Frank Hubert set New Jersey state record for bowfin on December 17, 2024. Caught in Mantua Creek, the fish weighed 12 pounds, 10-ounces.
Frank was casting from a kayak when the fish hit. He was using spinning rod and reel loaded with 30-pound test Snakehead Outlawz braided line when the fish hit. Frank was using a Snakehead Outlawz Dragon Destroyer as the lure for this new record bowfin.
Previous State Records
Hubert’s catch broke Pierce Dopkin’s 11-pound, 8.5-ounce bowfin record from 2017, which was also caught in Mantua Creek. Dopkin’s bowfin measured 31.7 inches in length and had a girth of 17.1 inches.
In 2011, a bowfin caught by Chris Hoffman of Hamilton, NJ, set a state record. Mr. Hoffman caught the bowfin fishing for largemouth bass from his boat in the Delaware River.
The 10 lb. 14 oz. bowfin, was 29.9 inches long and had a girth of 14.6 inches. It broke the old record, set 23 years ago in 1988.
The bowfin belongs to a primitive family of fish named Amiidae and is the only surviving species of that family. Formidable predators, bowfin feed on frogs, fish, crayfish, and other prey.
source: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Fish and Wildlife
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