aaronmac,
I have a few in my pond and did not realize till after I had stocked my Fathead mennows and Bluegill.
I was observing my Fatheds schooling by the bank one evening when I seen a green submarine come up from the bottom real slow and swallow a mouth full. I happen to have a shotgun with me so I assisted him in making the transition into the next life. 3 pounder.... Became worm food.
Since then, we have caught 10 more, one at a weight of 7 pounds 1 ounce.
Food wise, you have to know how to clean them by removing the blood line or the mud line near the spine. The locals will eat them but for me, i just prefer to make them fertilizer for the garden. If you freeze the meat and defrost, it will come out mushy.....yuck....
We have several names we call them, Swamp Bass, Cypres Trout, Shoupique, Mudfish, Griddle, Bowfin, Mud pike.
Wikipedia Quote "Bowfin were once considered to have little commercial value because of its poor tasting meat which has been referred to as "soft, bland-tasting and of poor texture".[2][10] However, it is considered quite palatable if cleaned properly and smoked, or prepared fried, blackened, used in courtbouillion, or in fishballs or fishcakes."
Coupe
