Please identify this freshwater fish

[Joshjack84]

I caught this on topwater in Lake Iamnoia and not used to fishing freshwater so I had a difficult time figuring out what this was.

[GAJOEY]

I think it is a bowfin ? not totally sure but that is what I think it is ..If I am wrong someone chime in

[Tom Keels]

Mudfish. (Bowfin)

[Joshjack84]

Are they good to eat?

[waldo]

We call them black fish or mud fish,yes very good to eat first get a board nail it to it put it in a fire for 2 or 3 hours pull it out and chunk the fish and eat the board. My old nanny which is still alive still eats them and loves them when we catch them in a gill net for suckers,for me i aint going there,they stink but pull good

[GAJOEY]

I have never heard of anyone eating them ..have you cleaned it yet? if so fry it up and let us know

[FHC]

in lousiana they call them cypress trout

[waldo]

just like a gar with tin snips

[bman]

Its a Mudfish or Bowfin or Grinnel

I caught this beast on Jackson last year...



And googled up this site:
http://www.bowfinanglers.com/recipes.html
I had already let it go or I would have given it a shot in the pan!

[Dubble Trubble]

That is a rare, endangered Ovaltail Shovelmouth! Ther are only about 50 known to exist. I think the fine for killing one is about $ 50,000.


You did throw him back didn't you?


Dubble

[sundown]

Blackfish or bowfin. Always heard that if you tried to eat one it was like eating cotten. swell up in your mouth ! Never tried it myself. Used to see people that caught em split the tail to bleed them. that was spose to help the taste or something. One thing about it, they could sure pull and tear up tackle.

[Flint River Pirate]

How was the fight Josh?

[Jumptrout51]

Eat it and shut up. They pull good and eat good.

[Joshjack84]

No ... definitely threw it back. If i'm not sure what it is, it goes back where it came from.

[Joshjack84]

It was a hell of a fight though. I caught it on light duty medium action rod.