Be Careful About Badmouthin' Bowfin to Some Folks

One person who quickly comes to mind is kayak fisherman Ron Ameika, the fella holding the 26-inch, 5-pound 7-ounce "bruiser" in his lap in the photo at right. He caught this fish back on Feb. 28, 2016.

Another is Wisconsin angler, fishing guide, and writer, Andrew Ragas.

"I like these doggies, and so should you," said the latter. "They aren't cute puppies, but they sure fight like hell, are strong and muscular like a bull, and fun to catch..." all points that I feel sure Ron would endorse.

Ragas went on to note that angler sentiment toward these fish in northern Wisconsin is really bad.

"I have visited boat landings where I have seen these fish disposed of on shore," he explained. "I also have seen these fish hung on bulletin boards and signs of sophisticated access sites, as well.

"I severely frown upon anglers who kill and dispose of these fish. Do that, and you're never again welcome aboard my boat," he continued. "They are native species, with ancestry dating back to the prehistoric period. They are more native than any carp species that have invaded and infested most major waterways in North America. They also are more native to North American waters than the Great Lakes' salmon species...believe it."

Bowfin are a highly adaptable species of fish that can tolerate most environments. However, they fare best in eutrophic waters (warm and weedy, less oxygenated), which are habitats commonly found in the large shallow bays and backwaters of lakes and rivers.

"I don't understand what makes people want to eradicate bowfin," said Ragas. "If anglers seriously think these fish are bad for the particular bodies of water they dwell in, they are sadly mistaken. Another common mistake anglers make is their confusion in thinking these fish are the much destructive, invasive snakeheads, rather than innocent bowfins. Both have teeth, but only snakeheads can travel on land and have a darkish black-purple coloration, mixed with white with pink and red tints.

"I am an advocate for all species of fish," continued Ragas, "and I enjoy fishing for most species. There is no reason whatsoever why any species of fish, other than Asian carp, should be killed for fun, or eradicated due to false beliefs.

"Take it for what it's worth, ladies and gentlemen, but no fish is a 'trash fish'," concluded Ragas. (I know one person he never would have convinced of this last statement: that ol' redneck from West Virginia, otherwise known as the late Dewey Mullins.)

The author of the full-length version of this article, Andrew Ragas, has been a fisherman since the day he physically was able to handle a rod and reel. During his youth in the 1990s, when walleye populations were very strong and healthy in Wisconsin's Minocqua area, he grew up as a walleye angler, fishing alongside his father and grandfather. Then, as he reached high-school age and obtained a driver's license, he took up new fishing opportunities. In the 2000s, as bass fisheries were expanding in northern Wisconsin, bass fishing became his passion.