I got 2 bowfins at pyma on Friday Both were 26 to 28 in. Back in Red Cross.

Yeah I pulled 2 out last year and 1 the year before up around that area. I know of 2 others also that were caught last year, they were caught by the causeway.

A buddy of mine and his family caught three this past weekend there as well.
Can they get in there from the bogs and Conneaut durring high flows ???

Yay! Can we eat them? If not I'll stick with walleye!

Cool stuff.
 
Keep in mind that they are a native species, and it is very likely they have always been in Pymatuning. Fish populations fluctuate......and maybe the pop. has been better the past few years.
 
There doesn't seem to be any clear connection between Pymatuning and the Conneaut Lake/swamp/French Creek watershed. I bet it's possible......but like I said they've probably always been in the Pymy/Hartstown/Shenango watershed. Just in low numbers

slabfinder
Yay! Can we eat them? If not I'll stick with walleye!

They're a candidate species so ya gotta release them. Very few places in the state have them in good numbers. Plus I've heard they aren't great eating. Good C&R sportfish
 
Walleye taste better, bowfin fight better!! Very underrated gamefish

troutguy

slabfinder
Yay! Can we eat them? If not I'll stick with walleye!

They're a candidate species so ya gotta release them. Very few places in the state have them in good numbers. Plus I've heard they aren't great eating. Good C&R sportfish
 
Walleye taste better, bowfin fight better!! Very underrated gamefish

Trout guy: I am 100% on board with releasing them as should everybody, but canidate species are "encouraged" to be released by the PAFBC not required. My biggest problem is under educated anglers thinking they could be snakeheads and just thorwing them up on the bank. There is a very good full page section in the regulations book that shows the difference. The only problem with that is now many anglers buy their license on-line now and you don't get the regs book that way.