Monticello Bowfin Bite is On !

Last Thursday at Monticello it was warm, cloudy and windy. Just right for feeding Bowfins (a.k.a. Grinnels, Grindles and Dogfish)

We caught a few bass as well.

Why didn't you lip em. Lol

I couple of those have some decent color to them. I have caught quite a few over the years, but only one with a lot of iridescent coloring to it.

One of my biggest stomach drops was from reeling in one of those at Fork. It was big! It probably weighted about 8lbs or more and I thought for sure I had a 12 lb bass on my line. Was so mad when I saw it! Those things are fugly!

If you fillet them and wrap them in bacon put a jalapeno inside and some cheese. Cook them on the grill until golden brown....
They still taste like $h!*
Hope you killed them they are bass nest raiders!

If you fillet them and wrap them in bacon put a jalapeno inside and some cheese. Cook them on the grill until golden brown....
They still taste like $h!*
Hope you killed them they are bass nest raiders!

yea ive caught a couple at fork whle fishing a tourney ...heartbreaking

Are they really nest raiders?

isn't everything that swims a nest raider ?

Nice!

My dad caught one out there last week, it was massive! fought like a shark.

I Caught one on Sunday thought I had a 6 lb bass for a minute

I beg to differ on the taste. I have eat lots of em. Truthfully they really don't have any taste at all. The texture of the meat is what is strange. It is kinda like eating a cotton ball. As far as taste they are really pretty good if you can stand the texture of the meat.

Oh by the way, I fry mine just like catfish. I've never tried to grill one. The meat falls apart VERY easy.

There are way too many crappie to eat to step down to that level

those things scare the carp outta me.

was swingin one into the boat (as of yet unidentified) awhile back, almost went right for the lip grip... REAAALLLY glad I realized at teh last second what that sucker was...

I'm not even good enought to catch one of those

Best way to prepare Cedar Plank Bowfin for the table:

Carefully fillet the fish taking care to remove all the pinbones. Soak the fillets overnight in buttermilk in the fridge. Salt and pepper the fillets & use garlic salt to taste. Dredge fillets in Italian dressing. Grill over open flame for 6 minutes per side. Use a torch to light the cedar plank around the edges for a nice smoky flavor. Place grilled fillet on cedar plank while still smoldering and allow juices from fish to run over the plank and put out the embers.

Throw fillet away and enjoy the cedar plank with a nice Cabernet wine.

Enjoy!

They are considered fine table fare down on the bayou. I've never eaten one,but my aunts love em. They put up a whale of a fight though.

I have caught many of those nasty things out on Fork...I caught one back in like 1989 and it was like 14 pounds with a large dot by the tail fin. I had no clue what it was until a guide by the name of Butch Ray rolled up and said what it was. he said it was the biggest one he had ever seen....

caught it on a rattle trap fishing the grass in mustang

those cajuns will eat a comerant if you fry it and serve it with cold beer.

the bowfin is actually a very white meat. You can strip the meat of the bones and fry it. Very sweet meat. We use to catch them in the Basin all the time.

I caught a big one at Monti last year, probably 7-8 lbs. It bent a 5/0 EWG hook sideways.

Edit: WARNING - “Scoundrel Fail”
Quite a few years ago as I remember it, late Spring day in the back of Big Mustang on Fork we found a big one that had wallowed out a large shallow spot in the hydrilla. Eased the boat tight next to the spot and there was a swarm pod of several dozen baby grinnels (black) just over an inch long. Was able to scoop up a couple and one lived in the live well on the trip home. Put it in the kids small aquarium and by morning it had killed the three larger than it guppies but didn’t eat them. The other 4-5 larger tropical fish and one baby bluegill were scared into a corner of the tank away from the baby grinnel. Fed the grinnel pieces of earthworm for several weeks - cool fish.

Scoundrel Fail

How do you get on the lake?

You need a time machine

There are sharelunkers reported this year. I know guys take kayaks in but was hoping it opened.

That's what I want to know.

Like 13 plus or the new liberal inclusive world share lunker 8 pluses

I'm pretty sure a 13 lber out of monti would be big news. I haven't heard of any sal's

Yep the gates been locked
And there’s a good drop off at the end of the ramp.

Maybe the plant ramp is usable

The only way to get on the lake is kayak. This post is from 11 yrs ago

Fished both bridges yesterday afternoon .. had high hopes.. one 10 incher at railroad bridge was it. Knew I should have gone towards main lake and stayed deep but I like seeing stuff. Missed a couple on 5 inch fluttter spoon in 20 feet of water but could have been white bass. Back at it next week.