Anyone know if there are some bowfin to catch in the Charleston area? I’ve never caught one and would like to check it off my “to catch list”
Could be wrong but I’m pretty sure they’re a freshwater species. Never heard of anyone catching them in saltwater.
God bless the “ignore” function.
Yea they are freshwater, I’ve heard they are in wee tee lake but that a haul for me
Have caught my share of them at Santee, both lakes!
Bushy park or goose creek reservoir.
Downstream of the rediversion canal, cut bait on bottom. Caught a mondo there one day last year and a couple more
Tried to upload a pic but it didn’t work
Yep. Marion and Moultrie both have mudfish. Granted, it’s not like they’re as abundant as largemouth or striped bass or bream but they are definitely in both lakes.
Again, I can’t think of any body of water in the entire state that is overflowing with mudfish so if they’re on your “bucket list,” you may need to do some pond hopping to find them. I live in Lexington and Lake Murray and Lake Wateree both have bowfin but it’s not like we catch them every time we hit the water. They’re just not as plentiful as other species, thank God.
God bless the “ignore” function.
Bang is dead on with the pond hopping advice
Caught many on a beetle spin
Thanks fellas, I’ll try my best
Edisto River. Fish the coves with cut bait on bottom or use a float to suspend bait 2 or 3 feet off the bottom.
Daughter and I took a canoe trip at Wee Tee lake a week ago for the first time. I have NEVER seen a place that had so MANY Bowfin as that place does.
Wee Tee
Wadmalaw native
16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat
Edisto, Combahee, Asheepoo, … or any bridge on the side of the road that keeps water.
The most bestest bait for mudfish in the whole wide world is live crawdads fished under a cork in any of our creeks when the water is down. After that live shiners work really good, worms, crickets, and as sthunr said cut bait.
Artificial they will take most anything, but I’ve had my best luck with a red roostertail and large white crankbait. Any thing you can catch a largemouth on a bowfin will go for too. Bubble Gum Pink Carolina rigged worm does good. 
Be careful when handling, they have teeth and a razor sharp plate near their gills and will get tangled up in a net.
Also, they are pretty good table fair much over looked IMO. If frying scale and leave skin on as meat is very “mushy”. If you catch a bunch they do excellent as a substitute for Catfish in a stew.
They are kind of odd at times coming to the boat (or bank) like a log only to go fool when you try to land them.
GOOD LUCK!
“Why Bruce?”
Well wee tee it is I guess, seems to be a good population there. Thanks for the info guys!!!
There abundant everywhere up here in the northern part of the state. Lynches and Pee Dee have so many there aggravating. Wee tee is also loaded with them. We use to fish for them with a bass hook with a bream tail on it. No lead. Pulls like a bull dog.
2010 17’ JVX Carolina Skiff 40 Yamaha tiller
2002 14’ Alumacraft 30 Yamaha tiller
Here’s a 12lb one I caught. Prolly the biggest I’ve ever caught.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/jhDE6RLBOPf8BQql1
2010 17’ JVX Carolina Skiff 40 Yamaha tiller
2002 14’ Alumacraft 30 Yamaha tiller
quote:
Originally posted by freedomfisherHere’s a 12lb one I caught. Prolly the biggest I’ve ever caught.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/jhDE6RLBOPf8BQql1
2010 17’ JVX Carolina Skiff 40 Yamaha tiller
2002 14’ Alumacraft 30 Yamaha tiller
I bet that thing fought like a freight train! Big ole sucker!
My first Bowfin experience was on the cooper river. I was fishing a bass tournament with a friend and there were boats everywhere. All of a sudden I started hearing aluminum “pinging” off of something. Turn around and this amateur bass fisherman had one hanging on a boga grip and he was beating it with a short aluminum bat. He gave it a good whoopin and overboard it went.
I asked him about it and he said that where he was from (I can’t recall where that was) they were such a nuisance and so overpopulated that they killed every one they caught to try and put a dent in the population. He said it was helping, and the alligators loved it too. When they heard the pinging of the bat, they came fast for a snack.
Later that day I caught my first one on a white chatter bait. (**() things fight like hell that’s for sure!
Wadmalaw native
16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat
I took the boy down to Savannah on a fishing/camping trip last year. we stayed at the Savannah oaks rv resort on the ogeechee river. our plan was to catch a bunch of redbreast but couldnt get passed the bowfin. they hit everything we threw out. beetle spins, white and dark roosters, worms, we couldnt get passed them. that’s the only place ive caught them consistently. ive caught them in just about every lake around here, but never like that.
Proline 201WA
Aloha 24ft pontoon (LooneyToon)
Old Town stern with 7.5 johnson