



## BigAlofOrion

Hey everyone. I could use some help finding decent spots with higher than normal bowfin populations. I have already scouted out several lakes and rivers in the northeast that seem to have good numbers of bowfin. seems like natural lakes, weedy lakes, slower rivers, etc are the place to go.

I was also wondering if anyone has caught any near central ohio. I live in columbus, and was hoping i didnt have to drive too far to go fishing for them. I realize they are usually an incedental catch, but thats ok. Does anybody also know of any places near columbus that hold bowfin?

I dont mind wading, and i have a canoe, so if there are spots only accessable to canoe, thats cool too. I was hoping to catch one on a lure, but it seems bait might be the best thing to do...Any ideas?

Thanks everyone! If i finally get one i will post a photo :B...along with any thing else i happen on in my bowfin adventure...


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## Mr. A

I'm in Delaware but have the same interest. If you need a partner for a day or two let me know. I really want to catch some Bowfin!

I don't always fish for Bass, but when I do, I prefer big'uns. Fish hard my friends....


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## fishinnick

I live in the northeast part of the state, so I'm not of much help, but if you ever happen to be out in NW PA send me a pm. I know of a place that is loaded with them. Usually the fishing is slow for the most part, you may only get 1 or 2 in a couple hours, but when it's on, it's ON! 

Far from you, but I heard the Mentor marsh is supposed to be decent. The Tusc. is supposed to have a bunch too. Never fished those two places though.


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## whitetailwarrior

It is a bit of a drive from Cbus but Jackson lake has a bunch of them, they even have signs on the shore asking for the removal of them if you do catch one, it is a electric motor only lake so a canoe would be perfect, happy fishing hope this helps.


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## fishinnick

whitetailwarrior said:


> It is a bit of a drive from Cbus but Jackson lake has a bunch of them, they even have signs on the shore asking for the removal of them if you do catch one
> 
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


What???????? Why in the world would there be signs to remove a native species?? Are they ODNR signs??? I highly doubt it, they should know better. Makes no sense. I know some people confuse them with snakeheads, but they are very easy to tell apart IMO and cause NO HARM. Some people say they eat other gamefish, but again, bowfin are a NATIVE species and have been around a very long time, a heck of a lot longer than any other game fish(except for maybe gar).


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## Bassbme

fishinnick said:


> What???????? Why in the world would there be signs to remove a native species?? Are they ODNR signs??? I highly doubt it, they should know better. Makes no sense. I know some people confuse them with snakeheads, but they are very easy to tell apart IMO and cause NO HARM. Some people say they eat other gamefish, but again, bowfin are a NATIVE species and have been around a very long time, a heck of a lot longer than any other game fish(except for maybe gar).



Jackson Lake may be private? I have only ever caught one Bowfin and it was an epic battle. I got it at Mogadore reservoir on a Mann's Rat years ago. I thought I had on a record bass until I got it to the boat. Then I wasn't sure what I had lol One of the coolest looking fish I have ever seen.


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## BigAlofOrion

I have even been trying to find old canal locks that still hold water. I hear i need to go to canal lock #4 in canal fulton, where i have heard several people catch bowfin. 

But i figured if these old canals still hold water, and some have been abandoned for a while, that maybe they only hold rough fish like gar, bowfin, carp, and other tolerant species. So near columbus, we have lockbourne with some canal remnants that i have located, and possibly canal winchester, but i have been unable to find where the canal remnants are in that town. Im not sure, but it was a thought...anybody have any ideas on this?


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## BigAlofOrion

Bowfin look so wicked, and powerful, so thats why i really want to catch them! =)


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## mallorian

I love catching bowfin. Unfortunately the 3 that i've caught have all come from wakatomika creek outside of frazeysburg and none more recent than 20 years ago.


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## BigAlofOrion

Well maybe there are more in Wakatomika creek, maybe they just moved around a bit. ill check it out as soon as i can though!


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## mallorian

I'm sure they're still there. I pretty much stopped fishing there about 15 years ago. Only been about 3 times since then. Btw they were all caught on liver while catfishin


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## BigAlofOrion

Thanks man! i'll make sure to bring some liver with me as well. are accesses easy to find on wakatomika for both bankside fishing and wading or canoeing?


