Minnesota Bowfin Club

Bowfin Blogged by The Outer Edge

2011-07-18T17:13:00.002-05:00

The Most Underrated Freshwater Fish is an interesting read, for instance, I learned bowfin are prolific carp eaters.

Whitefish Fin!

2011-07-15T14:25:00.002-05:00

This bowfin was caught by Clint Lanzen's cousin Kyle in the Whitefish Chain earlier this year in May. He got it on jig with red plastic worm.

Dennis Lothspeich 2011 MBC Grand Champion

2011-06-20T17:07:00.006-05:00

Dennis Lothspeich is now the third 2-Time Minnesota Bowfin Club Grand Champion. He previously won the title in 2008. His big fin was caught during the Baxter Bass Snatcher Bass Club tournament on Platte/Sullivan Lakes. He caught the 27.75" bowfin in Platte lake. He was to busy trying to catch bass to get a picture. Platte Lake is a big dogfish factory and produced the 2004 Champion fish for me, Dave Maas.

Originally Dennis reported to me that his fish was 27 inches long. However, the next day Dennis informed me that he had miscalculated the fish's length. The fish was a good 3 inches longer than the measuring board Dennis was using. Originally he thought his board was 24 inches long, thus the 27" total he originally gave me. Dennis subsequently took another look at his measuring board and it is actually 24.75 inches long, thus the fish was actually at 3/4 of an inch bigger than his original measurement given. Had Dennis had a long enough measuring board, the fish may have been 28" or longer as he was conservative with the 3" past the end of his measuring board.

In 2nd Place was 2007 Grand Champion Chuck Steinbauer with this 27.5" fin.

In 3rd Place there was a tie between 2002 Grand Champion Tom Swanson and new club member Clint Lanzen with a 26" fish. The picture is of Clint's fish, which was caught on the Whitefish chain on a jig with a red plastic worm.

This year there was a total of 9 bowfin's registered in the tournament. I myself have yet to catch a bowfin this year, though I have had at least one on and have seen a few.

Thank You to all our participants!!!

And The Grand Champion Is...

2011-06-18T05:21:00.005-05:00

Your going to have to wait until at least Monday. Here is a hint. This years Grand Champion was a Grand Champion before and the win comes with a little controversy.

Until then here is a picture taken by Mike Thompson.

The fish was caught by Jack Halverson, no doubt on panfish tackle. Mike said it was around 5lbs, with no official measurement taken.

Grand Championship Deadline Midnight Tonight

2011-06-15T03:00:00.004-05:00

If you've got em. Let me know about em now or forever hold your peace!!!

This is one of this years fish:

email those dogfish lengths to basspastor@hotmail.com

Some Of This Years Fish!

2011-05-23T17:31:00.004-05:00

Some of the guys in the Club have been out fining. As you can see, no monsters. If you have or do catch a bowfin this Spring, email me pictures basspastor@hotmail.com
Here Guy Henkensiefken and Tom Swanson show off what I believe is Tom's fish.

Here is Guy, I presume he caught the fish.

Chuck Steinbauer with a nice little guy.

Word is these fish were taken sight fishing. No word on where or with what.

Bowfin Photo's (Not from this year)

2011-05-20T00:33:00.005-05:00

These photo's were all submitted at AnglerInsider.com forums.

Bowfin Files

2011-05-07T02:20:00.004-05:00

I have lost my first fin of the year, actually I very well might have missed more than one. The one I know for sure was a bowfin bit at night and I was using a minnow so it wouldn't have been tournament eligible. It wasn't very big either, maybe 20 inches.

Last night a reader of my blog Bass Pundit had a fin on at the Grumpy Old Man Hole, but it broke his line as he tried to bring it up on shore.

I'm going to be adding some Bowfin Pictures over the next few weeks. Here is the 1st:
This fish was caught by Brett Vegoe from Minnetonka obviously. It was caught 4/28/1987 and was 10lbs 5ozs and caught on 2lb line which tied it for that line class in the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.

The Bowfin Anglers Group has a page with the Bowfin World Records.

Bowfin Fishing Article

2011-05-02T16:09:00.004-05:00

Bowfin Wrangling It starts on Page 53. (Don't click on picture click on Bowfin Wrangling link)

Annual Tournament Time

2011-04-27T06:17:00.003-05:00

Now that the ice is getting off the lakes it's time to get after those Bowfin.

I think I might have had a shot at one already, but I just couldn't hook it. It bit my black/red Berkley Havoc Pit Boss 4 times. I got a good feel for it a couple of times and it felt like a big fish. I know it wasn't a bass because it was fraying my line. I don't think it was a pike because I couldn't hook it.

Take a second to review the Annual Tournament Rules.

Bit By A Bowfin

2011-01-31T05:48:00.001-06:00

FLW Pro Chad Morganthaler:

"I did catch a few bass, and Glenn and I laughed and enjoyed the day, even when I set the hook and my flipping rig went one way and the fish went flying the other. I did catch a three to four pound mud fish while I was flipping, and while I was trying to get the TroKar Flipping hook out of its head the phone rang. It was a writer looking for a story and while I was talking to him the dang thing bit me and made me bleed; I’m gonna have to learn when to answer the phone."

Mike Thompson With October Fin

2010-11-01T12:44:00.002-05:00

Mike Thompson proves he knows where to find a late season dogfish. He got this monster on 2lb test while fishing for big sunfish.

Bowfin In the Fall

2010-10-16T03:21:00.003-05:00

So where do they go?

I can only recall catching bowfin once in September. It was mid to late September and they were in the maidencaine on Boy Lake West of Remer MN. Got them pitching jigs.

