Comments on: Bull Mahi Mahi

[Isaac-Saxxon]

Originally Posted by Al Swearengen

Nah, I'm pretty familiar with gar. Even caught a few back in the day. No, "grenel", from what I remember, were medium sized (about the size of your average channel cat) fresh water fish that are extremely ugly. Bottom feeders I believe. They're dark brownish grey to black in color, and supposedly not very palatable.

Bowfin are not considered a good food fish compared to more popular freshwater gamefish species. They are generally considered "trash" fish by sportsmen, and are scorned for their voracious appetite for more desirable species. They will occasionally strike - and sometimes ruin with their powerful jaws - artificial lures, but they generally strike on live or cut fishes. They also naturally consume copious numbers of live crayfishes in many rivers. When hooked, Bowfin battle powerfully, offering a tremendous fight to the angler. Bowfin should be handled carefully. They are an ill-tempered, pugnacious fish, and consider themselves a match for anything - including a human being. Once in the boat, they will make every attempt they can at biting the fisherman - and they have a mouthful of very sharp teeth.

Bowfins are found throughout eastern North America, typically in slow-moving backwaters and ox-bow lakes. When the oxygen level is low (as often happens in still waters), the bowfin can rise to the surface and gulp air into its swim bladder, which is lined with blood vessels and can serves as a lung.


Bowfin from the Coosa River near Wetumpka, Alabama(Released)The list of local and alternate names the bowfin is known by is lengthy, but common ones include "dogfish", "mudfish", "grindle" (or "grinnel") and "lawyer". In parts of S. Louisiana they are called "tchoupique" or "choupique".


They have blue lips and a spot on their dorsal fin. Great fight but I hear they are not good to eat.