Photo: Duane Raver/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service / Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)
Amia calva
Bowfin
Freshwater
About this species
A living fossil and the sole survivor of an ancient lineage, able to gulp air in stagnant swamps. It is an aggressive, hard-pulling predator often caught by accident. Cut bait and slow-moving lures near vegetation draw savage strikes.
Season
123456789101112
Depth
0 – 6 m
Habitat Spots
LakeRiverReservoir
Fishing Methods
LureFloatBait
Bait & Rig
Cut bait, live minnows, or slow-moving rubber worms worked near emergent vegetation in warm, oxygen-depleted backwaters.
Edibility & Taste
Soft, mushy flesh considered poor table fare by most anglers; primarily caught for sport and released.
Similar Species
A long, wavy dorsal fin running most of the back and a rounded tail with an eye-spot in males distinguish bowfin from all gar species.
Record Weight
9.75 kg