Don's Dock Dogfish

2010-06-18T19:13:00.002-05:00

Last night I was over fishing off a friends dock when he caught this nice dogfish.

He got the fish on a little spinner with some cut bait.

2010 MBC Grand Champion IS Chuck Fields!!!

2010-06-16T02:57:00.005-05:00

On May 28th on Round Lake North of Brainerd former Minnesota Bowfin Club President Chuck Fields caught the Minnesota Bowfin Club Grand Championship winning 28 inch bowfin on a jig. This makes Chuck a two-time Minnesota Bowfin Club Grand Champion. His previous championship was 10 years ago in the year 2000.

Congratulations Chuck!!!

Chuck was the only person to submit an entry this year. It could very well be that rumor spread of Chuck's 28" fish, so no one bothered entering a smaller fish. His 28" fish is the 5th biggest Grand Championship winner in the 12 years of the MBC Grand Championship competition.

Deadline

2010-06-15T02:56:00.001-05:00

Grand Championship Entry Submissions are due before midnight today.

Don't Forget to Submit!!!

2010-06-06T16:53:00.003-05:00

Less than 10 days until the close of the Grand Championship Tournament for 2010.

I have been informed, although not officially yet, about a couple of fins being caught.

So get out there, stick a pig and submit it!!!

Dogger Sighting

2010-05-21T00:17:00.002-05:00

Last night, I spotted my first bowfin of the year but circumstances were such that I wasn't in a position to fish for it before I spooked it.

I would say it was 23" or 24", so it wasn't a big one.

2010-05-18T23:52:00.003-05:00

Minnesota Fishing Challenge will have award for the biggest bowfin.

The 2010 Minnesota Fishing Challenge is taking shape. Set for Gull Lake north of Brainerd on Saturday, June 5, the multi-species tournament headed by Al Lindner, is open for all ages and all skill levels. It is also a fund-raiser for one of Al's favorite causes -- Minnesota Teen Challenge -- one of the very best alcohol and drug rehabilitation programs in the state.

Two-person teams enter all divisions with their $100 entry fee, and may register fish in the pike, walleye, bass, panfish or mixed-bag categories. Prizes of MinnKota trolling motors, Frabill ice fishing shelters, guide trips by the best, rods and reels used by the top pro anglers, fishing tackle leaders and TV hosts in the country, and much more are up for grabs. There are also awards for carp, dogfish, eelpout, sucker and bullhead.

The key behind this tournament is FUN, while raising funds for Teen Challenge. After the $100 entry fee, teams will have until the tournament to raise 100-percent tax deductible donations to Teen Challenge in the amount of $500 (for the team). This was a relatively simple chore last year as each team averaged about $1,000.

There is still time to enter. To do so, register online at mntc.org/fishingchallenge or complete an entry. Call Jim Kalkofen at 651-356-5676 or Melissa Varriano at 612-238-6184. With the early spring followed by a lengthy cold snap, many anglers have waited to make a commitment. With the nice warm-up this weekend, think about the Fishing Challenge, and enter this week.

Missed Opportunity???

2010-05-16T23:02:00.002-05:00

Tonight I think I missed a good one. Was throwing a Berkley Frenzy Popper in some weeds (OK not the smartest thing to do) when I had a large fish charge and annhilate the lure but it didn't hook up. It was either a pike or dogfish because bass generally don't strike like this fish did.

Club News

2010-05-09T00:34:00.004-05:00

The Minnesota Bowfin Club is now officially a Chapter with the Bowfin Anglers Group. The Bowfin Anglers Group is the premier Internet Website for bowfin fishing. I encourage all Minnesota Bowfin Club members to check out their website and sign up to become a member there as well.

Takahiro Omori Dogfish Story

2010-05-08T02:55:00.002-05:00

That was one expensive bowfin encounter

Minnesota Bowfin State Record

2010-05-07T01:23:00.002-05:00

Hey Hey Ho Ho the Bowfin Record was broken in 2008. The previous record was 10lbs 15ozs. The record now is 11-4 and was caught out of the St. Criox River in Washington County on October 7th.

You can read an article on the catch here(PDF)...

MBC Grand Championship Tournament Update

2010-05-01T01:37:00.003-05:00

As of the end of April 2010 we have no bowfin submitted. I am guessing things will pick up in May, especially with this warm Spring we have been having.

My boat will be ready soon, so those dogfish better look out.

Bowfin Pictures

2010-04-26T03:25:00.004-05:00

This 25.5" fish was taken from under a dock in Wahkon bay on Mille Lacs Lake in June of 2005. It was caught with a jig.

This 28.5 inch fish would have won the 2009 Minnesota Bowfin Club Championship had it been caught one day sooner. It was caught on Platte Lake June 16th 2009. It was caught on a black/red Monsoor Swim Jig with black/red fleck Zoom Speed Craw on the edge of some maidencaine in about 3 feet of water.

This pretty 22" was caught June 19th 2009 on Platte Lake also with a black/red Monsoor Swim Jig with black/red fleck Zoom Speed Craw. It was in 3 to 4 feet of water.

If you have a Bowfin picture please email it to us at basspastor@hotmail.com

Please...

2010-04-25T22:30:00.001-05:00

If you see anything on the site that you think needs to be changed, please let us know.

Thanks

Welcome to the Minnesota Bowfin Club Website/Blog

2010-04-25T01:58:00.003-05:00

This is the official launch of the Minnesota Bowfin Club's all New Website and Blog.

We have an official club message board.

And our old club website can be viewed here...

MBC Coming Soon to Facebook!!!