Can You Eat Bowfin Fish?

There are many different reasons for fishing. Many of us love the sport, others love being alongside nature and enjoying the fresh air. However, many people enjoy fishing so that they can cook the fish and get a nice meal out of the experience.

One species of marine creature that you may not have been at the top of your list when thinking of edible fish, is the bowfin fish. Whilst it may not be that high on your list, it is doable.

Is The Bowfin Fish Edible?

The simple answer is yes, the bowfin fish is edible, however, unlike the bluegill it may not be the most appetizing fish in the water. A lot of fish aren’t edible due to their size, however, that is not the case with the bowfin.

The female can grow up to 30 inches long and weigh around 9 pounds, making the fish sizeable enough to eat. The males are slightly smaller and grow in size to anywhere between 18 and 24 inches.

The bowfin doesn’t look very tasty, just like the tarpon! With an elongated, extended body and a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, the fish is reasonably menacing. Built with heavy scales along its body and bony plates on its head, this fish is adapted to defending itself and has a tough exterior that may prove hard to prepare for eating.

Along with a slimy texture to its skin, this fish is a lot less appetizing than a lot of other fish out there, with a lot of fishermen even referring to the creature as ‘trash fish’!

What Does The Bowfin Taste Like?

You’ll rarely be able to ask other fishermen what the bowfin tastes like and find someone who has tried it, however, some have! The texture is said to be soft, but poor and has a very squishy, mushy consistency.

With regards to the color of the meat, usually cooking a fish you’ll get a fresh-looking shade of white to your meal, once cooked. However, the bowfin fish has a gray tone to it that makes it unappetizing and off-putting.

Many have recommended that the fish is only eaten after cooking, with a lot of other fish prepared raw in dishes like sushi. However, if the description of how the fish’s taste, texture, and consistency was enough to put you off from trying the fish, then eating it raw isn’t the way to go.

How Do You Prepare Bowfin Fish?

There’s a lot to be desired when it comes to preparing the bowfin, as the bland taste and mushy consistency make the dish hard to enjoy. Once cooked, the bowfin fish is grey and jelly-like, which is at the opposite end of the spectrum compared to other fish once cooked.

Usually, fish will have a flaky, white look to it and will fall apart in your mouth with flavor. The bowfin fish will take a lot of seasoning and the right cooking methods to try and get the most you can out of your meal.

People who have cooked the fish have specified that it’s best to keep the fish alive right up until you decide to cook it, or to keep the fish on lots of ice to slow down the decomposing process.

If you don’t, then the meat gets mushy and the consistency is poor compared to more-desirable edible fish. The best way to cook the fish is to cut it into smaller pieces so that the meat cooks all the way through and keeps the limited flavors alive. With larger pieces, the meat has more of a chance to cook unevenly and have a slimy texture to them.

As mentioned previously, this particular species of fish tend to have a jelly-like texture to it that can leave you with a strange feeling in your mouth. Bowfin fish can also be smoked, fried as patties, or stewed. As well as these options you can also turn the mudfish into pieces of steak that can often be presented with salad, rice, tomatoes, and other steamed vegetables.

Where Can I Fish for Bowfin?

The bowfin is a freshwater fish that resides in the eastern parts of the US, usually found in slow running bodies of water. They can also be found as far south as the Gulf of Mexico, making them quite easy to find if you’re looking to fish in these areas.

Bowfin fish are predators in these areas and are towards the top of their respective food chains in their bodies of water. Lots of fishermen refer to the bowfin as ‘mudfish’ or ‘swamp trout’. This is due to their nature of sitting at the bottom of their body of water and waiting for other fish to swim past, using patience and cunning to catch their prey.

The best way to catch bowfin fish when fishing is to use live bait. The movement from the bait catches their eye and entices them to attack the hook. Whilst they’re mainly known to lurk in the mud and at the bottom of lakes, mudfish has been known to strike at topwater and deep-running lures.

Known as scavengers, it’s rare that the bowfin kills for fun or sport. They usually pick their opportunities and kill with the purpose of feeding.

Is It Hard To Catch Bowfin Fish?

Scientifically known as Amia calva, the bowfin can be quite a hard catch, despite their initially docile appearance. Their sharp teeth are often used to cut through the fishing wire like butter, although the stronger the line, the harder it is for them to get away.

Their tenacious nature means that they frequently get caught and tangled in nets, allowing them to wriggle out of situations and do their best to avoid being captured.

The bowfin has adapted and evolved to suit the environment around them, to avoid other predators. they‘re very protective of their young and can use their tails to their advantage as a defence mechanism.

When threatened, the mudfish writhes their tail to make as much disturbance in the water as possible. This churns up outside features such as mud and weeds to make defeating them much harder.

Summary

The easiest way to put it is that the bowfish is definitely edible and has been known to go well with certain other foods, however, they’re not the most appetizing. If you’re not the adventurous type when it comes to trying new foods, then it may be best to give this one a miss.