…caught a dozen of these:
and another 17 of his/her smaller couzins on a 2wt rod. Still have some caddis activity and of course dragonflies and damsels. For the last 2-2 1/2 hours the lake was like glass. Didn’t get dark until 9:30 but fishing [or rather, catching] dropped WAY OFF at about 8:30. Great evening, tho.
donald
Catching them like that sure is blast, isn’t it?
Rick
Yes, it is, Rick. The only discord all evening was having an 8 or 9# dogfish eat one of the smaller BGs I hooked. About 10 ft from the pram when it did it. Scared the crap out of me. I just dropped the rod and broke it off b4 it broke my 2wt!! I REALLY don’t like those things! 
donald
NICE BG’s!
What is a dogfish? We have LM’s do the same often enough. 
…lee s.
[url=http://www.dgif.state.va.us/fishing/srf-photos/State%20Record%20Bowfin%20and%20Angler.jpg:634a0]http://www.dgif.state.va.us/fishing/srf-photos/State%20Record%20Bowfin%20and%20Angler.jpg[/url:634a0]
“Give me ambiguity or give me something else”
We call Bowfin “Mudfish” down here in Florida. Prehistoric fish. I’ve caught them on minnow or streamer flies before under a VOSI. They fight hard but as the FWC says in the link below, they are more of a nuisance to most anglers.
[url=http://www.floridafisheries.com/Fishes/other.html#bowfin:5da6f]Bowfin[/url:5da6f]
Robert B. McCorquodale
Sebring, FL
“Flip a fly”
great fighters, though. jgw
I’ve had LMB do the same also, Lee. And, yes, what we call a dogfish is a grinnel, bowfin, or mudfish. What the photo does not show is the mouthful of teeth the fish has. They destroy anything they get in their mouth. Back in the early to mid 80’s I fished with a co-worker a lot. He was stuck on a lake chain that was lousy with the things. Catch a half-dozen bass in a morning and you had to wade thru two dozen dogfish to reach 'em. Locate a crappie school feeding on minnows they’d herded into an inside bend - and all action would stop on the crappies. Within minutes one of us would catch a dogfish! I didn’t want it on a short line on my 2wt - I like that rod!! Yes, they do fight well - sort of a cross between a carp and a pike. Lots of long runs and jumps. However, one does not usually fish for them with a 2wt. <G>
donald
beadleech,
Mystifying isn’t it, how 'gills will often quit hitting right around the time of evening you would think they’d start going berserk?
Joe
“Better small than not at all.”
Yes it is Joe. I’m still not sure why that should be but the bugs stop flying about that time also. Could there be a connection??
donald
The other thing I’ve noticed is that fishing drops off when a larger predator moves into the area as well – we’ve had beautiful mornings walleye fishing when we couldn’t get a bite and new they were there; then someone hooks into a 40" pike. Maybe the bowfin or bass were getting active at that time.
Quite possible, Jsalkas. That’s one of the main reasons I was disappointed to see one of the things.
Just before I left the lake I was fishing near [well, OK. I was fishing UNDER two pontoon boats moored to a dock.] when the owner came out on the dock. I sorta expected to get yelled at, but he was interested in the flyrod and flyfishing. [He also brought out a coupla of cold ones! Nice guy.] We talked for a while and I mentioned the dogfish. He told me that the Lake Assoc had bought and stocked walleyes in the lake 3 or 4 years ago and after that was when people started seeing [and catching] dogfish in the lake. He thought they must have been mixed in with the walleye stockers. The lake does not have an inflow or outflow - it’s spring fed.
donald
beadleech,
I tubed up photos of dogfish (by opening the addresses provided in this thread) and buddy, I’m with you.
I’m with you to the point that if dogfish inhabited the waters I fish in, I’d probably QUIT FISHING right around the time of day I suspected they were about to start feeding. That’s one seriously spooky-looking, repulsive fish; they resemble something out of a sci-fi movie.
Joe
“Better small than not at all.”
Why not have a DogFish Derby? The association can charge a small entry fee. Prize for most, largest and honorable mention for uglyest. Any tackle, anyway within the limits of the law. May get OLN to sponsor?
For tackle I’d suggest 20 guage and above!!
don
![http://www.dgif.state.va.us/fishing/srf-photos/State%20Record%20Bowfin%20and%20Angler.jpg[/url:634a0]](http://www.dgif.state.va.us/fishing/srf-photos/State%20Record%20Bowfin%20and%20Angler.jpg%5B/url:634a0%5D){kind=link}