Page 117 - South Mississippi Living - May, 2023

Daniel Felsher shows off a bowfin.
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net May 2023 | 117
of the Deep South. Some of the best bowfin action in Mississippi occurs in the Pearl and Pascagoula river systems, particularly during the warmest months. Anglers can also find these fierce fighters in ancient oxbow lakes, swampy backwaters, sluggish bayous or any other freshwater system in Mississippi.
puddles after a drought or when a falling river drains backwaters. Farmers even reported plowing them up alive in wet fields after floods.
Considered a “living fossil,” these amazing fish
date back to the Jurassic Period about 150 million years ago. The only surviving representative of their primitive order, bowfins witnessed the extinction of
the dinosaurs and the giant Ice Age mammals, yet they remain unchanged. They survive because they can
live practically anywhere and often inhabit the most stagnant waters with little oxygen.
Big bowfins might hit practically anything that could tempt a bass, but few people intentionally fish for them. Most anglers reluctantly catch them by accident while fishing for bass or something else. Highly aggressive, a large bowfin can mangle bass tackle.
Their swim bladders serve as primitive lungs, allowing bowfins to breathe air and live in the foulest conditions. Bowfins can remain alive for long periods out of the water if they keep moist. People sometimes find them alive in semi-dry ponds resembling little more than mud
These magnificent fish might hit anything that
would interest a bass, especially lures that mimic shad, bluegills or crawfish. Vicious predators, bowfins eat almost anything including fish, crawfish, frogs and small animals. They also hit minnows, worms and other natural baits.
Anyone who wants to venture into the backwaters to catch bowfins probably won’t see much competition. When other fish won’t cooperate, these remarkable primitive survivors could create a memorable day for anglers just looking for some strong, line-pulling fun.