Mysterious Fish! Ice Fishing with Underwater Camera (Perch Frenzy!)

Big female bowfin, also known as a mudfish, choupique, cypress trout, grinnel, or dogfish. They are really primitive fish that have been around since the earliest days of the dinosaurs, and they are ferocious predators. They have really sharp teeth and powerful jaws and can lacerate your fingers pretty badly if you make the mistake of trying to "lip" one, and they have a tendency to hang on and not let go.

Bowfin/dogfish/grinnel. An under rated fish. They're terrific fighters and hit viciously. Back in the day I'd stop by my local discount store and buy the generic 99 cent spinnerbaits and head to my favorite fishing spot which among nearly everything else in a Mississippi River backwater held a healthy population of bowfin. They could mangle a spinnerbait beyond repair. Do unspeakable things to your beloved balsa plugs and inline mepps. They're indeed edible if handled and prepared right.

A nice perch session out there Bryan!! Always love seeing the underwater action!! That looks like a bowfin!

Definitely a bowfin/dogfish. I’ve caught some huge ones. Last summer one swam out from under the dock I was fishing from, just as I was reeling in my Rapala. It nailed the Rapala and was around 25” long.

This is really cool...the perch look so much bigger under water.

Pretty cool to see that bowfin just lurking in the background there! Great vid. I love that you have the other rod handy and can get those "pesky" perch outta there!

Hey Bryan, Kevin and I love your videos! As you know, Kevin is no longer able to enjoy getting out on the ice and this is the next best thing. Love to see your kids and how they are all growing. Say hello to your wife. Take care! The Smethers.

That was definitely a bowfin they are in about every lake but don't have established populations in most of them.

Good video, perch can be fun but also annoying at times also. The fish that Swam by was a dog fish, or also called a bowfin. Fun as hell to catch! I have never caught one ice fishing but I catch them summer fishing once in awhile while fishing for bass or sunnies.

Cool video, even without the pike. Perch action was crazy! 🤪. What was the mystery fish???……. Thank you Bryan!!! 👍🎣

That camera is really cool, its not often you run across fish you have never seen before, years ago I was ice fishing at Lake Seymore in the northeast kingdom of Vermont and right at dusk I caught a fish that looked prehistoric I had to look it up and it was a burbot or cusk which is the only fresh water relative in the cod family and lives in the deepest most northern lakes. In the last year I have started fishing in the Philippines and they have some really strange ones, stuff that freaks me out I had a black jelly like ribbon swim near my legs and it came to the surface and took some air in I said oops time to move, I guess some type of sea snake about 2 foot long but looked like jelly and breathed air.

That's a nice ole bowfin

Pretty cool to see under the water at the same time.

Great Video, I like the two camera setup super idea and it was edited nice and smooth transitions, looking forward to more fishing.

Would've been a perfect day for the kids to go fishing with all this perch action! 😂 Would you consider doing a catch and cook?

here in a pond off lake ontario we have them as big as carp and i use corn to catch bowfin too. great fight. also a great fishing session and set up here, thanks for sharing and good luck!

Bowfins took a detour on the evolution road, they’re one of the few that still maintain there prehistoric features and traits. Definitely an aggressive survivalist.😬👍

The way they hit the bait and disappear upwards is too funny! Like a scene from a SpongeBob cartoon... 😂

I have not been able to figure out my local lake! but I will try to fish on Lake Baikal next week and see if I can get other species besides pike! this is the best ice fishing channel I can't wait to see what you do in spring and summer. Here in siberia the ice will be gone in a few months 😂 So I can't wait for that Greetings from an American veteran in russia 🇺🇸❤🇷🇺

What bait are you using for the perch, it looks like it works pretty good!