dogfish

[MO EYES]

These hot days have had me out in the garage going through old tackle boxes.My father's hand made(1944)still has his 1957 and 1959 non resident Minnesota fishing licenses.My grandfathers is still full of June Bug spinners,long wire leaders for northerns and his hand tied bucktail jigs.
Somehow this got me to thinking about dog fish.I can remember when either one of those two would catch one-it was about the only time I would ever hear them cuss.They would throw the fish up on the bank so it wouldn't ever be caught again.
I have never caught one but am wondering what is a dogfish and are they the scourge of fishermen still?I have looked through some books and the only fish I see that reminds me of what they may have looked like is a buffalo carp(?).
Can any of you clue me in on this?
Thanks from Stockton Lake Missouri.

[eyepopper]

The proper name for the fish you speak of is "bowfin". It is one of the oldest fishes, and has a unique fin and tail structure. They are the scourge of fishermen in that they've got more teeth than a walleye has scales, and it's pretty darn hard to get them to open their mouth to unhook them.

##### good fighters, tho'. If you want to catch one, try a snagless surface bait (like a Moss Boss or Snag-Proof Frog) and fish in the shallow, warm water "slop".

[nitefisherman]

In Ohio, bowfin are called dogfish, but so are a large lizard called a Hellbender. These creatures have 4 legs and a tail. The biggest one I've ever seen was about 25 inches. All of the old-timers killed them.

[war-n-peace]

My girlfriend caught one off the river in Wyandotte at the marina while bobber fishing for perch about 2 months ago, she had to get the guy in the next slip to take it off the hook for her and nobody could identify it, as soon as she told me about the dorsal fin running all the way to the tail I knew what it was.

I remembered my old man bringing one home when I was a kid and and putting it in the laundry tub full of water, I wanted him to go catch a Catfish so I could watch them fight, Kids LOL.

Bill W.

[cisco]

A couple weeks ago I was casting a white spinnerbait off a deep weed line and nailed about a 6 lb dogfish (bowfin). It was a super battle, and a first for me -- I've caught them on live bait, but never on artificial before then. My Dad would have put it in the garden -- I unhooked it and released it.

No one manages bowfin, so I guess they deserve a break.

[JimmiG]

I agree with all of you.As a boy, we regularly caught/saw others catch Bowfin which we called "dogfish" in Sandusky Bay.I caught one in Georgian Bay out of Britt -- just knew I had I had a record walleye (golden tint to that one).What a fight!Also caught "waterdogs" ie "Hellbenders" in Rocky River -- usually on nightcrawlers.Lots of them where I'm at now (New River, VA)-- they'll crawl out & sun themselves in the fall after the water cools.Thanks for bringing back those memories!! Jimmi.

[dogfish1]

I've been fishing in central WI for a few years and I've managed to catch my share on crank baits behind boards. They put up one heck of a fight and my shad raps with all the teeth marks can attest to there powerful jaws. I've caught so many of them my friend started calling me "dogfish". It's not a glamerous name but i think it fits.