Not eating this one!!!

[Tripplebeards]

Every year I always catch dozens of Bowfin. Tried them a few years ago...for the first...and last time. Lol. Pan fried them. Flavor was OK but mushy. Just figured I had to try it once just to see. If I was trying to survive in the wilderness and there was nothing else to eat I would have to stave for a few days before eating one again. I just catch them and they get fed back to the turtles. The rotten things eat the baby ducks here non stop so I catch, cut, and release. Keeps the turtles happy and chubby. This one was 9 1/2 pounds and 32".

[Recycled bullet]

That is a prehistoric looking fish

[elmacgyver0]

That is a prehistoric looking fish

Not as prehistoric looking as a sturgeon, I took a smoked one for lunch when I was in grade school, really freaked out the other students.

[Tripplebeards]

Sturgeon taste good!

[elmacgyver0]

Sturgeon taste good!

I haven't had a smoked sturgeon since I was a kid, but if I remember correctly, it was delicious, but very rich.
Oh, did I mention, I not much of a fish eater.

[Delkal]

Bowfin caviar is expensive so if I caught one full of eggs I would try and make some. They also say smoked Bowfin is decent.

[high standard 40]

Every year I always catch dozens of Bowfin. Tried them a few years ago...for the first...and last time. Lol. Pan fried them. Flavor was OK but mushy. Just figured I had to try it once just to see. If I was trying to survive in the wilderness and there was nothing else to eat I would have to stave for a few days before eating one again. I just catch them and they get fed back to the turtles. The rotten things eat the baby ducks here non stop so I catch, cut, and release. Keeps the turtles happy and chubby. This one was 9 1/2 pounds and 32".

Cooked fresh the meat is not so bad. If you freeze it it will be mushy for sure.

[trapper9260]

I eat them and not bad , almost like catfish for how it is to me. yes it is mushy . It will not stop me from not eat them, Have anyone try put them on ice right away to see if that will stop them from getting mushy ? Why I asked is because of that was how it was with freshwater drum till someone told me about put them on ice right away and it took care of the problem. I did not done that with the bowfin for at the time for how it was at the time . now I got a cooled with a large bag of ice and just put the fish in that after they are caught .

[steve urquell]

Found an article about how to properly prepare them to eat. Looks like if you do it the right way it will keep the mushiness and mud flavor from happening.

https://bowfishingforfun.com/can-you-eat-bowfin-fish/

[Hogtamer]

Cypress Trout…Mudfish…Not sure a turtle would even eat those!

[Tripplebeards]

I eat them and not bad , almost like catfish for how it is to me. yes it is mushy . It will not stop me from not eat them, Have anyone try put them on ice right away to see if that will stop them from getting mushy ? Why I asked is because of that was how it was with freshwater drum till someone told me about put them on ice right away and it took care of the problem. I did not done that with the bowfin for at the time for how it was at the time . now I got a cooled with a large bag of ice and just put the fish in that after they are caught .

Drum doesn’t get mushy when you freeze it. Filleted and beer batter fried over a 100 of them last year from ones that came out of Lake Michigan. Got to the point of just keeping the back straps.

The dogfish I tried were good but very mushy. I even soaked them in a little ice water and lemon juice over night that probably didn’t help. They reminded me of hush puppies.

[Tripplebeards]

Cypress Trout…Mudfish…Not sure a turtle would even eat those!

The turtles here eat anything! There was a big giant pelican or swan dead floating the other day. Within an hour, there were three giant soft shells that pulled it down while I watched it and ate it. The thing was gone within about 10 minutes. I like eating turtles, but it takes a lot to soak the nasty out of the meat on those and I would assume the dogfish is about the same because they don’t discriminate what they eat either. Most dogfish I catch are on dead fish. I was going to try and throw it in the smoker. I just don’t think that’s gonna go well.

[Plate plinker]

The turtles here eat anything! There was a big giant pelican or swan dead floating the other day. Within an hour, there were three giant soft shells that pulled it down while I watched it and ate it. The thing was gone within about 10 minutes. I like eating turtles, but it takes a lot to soak the nasty out of the meat on those and I would assume the dogfish is about the same because they don’t discriminate what they eat either. Most dogfish I catch are on dead fish. I was going to try and throw it in the smoker. I just don’t think that’s gonna go well.

Yep, when i used to fish years. ago i would catch a small bluegill and hook that up for dogfish. Never ate the things as there are plenty of better fish available in SW Michigan where I grew up. Always tossed them into the weeds for the Coons to eat. Same treatment for carp.

[jdgabbard]

Might be one of those types of fish that would be better dried and used like stockfish...

[Leslie Sapp]

Back in my childhood in rural North Florida, meat of any kind was expensive. With 8 kids in the house, my parents made do with what ever they had. Mom used to make patties from mudfish, just like we do now with canned salmon.
I remember them as being pretty good but since it's been over sixty years since I had one, it's likely my tastes have changed.

[centershot]

Cypress Trout…Mudfish…Not sure a turtle would even eat those!

LOL!! I love you, Hal!

[adnservers]

Oh man, mushy texture is a dealbreaker! Feeding them to the turtles is a great solution though!

[Half Dog]

Taste like chicken?
Cajons need only reply.

[gwpercle]

Watch out for their Teeth ... they will bite the everliving Heck out of you ...
The Bowfins in Louisiana , we call them Choupique ( Shoe-Pick translates to Mud-Fish) , have very oily flesh ... and I'm sure they are muddy tasting .
The flesh doesn't appear too appetizing ... I attempted to clean one , got disgusted with it oozing oil and dark color and trashed it ... and have never tried to eat any

Cajuns wont eat anything ... We do the catch and throw back thing ...
they are fun for the kids to catch on light tackle ... a Zebco 303 and they have fun catching them ... but they don't go home !
Gary

[Beerd]

I've never seen one.
at 32" & 9.5 pounds it musta put up a bit of a fight.
..