Big female bowfin, also known as a mudfish, choupique, cypress trout, grinnel, or dogfish. They are really primitive fish that have been around since the earliest days of the dinosaurs, and they are ferocious predators. They have really sharp teeth and powerful jaws and can lacerate your fingers pretty badly if you make the mistake of trying to "lip" one, and they have a tendency to hang on and not let go.

@SSHitMan

10 ай бұрын

I caught one once when I was fishing for pike on the Kankakee river in Indiana. It bit my hook in half after I landed it!

@NOLA-vv3sz

10 ай бұрын

They also taste very good if eaten fresh. Soak them filets in milk and fry them up.

@garyfeltman4482

10 ай бұрын

The dogfish I am aware of has a spot on it's tail.

@SSHitMan

10 ай бұрын

@@garyfeltman4482 It is a dogfish.

@garyfeltman4482

10 ай бұрын

@@SSHitMan according to the Michigan list you are correct. Bowling is known as a dogfish, however over by Hillsdale, Michigan there's a couple of lakes I fished years ago have a fish with a big colored spot on the tail we called a dogfish. Black in color but I don't recall the long fin like the bowfin.

A nice perch session out there Bryan!! Always love seeing the underwater action!! That looks like a bowfin!

Bowfin/dogfish/grinnel. An under rated fish. They're terrific fighters and hit viciously. Back in the day I'd stop by my local discount store and buy the generic 99 cent spinnerbaits and head to my favorite fishing spot which among nearly everything else in a Mississippi River backwater held a healthy population of bowfin. They could mangle a spinnerbait beyond repair. Do unspeakable things to your beloved balsa plugs and inline mepps. They're indeed edible if handled and prepared right.

@ThatGuy-cw8gb

Жыл бұрын

Never ate one or heard of someone eating them. Can confirm they are a blast to catch. We always called em swamp bass. You generally found em where nothing else will live.

@knotengajin7359

Жыл бұрын

Primitive fish, haven’t changed much in millions of years. You can find preparation guides on KZread. Muddy fleshed, not firm and flaky.

@daerth4423

Жыл бұрын

In my younger, much more stupid days, I considered them trash fish. Now that I'm old, I can appreciate what an awesome fish they are. Super good fighters and will bite the hell out of you if you're not careful. Never ate one before but I plan to this summer.

@richardthompson8207

Жыл бұрын

Yup! Dogfish. Complete blast to catch. Most powerful fish swimming in fresh water. Used to hook up with 3 footers on the Pelican river when I was a little kid. Never landed one of those big ones. Hell of a fight though until they broke that heavy dacron or nylon line we used back then. They will tear up your gear.

@vajazzlerthis

Жыл бұрын

That was my guess but I've never personally caught a bowfin

That was definitely a bowfin they are in about every lake but don't have established populations in most of them.

@adamsmith3996

Жыл бұрын

That makes no sense

@Drewsky_Outdoors

Жыл бұрын

It is a bowfin but what you’ve said is completely wrong 😂

@amandadrews980

Жыл бұрын

That’s a red fish

@amandadrews980

Жыл бұрын

I clearly saw the head

@nontypical2422

Жыл бұрын

@@amandadrews980 redfish are in saltwater this is freshwater

Definitely a bowfin/dogfish. I’ve caught some huge ones. Last summer one swam out from under the dock I was fishing from, just as I was reeling in my Rapala. It nailed the Rapala and was around 25” long.

@fuyt216

Жыл бұрын

I thought bowfin had a circular spot on the tail.

@bigrooster6893

Жыл бұрын

If it was a bowfin it would’ve ate that sucker or hit that jig in a heartbeat because they’re very aggressive. I thought it was one of the species of carp that’s up there. It is a little different.

@charlie21gunner87

Жыл бұрын

How about a Burbot, not sure where he is but the rounded tail and coloring suggested Burbot...

