Good call jolie...
here's the quote from chapter 8...

As a Pennsylvania candidate species, bowfins must be released immediately unharmed.

and here's a link to PA code 75.3 ~ candidate species... http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/058/chapter75/s75.3.html
with the quote being:

§ 75.3. Candidate species.
(a) General. The species listed in subsections (b) and (c) are considered candidate species which could achieve endangered or threatened status in the future. They are subject to seasons, size, creel—bag—and possession limits specified in this subpart. A person who catches these species is encouraged to release them immediately and unharmed to the waters or other area from which they were taken.

confused yet?

Pork,

There are open seasons, and creel limits on some "candidate" species, on some waters. The Bowfin is not one of those species, thus they must be returned.

lots of bowfin if you get one kill it it is an invasive spices and is takin over there gona end up everywhere down stream if we ant carefull but there is nice bass and pike in the heard of some monsters in there good luke if you go

I bet there is a sizable group of people who actually think like this.

My pleasure pork.... figured we'd get some interestin posts on this. Them ol boys down in chanty town (geneva) been eatin them critters their whole lives. Fun fish to catch but theyz mean as a snapper and twice as ugly IMO...lol

ORIGINAL: spoonchucker

Pork,

There are open seasons, and creel limits on some "candidate" species, on some waters. The Bowfin is not one of those species, thus they must be returned.

I'm calling you out, spoon...

Nowhere have I EVER seen anything officially saying they "MUST" be returned (except of course this chapter8 of PA fishes). consider this Q&A

http://www.fishandboat.com/images/pages/qa/fish/bowfin.htm

there again is the EXACT same wording... "encouraged".

and again the same wording on this page

http://www.fishandboat.com/water/fish/snakehead/snakehead.htm


This article uses the word "urges"...
http://www.fishandboat.com/endngre.htm


Instead, the summary is exasperatingly vague beyond those without a specific length/ or season. (for example, freshwater drum,aka sheepshead & bullheads aren't listed). Although it is pretty clear on species they want returned (like Hickory shad, paddlefish and mussels/clams).

so how is that a fish would need named, to have a season, with the summary saying "Other gamefish"???

I think common sense is needed. If your fishing in a water full of bowfin, a couple kept to see what they taste like is reasonable in other places, put them back- they meant to be in PA and aren't (at least in most places).

Thunderpole, you must be thinking of snakehead which kind of looks like bowfin. You are supposed to kill snakehead, but not bowfin.

its illegal to bonk them on the head and throw them in the weeds...

it says you are encouraged to return them ... 

if i tried to geuss what that means im sure id be wrong lol

Question I enjoyed looking through the new Gallery of Fish with descriptions and additional information about the different species of fish in Pennsylvania. I have a question about Chapter 8's fish, Bowfin. I have been fishing Presque Isle Bay for many years and have never caught a Bowfin. On the other hand, we vacation for two weeks every August on Conneaut Lake, and in the last few years although fishing for Bass and Musky -- we caught more Bowfin than any other species. If they weren't so aggressive and hard striking, they would almost be a nuisance. We release all of them. However, two summers ago some of the bait shops in the area were telling people that the Fish and Boat Commission was asking fishermen to kill them when caught because they were crowding out other predatory game fish in the lake. Is this true?

Answer Bowfin are a very unusual and unique fish in Pennsylvania. Your approach to these fish seems just about right.  The Fish and Boat Commission does not suggest that anglers kill them. In fact, bowfin are listed as a "candidate species," which means that anglers are strongly encouraged to return any fish caught to the waters from which they were taken. If any members of the Commission staff made comments about killing bowfin in the past, they were certainly not reflecting the views of our fisheries biologists. In a couple of waters in Northwestern Pennsylvania, bowfin seem to have come on really strong in the past couple of years. This may reflect good reproductive success perhaps brought on by just the right environmental conditions. Just as the PFBC does not advocate waste of bowfins, we do not want them to be released in waters outside the native range of this very unusual fish.
http://www.fishandboat.com/images/pages/qa/fish/bowfin.htm

ORIGINAL: wade alexander

its illegal to bonk them on the head and throw them in the weeds...

it says you are encouraged to return them ... 

if i tried to geuss what that means im sure id be wrong lol

also, I think it would be illegal to "Bonk" ANYFISH and leave it in the weeds. Came out of the ruling that it was illegal to leave gut a fish & leave its entrails before leaving the stream/lake.

someone more anal than I can go get the exact wording.

---
something about this thread is rather silly. bowfin look like a blast to catch- I'd love to catch one. If your fortunate enough to catch this rather unique fish- enjoy the fight.

for something New- Has anyone been to the swamp recently? whats it like in high water & does it muddy up easily?
Just curious.

hopefully, this is the year I make it up there :)

ORIGINAL: wirenut45

ORIGINAL: sunfishhunter

Jeb, Cutbait is the way to go for the fins. They will hit live shiners and gills, on most days, but even on the slowest of slow days they always will hit something that is dead and stinky.

are you talking bout catching a gill & cutting it up for bait or something else? also, never saw a bowfin ,what kind (size) of tackle do you use?

Here is a pic of a bowfin, a good bait to use is a Double cowgirl like the one in the fishs mouth. The bait is about 10 inches long. Got this one on a figure 8