A Big Fish Story!

Last week I went to Millwood State Park in Arkansas, hoping to get my first Arkansas fish. The lake was packed with fishermen taking advantage of the warm weekend. Unfortunately, I didn't catch anything. Several fisherman asked me if I caught anything as they walked past, and they said they didn't get anything, either. I suppose the fish didn't want to bite.

Earlier this week I bought a "travel rod" that folds down small enough to fit in a backpack. I wanted it to take on my hikes with me. This morning I stuffed it in my pack to try it out, and I loaded my purple mountain bike onto my bike rack. I bought the bike last December just for peddling around the parks and doing iNaturalist while biking. It makes it easier and quicker to go long distances.

I drove to Mineola Nature Preserve this morning and tried a couple of ponds, but no luck. I pedaled on to the slough, which was a distance of a mile. At first I didn't catch anything but sticks. I cast the line out and it seemed to get stuck on another stick. Grumbling, I reeled in the "stick" which suddenly began moving, fast! It was a fish, and a big one! I fought the fish for a while, now and then bringing it close enough to see its silhouette. I guess ed that it was a grass carp until it got close enough to make out the details. It was a huge bowfin! I had almost landed the fish and it escaped. This was because my hook was too small. I had baited a very tiny hook with a piece of nightcrawler to catch little fish. The weight of the bowfin had bent the hook almost straight, and it slipped out of its mouth.

I put on a crankbait shaped like a black beetle and after three or four casts, I had the fish again! It fought really hard and even broke my rod! I had to finish landing it by pulling on the line with my hands. I took a photo of the bowfin with a ruler to document size (18 inches) and released it as quickly as I could.

I was so excited to get this fish because I have been wanting to catch one of these living fossils, which have been around since the Jurassic period. It was worth breaking the rod, which was only $10 anyway. ;p

If you catch a bowfin, remember not to stick your fingers in its mouth; they have sharp teeth like a piranha!

If you go to Mineola Nature Preserve, remember that the park is catch and release ONLY! This park is huge and there are miles of trails and lots of creeks and ponds to explore.

Publicado el marzo 31, 2019 02:35 MAÑANA por cosmiccat