@gc6888

Жыл бұрын

Yep - dog fish or mud fish

@charlie21gunner87

Жыл бұрын

@@gc6888 Yeah, not a burbot, the anal fin was not elongated...

That's a nice ole bowfin

Pretty cool to see that bowfin just lurking in the background there! Great vid. I love that you have the other rod handy and can get those "pesky" perch outta there!

This is really cool...the perch look so much bigger under water.

Hey Bryan, Kevin and I love your videos! As you know, Kevin is no longer able to enjoy getting out on the ice and this is the next best thing. Love to see your kids and how they are all growing. Say hello to your wife. Take care! The Smethers.

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Hey Cheryl! That is awesome you and Kevin are watching my videos! Miss the guy, tell him I say Hi! I know he's not able to get out anymore but glad to hear I can take him out with me in my videos :) The kids are growing fast, had such an awesome time taking them out. My little fishing prodigies. Hope all is good as it can get, maybe we'll have to wheel Kevin out on the ice next year and crank few fish in for him! Take care, Message anytime!

@cherylsmethers2755

Жыл бұрын

@@BryanProkuski Good to hear everything is going ok. He would love to make it out fishing on the ice again. Maybe next year. Great to see you!

Great Video, I like the two camera setup super idea and it was edited nice and smooth transitions, looking forward to more fishing.

Pretty cool to see under the water at the same time.

That camera is really cool, its not often you run across fish you have never seen before, years ago I was ice fishing at Lake Seymore in the northeast kingdom of Vermont and right at dusk I caught a fish that looked prehistoric I had to look it up and it was a burbot or cusk which is the only fresh water relative in the cod family and lives in the deepest most northern lakes. In the last year I have started fishing in the Philippines and they have some really strange ones, stuff that freaks me out I had a black jelly like ribbon swim near my legs and it came to the surface and took some air in I said oops time to move, I guess some type of sea snake about 2 foot long but looked like jelly and breathed air.

Awesome I like your video the way it shows both views of it bitting and it coming up and the inside the best ice fishing video I've watched!! Keep up the great work.

Good video, perch can be fun but also annoying at times also. The fish that Swam by was a dog fish, or also called a bowfin. Fun as hell to catch! I have never caught one ice fishing but I catch them summer fishing once in awhile while fishing for bass or sunnies.

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! Yes dogfish for sure after I re watched it. Never heard of them ice fishing but have caught them summer fishing too. So aggressive! Cool sighting for sure.

Thanks for the cool vid!

The way they hit the bait and disappear upwards is too funny! Like a scene from a SpongeBob cartoon... 😂

Cool video, even without the pike. Perch action was crazy! 🤪. What was the mystery fish???……. Thank you Bryan!!! 👍🎣

@crashalexander7232

Жыл бұрын

BOWFIN WINKLEMAN ....

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Kevin! No pike appearances but ya the perch action was crazy. Cold of probably just sat and cranked those in all day. The Mystery fish ended up being a Bowfin aka Dogfish. Pretty cool sighting!

Great video Brother. Keep'em coming please.

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Thanks man! Will do!

Awesome Find!!

Really nice camera shots! Thank you! I miss my Perch and Walleye..../ pickerel when in Canada....eh.

Great videos man. What camera are you using, love it, very good view.

@BryanProkuski

4 ай бұрын

Thanks! The underwater camera in this video was the Aqua VU HD 7i Pro. The release cam is the Marcum Pursuit HD

*Looked like a bowfin that may have been previously hooked where the hook was left behind or it broke off because something is snagging all the algae to the side of its mouth.*

Nice video 🙂👍. Bowfin, but I thought 🤔 they were a southern fish.

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Ya not sure what all lakes have them but I have caught some bass fishing in the summer. Aggressive fish!

