Bowfin have two large whisker like barbels on their heads that resemble those of a catfish, their main body area is usually dark greenish-grey to greenish-olive in color, with a lower or belly area that is bone-white to yellow-white in color, but like with all fish, the shades of color can vary some, depending upon water conditions such as the temperature, and algae count, as well as the fishes main diet in it's location.
The Bowfin has an elongated main body that very much resembles a fat eel, it also has a long and very large main dorsal fin. When removing a Bowfin from a hook, or the lure used to catch one, a fishermen would be wise to use a hook removing tool, or wear heavy duty gloves if removing the hook or lure by hand, as this fish has some very sharp teeth, which can make for quite a nasty bite.
Bowfin tend to live in ponds, lakes, streams and rivers, but they tend to head towards and stay near the areas where the current are almost non-existent, and where the area is more swampy and weedy. When fishing for them, remember that they also love hanging around underwater debris such as rocks, fallen trees, submerged stumps and other such debris to hide amongst, and forage for food.
When fishing for Bowfin, they can often be caught on grasshoppers, crickets, worms, nightcrawlers and crayfish, minnows or other small live fish, some anglers also have much success using artificial lures such as imitation crayfish and imitation bait fish.
There is a website that describes Bowfin and numerous other fish caught throughout the USA. Learn about habitat, the best baits and lures, best time of day to fish for them, and much more great info, this website is called: Fishing Stringer - and it may be found at this url: http://www.fishingstringer.com
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