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## Bluebuster6912

Jackson Lake is full of them They are great fighters just dont bring them in the boat they leave a slime drip you wont soon forget or get rid of


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## BigAlofOrion

That is good news. some of my new job duties will be in jackson county, so if i have any overnighters, i will be able to fish there after i get off work. Is it easy to fish from the bank there, or is a canoe recommended? I usually travel with my rod and tackle, but a canoe would be harder to explain on the roof!


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## Salmonid

Whitetail, no way no how would DNR ask for those to be removed, maybe locals who think they are snakeheads, but that is crazy, DNR loves them in Jackson and has done many studies on them there since they are native and that lake harbors a rare "old swamp" style of creek which bowfin love, simillar to Killbuck Creek, those two watersheds are some of the rarest types of habitat in Ohio. And highly protected and valued! If a local on the lake doesnt like them, since the bowfin were there first by about a 1 million years, Id suggest to they move to another lake......Sorry for the rant but I swear the pure ignorance of people regarding species "they" dont like in there local watersheds and how they try to kill them all just makes me sick, see it all the time from bass guys that think killing all the gar or muskies will make more bass....... Duh if the gar havent ( in the last million years) eaten all the bass what makes you think it will happen in the next three years.....


Salmonid the "Roughfish hugger"


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## mallorian

Never canoed wakatomika, but i used to wade it all the time. You can fish the bank around most of the bridges near frazeysburg or dresden. The best wading area is from the rt 60 bridge just out side of dresden(at least it used to be). Also narrows road has a couple of bank fishing spots. It starts at the rt 60 bridge and goes to frazeysburg following the creek part of the way.


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## MrFry

I know a place. I use cut shad and its nothing to catch 6 or more each time I go toward evening. PM me and I can show you on google maps. They are a blast to catch! I use light line and sharp circle hooks.


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## Bluebuster6912

My Grandparents have lived on Jackson Lake for close to 25 years The lake is a 10 HP or less I would not recomend getting in the lake for any reason . The lake is a old strip mine and the bottom is nasty, and stinks when sturred up, but the water itsself is fine. We have eatin a many of fish outta there. There are plenty of places to fish from the bank , but Ive never caught any dogfish around these areas I always got mine on the opposite end of the dam up in the lily pads. The lake is average of 3 ft a few deeper points here and there. Probably 10 to 15 years ago before they redid the dam the place to fish for dogfish was below the dam in the second pool. Lady we met down there said she would catch 15 to 20 lbers down there biggest we ever got was a 5 lber. Since they redid the dam I never had the luck i used to down there below the dam. (But my timing for getting to go fishing aint always that great either lol) If you go and dont take a boat fish under the bridge its deeper there than most places . Also According to my uncles and grandparents Jackson used to be one of the top 10 lakes in Ohio during the 80's for Largemouth according to Ohio Fish and Game Magazine and It used to have a good population of Tiger Musky in it My Uncle told me they used to milk the tigermusky in there during the 70's . I do know I have heard some of the loudest splashes from fish ive ever heard sittin on the docks in the mornings there. There is some big fish in there for sure


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## jimbob_walker

if you are ever in nw pa look on a map where I79 and 285 intersect. there is a town called geneva there. there is a swamp called geneva swamp. it is absolutely loaded with bowfin. you can catch 30 inchers all day long. there are 2 spill ways, one on mercer pike road and the other is right in geneva.


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## basshunter7

Killbuck. Has plenty of em.


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## yonderfishin

This is interesting. Not many people WANT to catch them.


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## JohnPD

"They are most abundant in the bays and marshes of the western basin of Lake Erie in Ohio." Taken directly from the A-Z Fish Species Guide from the ODNR website. They love crayfish, and dead or injured fish.


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## fishinnick

> if you are ever in nw pa look on a map where I79 and 285 intersect. there is a town called geneva there. there is a swamp called geneva swamp. it is absolutely loaded with bowfin. you can catch 30 inchers all day long. there are 2 spill ways, one on mercer pike road and the other is right in geneva.


That's the place I was talking about. Pretty good bowfin fishery.



> This is interesting. Not many people WANT to catch them.


I don't get that. I don't want to start a whole "trash fish" debate, but bowfin are very hard fighters and are great sport fish. I have seen dead bowfin at the Geneva swamp in PA and also French Creek. It sickens me. And another thing that makes me extremely mad is people killing sheephead, they're another great sportfish, and also native just like bowfin. If anything kill all the steelhead haha! Ok, rant over LOL.


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