@nontypical2422

Жыл бұрын

nope got'em up here in Michigan too

@dannygarden464

Жыл бұрын

We have them here in QC, CA and mostly in swampy area, younger use to watch them with 2 rods, we couldn't bring them in otherwise coz I was 7-8 and 1 spring I fund thousands of babies running down the ditch to get to the swap, about a meter long and I will always remember the first time we landed 1 it was so big but we got scared when it start to make grunting sound running away about 20 meters waiting for it to stop but they can almost live out of the water so after some time we went and take off the treble hook and pushing it in water very slowly lol, after that all we catch went in the pool that was not prep for summer, about a month after my dad find out and me and my brother had to go in to pick them up and return them in the swap, we had to make 4 trips lol and that was the last time we did that as the water was freaking cold and not easy to watch these. :)

Would've been a perfect day for the kids to go fishing with all this perch action! 😂 Would you consider doing a catch and cook?

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Right! Would of been perfect for the kids. I took them out yesterday crappie fishing, we had a blast, caught a lot of fish. Didn't film a video but even took some home to eat. I have done one catch and cook video, maybe I can do another if timing is right.

@charlie21gunner87

Жыл бұрын

@@BryanProkuski Looked like a Burbot to me... In the north the bowfin/dogfish are more of a solid color with the spot on the tail... On second viewing it was missing the elongated anal fin to be a burbot.

@pequenioedgarito3067

10 ай бұрын

Its a zombie fish. Didnt even see the bait

I have not been able to figure out my local lake! but I will try to fish on Lake Baikal next week and see if I can get other species besides pike! this is the best ice fishing channel I can't wait to see what you do in spring and summer. Here in siberia the ice will be gone in a few months 😂 So I can't wait for that Greetings from an American veteran in russia 🇺🇸❤🇷🇺

What bait are you using for the perch, it looks like it works pretty good!

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Acme Tackle tungsten jig tipped with little white spade plastic. All you need!

wow sick find man

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Right! Never seen one during the winter. Never know what will come through the camera!

here in a pond off lake ontario we have them as big as carp and i use corn to catch bowfin too. great fight. also a great fishing session and set up here, thanks for sharing and good luck!

Bowfins took a detour on the evolution road, they’re one of the few that still maintain there prehistoric features and traits. Definitely an aggressive survivalist.😬👍

Mistery fish is bowfin

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

I thought it was some big ole white fish at first but ya ended up being a bowfin, Crazy!

Back in the day(1980's) we'd go perch fishing off of Navy Pier in Chicago and catch a couple of hundred perch 8-10 inches or even bigger. Also , smelt fish by the Planetarium and clean up.

Well, that was 14 minutes I'll never get back.

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

lol...Next time

Great under water video

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Mark!

Very cool great video ,thanks for sharing

@BryanProkuski

2 ай бұрын

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

nice rod (orange tip) combo on that spoon. where you purchase it ?

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

The rod is a DellaBay custom rod. I have a link in my description. Check them out. They make awesome rods

We were on Winnie last week and when those little perch took off and cleared out a big pike would come through !! Cool to watch 👍👍

@BryanProkuski

5 ай бұрын

I love watching that on the cam. You can almost call it every time!

love the hoodie

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! Me too.

incredible footage

Its the pike Phantom!

Snakehead ! Bowfin ! GV ! 🎣

Hello, can you please tell me what camera set-up you used? Thank you.

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

The camera watching the bait is an Aqua Vu HD7i Pro. Cam under the ice is the Marcum Pursuit HDL. Filming above ice with Sony ZV-1.

Agree, it was a Bowfin (aka Dogfish) - big heavy slimy full of teeth and put up a great fight.

@BryanProkuski

4 ай бұрын

They fight aggressive in the summer!

Looks like a bowfin but the stripes look more like a burbot

Keep on Fishin!

@BryanProkuski

10 ай бұрын

You know it!

At least you didn't get skunked! 😊

What bait you using

Beautiful Bowfin. In NC they live in the same areas as bass and Pickeral.

Nice catch

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Patrick!

What lake are you in? I seen 2 gar pike swimming together in Lake Erie!

Agreed. For sure a Bowfin.

