I may be the first to ask this...

zachfaircloth

But I'm looking for place to catch mudfish! Or bowfin, or dogfish, or grinnel, or chopique... whatever they're called down here. I just moved from SC to Gainesville for grad school and based on what I know about mudfish, most of florida must be a haven for them. If yall dont mind telling me where they're a "problem," I'll gladly go help solve it lol I know mudfish holes are a precious secret that some may not want to part with...

Like I said, I am in Gainesville but more than willing to travel. They're my favorite fish to target, I guess because I'm an idiot, and I'd love to get on some!

Jonsredfishin

You’re right down the road from the mud fish mecca know as Newnans lake. 

tankard

Jonsredfishin said:

You’re right down the road from the mud fish mecca know as Newnans lake. 

This.

Cyclist

This for sport or you making those mythical mud fish balls?

zachfaircloth

Cyclist said:

This for sport or you making those mythical mud fish balls?

I wish! I'm actually allergic to fish and cant eat any at all. I like mudfish because they were the best fight in the river where I lived and since I'm allergic the taste of the fish I catch makes no difference to me. however, if someone does like to eat them I'm always happy to give them up so that someone else can cook  

mikenav

Since you'er willing to drive (and you say mudfish is the best fight you've had), you might want to head a little south and see if you can get into a snook or tarpon! Or even a decent-sized mangrove snapper. 

no slack

So does anyone really eat mudfish?  They may be great I just never heard of anyone eating them.  

capt louie

no slack said:

So does anyone really eat mudfish?  They may be great I just never heard of anyone eating them.  

I've heard of it but never tried it myself. Only one I seen filleted the meat looked a bit yellow. Like some catfish do ?

Back to the original post, how do you like to fish for them ?  In the Suwannee they will find a piece of cutbait pretty quick..

Alex from GA

I catch most of mine on a spinnerbait in the rivers.  Bring several with you because they have a tendency to destroy one.

zachfaircloth

capt louie said:

no slack said:

So does anyone really eat mudfish?  They may be great I just never heard of anyone eating them.  

I've heard of it but never tried it myself. Only one I seen filleted the meat looked a bit yellow. Like some catfish do ?

Back to the original post, how do you like to fish for them ?  In the Suwannee they will find a piece of cutbait pretty quick..

Captain louie I usually use plastic swimbaits in areas where I know them to be prevalent. I'm open to using cutbait too, but I'm usually fishing from the bank so swimbaits give me some flexibility

capt louie

If there is current they will hunt down fresh cutbait like a shark.

The Cat's Eye

Believe it or not in the infancy of the world renowned Miami Metropolitan Fishing Tourney (1950’s?) mudfish were an eligible species. They were called bowfins and apparently since they readily took artificial lures they were included with more respectable freshwater game fish like bass and pickerel. They would probably be game fish today if they were good eating.

MacDoc

Biggest one I ever hook was in Lake Lochloosa. When it came up thought I had a record bass. Snapped a Devils Horse clean in half.
 

Lake-Linker

I once cleaned and filleted a bowfin. The flesh didn't look too bad but I already had something for dinner - so I took those fillets,put them on a paper towel on a plate in my fridge...and the next day it looked like I had two large dollops of Vaseline on the plate instead of fish meat.

I've since heard that they MUST be eaten absolutely fresh. Makes sense...I've since eaten all sorts of "odd" stuff at least once for the experience,I've never again been tempted to try bowfin/mudfish/dogfish/lawyer... 

BassERT

In some places they are called "cotton fish".

Near Montgomery, I met a man who eats them "all the time" and he said he kept a lot of water nearby during and after dinner for his thirst. He told me that the fish dries him out, but was good enough to eat anyway.

MacDoc

Was told once made like crab cakes them are pretty good. 

Jonsredfishin

I used to give mine to an old black lady that lived near me. One day I was dropping a few mudfish off to her and she happened to be cooking some. She would boil the back straps and make patties out of them. It wasn’t bad. Had the look and texture of a pancake with mud fish and vegetables inside. 

MacDoc

Jonsredfishin said:

I used to give mine to an old black lady that lived near me. One day I was dropping a few mudfish off to her and she happened to be cooking some. She would boil the back straps and make patties out of them. It wasn’t bad. Had the look and texture of a pancake with mud fish and vegetables inside. 


Similar to a story I was once told. 

stc1993

I caught one in Terrel Co. GA big as my leg.  At the time I didn't know the state record was 18 lbs something.

It might of been a record I never even weighed it.

I used live shiners for bait.  That little creek was full of them.

zachfaircloth

stc1993 said:

I caught one in Terrel Co. GA big as my leg.  At the time I didn't know the state record was 18 lbs something.

It might of been a record I never even weighed it.

I used live shiners for bait.  That little creek was full of them.

When I was living in SC that's how it always seemed. Random creeks or lakes on the river would be chock full of them. I'm sure someone who knows more could say what draws them to certain places, but they certainly congregate.

SUPER D

when I was a kid I watched a big Mud fish swim in a culvert opening. I went to investigate, and found six baby Muds swimming in a circle. They were cool looking brown with orange markings. I caught them, put them in a wet sock, and road them three miles back home on my bike. I put them in a fish tank that had tiny Bass, freshwater Shrimp, and a Craw fish. Along with other minnows. Like a kid, I let the water get all dirty, when I cleaned the tank, all that was left were six very fat Mud fish. They even ate the Craw fish, all that was left was an empty shell. All the Muds had Shrimp antenna hanging out their mouths. 

mplspug

I've seen bowfin spawning.  They built a nice nest in a little over 1' of water in the roots of some cattails.