Bowfin

Amia calva

A living fossil dating back 150 million years, the bowfin is one of North America's most underappreciated game fish. Found throughout the Eastern United States from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast, bowfin are incredibly strong fighters that inhabit weedy backwaters and swampy habitats. Increasingly recognized by sport anglers for their violent strikes and brutal power, bowfin are gaining a devoted following.

Seasonal Activity

Best Techniques

• casting topwater lures
• live bait fishing
• fly fishing with streamers
• pitching jigs into cover

Top Baits

• live nightcrawlers
• cut bait
• topwater frogs
• crawfish
• spinnerbaits