Nice video! Maybe Post some bass action! 👍🏼

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Vinny! Ya the bass have been neglected this winter. I have been fishing a new lake with some better pike numbers but seen less bass. I'll be back for them soon!

@vinnypell8713

Жыл бұрын

@@BryanProkuski Okay thanks! It’s been hard trying to even see them where I’m at too. Good luck the next time your out!

Nice Bowfin. When they spawn the inside of their mouth turns neon green. A survivor from the prehistoric age.

interesting watching what happens under the water.

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Yes it is! That's why I love the underwater camera, never know what will swim by.

Oooo bowfin! I have only seen 2 in my life on camera in minnesota.

Bofin (dog fish) great fight about as aggressive if not more than a pike. I found out the hard way they have teeth as a kid...

Bowfin for sure and not a bad tasting fish either, caught many at lake Champlain Swaton Vt.

Ditto on the bowfin. Here in the south they are also called "grindle."

@dannygarden464

Жыл бұрын

Here it's called poisson castor ( beaver fish lol)

Hey Bryan out of curiosity why don't you use two lines in your hub ?

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

I did have 2 lines down that day. One had the sucker on the deadstick and I was jigging the spoon on the other.

Hello bryan where are you fishing it will help determine whats in your lake

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

For sure was a bowfin. I checked the lake survey to confirm.

Looked like a Bowfin. Fun day though

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Yes it was. Pretty cool.

Bowfin. Fun to catch. Lousy eating.

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Very fun to catch, They are aggressive!

I could imagine you fishing on the Great Barrier Reef. man you would go crazy. Nice Vids. Thanks from the brown land down under. Can you please explain what it feels to BE COLD ????

@BryanProkuski

10 ай бұрын

That would be so cool! Thanks man. What it's like to be cold, hmmm....Miserable lol I tell you what, it's something different when its -40F and you have go out to shovel your truck out just to get to work.

bowfin most likely, I caught a 25in 12 pounder back in 2006 at random in the middle of summer canal fishing on Lake St. Clair

Everyone says Bowfin but to me it looks like a old Male Grayling. Bowfin does not have that striped pattern on it's scales.

@kennethgoin628

Жыл бұрын

I don't think MN waters have grayling in them.

Definitely a bowfin AKA dogfish. super surprised it didn't crash one of those Baits. They are generally super aggressive. It looked like it was moving slow because of the water temperatures? I have had these fish come out of the water while following a bait at my feet

To me that looks like a stripe bass with some grass stuck on its fins but i dont know if you guys have them that far North

@BryanProkuski

5 ай бұрын

It does look like that for sure but we dont have them in our lakes. Pretty sure it was a bowfin aka dogfish.

Bowfin or Burbot ?

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Ended up being a bowfin

Didn't expect a grinnel that far north, and it had stripes, there must be different subspecies of this fish, the one I caught years ago in southern Indiana had the skin color and look of a channel cat with the dorsal fin going all the way down to the tail.

@timothylongmore7325

Жыл бұрын

that sounds like a snakehead. Bow fin tail and dorsal is exactly like the "mystery" fish. You guys have snakehead there, yeah?

Chicken Alpuko....🤢🤢 The fishing was interesting though.

Great job, no pike, but your video work is awesome.!

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Matthew! Appreciate it, Glad you enjoyed.

From Wikipedia: The burbot is the only gadiform freshwater fish. It is also known as bubbot, mariah, loche, cusk, freshwater cod, freshwater ling, freshwater cusk, the lawyer, coney-fish, lingcod, and eelpout. The species is closely related to the marine common ling and the cusk. It is the only member of the genus Lota. In Minnesota we call them eelpout.

@Deepblue747

7 ай бұрын

Tail root not narrow enough. I was on burbot first as well...

@ffemtx47

5 ай бұрын

In Michigan it's called "Poor man's lobster"!! 🤣 Delicious! 😋

@meatfishingmania8787

5 ай бұрын

Definitely NOT a burbot

@markthomas3730

5 ай бұрын

BOWFIN

Should of put that lil perch on the top up man

@BryanProkuski

5 ай бұрын

Right! It is illegal here in MN to do that though.

Still lots of perch. That is still a good day.

I now live in SW coastal florida but when I lived in NY I enjoyed my ice fishing. Good job w the camera. Def a bowfin, looks like it had a hook or something stuck in it's mouth w a mess of line and weeds. Unfortunate for the fish.

I saw a small dogfish swim by on the Aqua-Vu last week myself.

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

That is awesome! Very cool. First time for me seeing this.

@Basspundit

Жыл бұрын

@@BryanProkuski It was the first time for me as well.

What is the state’s reason behind closing ice fishing in a couple of weeks?

@derekmoren7839

Жыл бұрын

Let's the femals get ready to spawn without fishing pressure.

@lutherwilmot9163

Жыл бұрын

The only thing closing is predator fish, such as pike, bass, and walleye. Perch, bluegill, and crappies will still be open.

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

@Eric Richards: Ice fishing doesn't close but we cant target Pike, Bass, and Walleye starting March 1st which is what I primarily fish. We can still target panfish though. Like Derek said below, the state does it for spawning purposes.

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

@@lutherwilmot9163 Yup, then it's Crappie time!

Eel pout right?

Bowfin or ling cod are wider in the front, it appears to be a large rock bass

Mysterious Fish😂😂😂😂😂

What was that

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Ended up being a bowfin aka dogfish

That was a bowfin I’m pretty sure. They don’t eat very often in the winter.

@BryanProkuski

10 ай бұрын

It was a bowfin for sure after watching it again. I have never seen one in the winter. Thought it was a cool sighting!

Also come to Australia bro, the perch you are catching are the size of the bait we use to catch REAL perch here. Average size is around 3 pounds here. My best was closer to 5 pounds.

We call em dogfish, i assume because they come around when we chum for catfish. But known as bow fin one of the most fun fish to catch. a little before everyone had cell phones i was probably about 8 with my buddy and we had a VHS tape recorder so it was terrible quality but we hooked into one i swear had to be 4 foot.

I love watching ice fishing videos but I must admit I do not understand it like why are the rods so small

Nice

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Thanks

Looks like a rare black bass

Bowfin!

I ask u once::why u didnt try balancer? In addition:why u not put live perch as bite ?

@Basspundit

Жыл бұрын

Using perch as bait is illegal in MN.

It’s a bowfin, awesome fish species!

@BryanProkuski

10 ай бұрын

Yes it was and very cool sighting. Never seen one in winter. Very aggressive fish in the summer months.

Bowfin. Incredbily strong, and more common than people realize.

Bowling was my first impression too. I see most everyone else had the same answer

As several others said its a Bowfin or also known as a dog fish. lol. You can tell by the rounded tailfin.

My goodness where are the big ones at???

Dogfish/bowfin.. but whats weird is i didnt see the gaint spot on the back of the tail it kinda looks like an eye.. most dogfish have that. In summer the fins and the inside of thier mouth turn like a teal color its crazy looking

@Outlaw-Josey-Wales

Жыл бұрын

Bowfin characteristic of that circle on tail this fish it was going by was pooping seaweed so it was a vegetarian

hey I'm a Pollock too...👍🙌😆

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Hell yeah! Go Pollocks!

Definitely a Bowfin.

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Agreed

I don't know where u are located but wasn't that fish a snakehead?

100% A Bowfin ... Great eating.

Nice vid🐟🐟👍 that’s a bowfin just by way it was swimming too. Seen on camera before . Check out my Buddy Heater cooking grate .👍

@BryanProkuski

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! Ya after watching the footage, big ole bowfin for sure! How cool. I have heard about buddy heater grate. Let me check it out.

That is a Bowfin/Dogfish/ Lawyer Fish, they fight very hard and have some wicked teeth, so use caution if you catch one Bryan Prokuski.