Bowfishing...who's ready?

[jath08]

Ahh you're one of those.

Carp anglers never did like bowfishers.


I stand corrected about the river dumping. I didn't intend to sound so snarky there. You did just say "Sorry just dont beleive in killing something if your not going to eat it." and then agreed that it's OK to kill asian carp :/

Well i'll admit I flubbed on my own wordage there and apoligize for the misunderstanding and contradicting myself or if any harshness came across. I should have said I dont beleive in killing something unless your going to eat it or unless you have to kill it like the Asian carp.

Yes I am one of those LOL.
Its always been an ongoing battle of sorts between the two. To each there own is the best way to put it I try to get along with everybody. I try not to get into heated debates over the subject but I guess what gets me going on the matter is the numerous times Ive pulled up to a fishing spot and have literally seen 20 to 40 decent size carp "common carp not Asian carp" piled up on the bank rotting in the sun with arrow holes through them some pushing 30 pounds. To a carp angler thats a trophy of a lifetime. Not saying all bowfisherman are that way but theres a few out there that really give your sport a bad name by leaving fish like that. Most bowfisherman Ive ran into either keep them and eat them, sell them to an Asian market place (that was up on the St. Joe River in Elkhart) or use em as fertilizer.

Although I readliy disagree with shooting common carp especially the big ones (unless your going to eat them) I wouldnt mind trying to eradicate a few Silver (flying) carp with a recurve when there in mid air since they are on the DNR hitlist.

 

[econnell]

Leaving them on the bank changed years ago. I take a big rubber tub, with holes in the bottom and toss mine in there. The tub stationed in the water, in the center of our wading area. When we fill it up we just put it on the hitch haul and take it to a nearby farmer's field for fertilizer (that's the idea anyway). The yotes, possums and coons leave nothing but a few scales.

BTW, where we bowfish, they are "no bottom feeders edible" areas.

As for eating what we kill.................I kill rats and possums, don't eat them. Have no problem arrowing their aquatic counterparts.

I like rod fishing for them too, but kill every one I haul out. The areas I fish, there is no short supply. Most go in the 5-10# range. Shallow waters, no real big ones around, and I've rod and bow fished these same ponds/rivers/streams for 30 years.

I'd love to arrow a 30+# carp

If you never shot a lung buster through a 30lb carp, you are welcome to contact me anytime and grab the recurve and lets go...those carp are huge up here close to logansport on the wabash

 

[met eng gun nut]

Last year me and my two brothers were bow fishing for flying trash in missouri. my little brother and myself on the front of the boat looking for asian carp and my older brother running the boat when a 40lb fish jumped onto my older brother's lap the humor associated with his reaction was priceless. hooked for life

 

[Hookeye]

If you never shot a lung buster through a 30lb carp, you are welcome to contact me anytime and grab the recurve and lets go...those carp are huge up here close to logansport on the wabash

I've often wondered about the size of them out west near Georgetown Bridge.

 

[Hookeye]

BTW, in a spot that shall remain nameless, in '02............I managed to nail about 75 in 2.5 hrs. I had people wading in, running the schools by (there were 3 of us Bowfishing). We also had about 40 spectators, 2 of which happened to be transplant animal rightists...........thanks to Big Fred for explaining what we were doing was legal and to leave before we called the DNR.

Shallow, knee deep or maybe just above, a semi containment area with flat concrete bottom...........I didn't use a reel. I shot them with my reg GT55/75 from my Blackwidow.

The arrows would go through and hit the bottom, still in the fish. Most would be super stunned (or dead from location of hit). Just fetch 'em up. Some would just keep swimmin' and the kids loved that...........fletch/arrow sticking out, it was kinda like the barrel scenes from Jaws.

Bud and I would shoot.......and I'd have 3 arrowed while my bud was reeling in his AMS from his first shot. Untethered containment area bowfishing we dubbed "freestyle"

Laughs galore, little redneck kids and teens would jump in and try to catch the impaled. They rarely got one. Almost all came back to me and I'd just pin 'em down, up with a flick of the wrist and they'd be on the arrow, laying over my arm.

Never has been that good since.

2nd best day was an all day'r there and maybe got 30. That one day got a lot of attention and made for a lot of competition.

Literally, if you don't catch it on the first two days that place is done for the year. Gotta get one good flood, recede and nothing coming in from other, to have it perfect.

Have been checked by the DNR twice there. Tub or stringer, all's cool.

Well, legally. Coming home all bloody, scaly and slimed, pond scum smell mixed with it.........doesn't set well with the ladies.

Having a good shoot means a lot of work, hauling them on stringers, or marching them to the tub, wading all day..........and then when dead tired having to lug 'em out, haul 'em to another spot, then dispose..............exhausting.

And this on a pretty decent local setup. I'd hate to have to do more on new water.

I just wanna pop a big one and be done.

My idea, to have a fiberglass mount done, with arrow in it, have it on the wall in the corner of my game room, line up to the ceiling with ripples painted on the ceiling. Not cheap but the cool factor might be worth it. Just gotta shoot one big one and get it measured

 

[Max Volume]

Leaving them on the bank changed years ago.

So is it now illegal to leave them on the bank? It's been over 10 years since I was shooting carp and am thinking of going out again next month. I do not desire to break the law.

 

[Hookeye]

Yup, you gotta haul 'em out. No leaving on the bank, no putting them back in the water.
Makes for a rough end to a good day
Most good carp spots get other fishermen, hikers etc..........they don't like the temporary stink or fly fest.
Hell in two days most places we used to leave 'em on the bank were pounded flat like cement from all the raccoons.
Just some black staining and scales.

I think in public fishing areas the bait canisters, drink bottles, diapers and other are way more digusting/unsightly/stinky that a pile of carp that will go away in a few days.

I think some AR folks got their panties in a bind, the two that came upon our slaughter on the water were visibly and vocally upset. made some threats I guess, dunno..........we had a walleye fisherman step up as enforcer.

Have been out to that spot and had a bass fisherman threaten me with physical harm. Change to Snuffer broadhead equipped arrow on string ended the conversation.

 

[Hookeye]

.99 stringer from local hardware store, shoot some carp, string 'em up..............had some Asian folks wanting them. Worked out well for 4 or 5 days in a row (guy at hardware store asked why I bought a stringer every day..........well, stringer and a Dew). Then they came and got our stringers (after work we'd hit the local spot and hammer them for 2 hrs) they said "thanks, no more".

Dunno who they were, nice folks. They said they were putting them on their garden.

They lugged a lot of nasty carp away that one year. Pretty darn convenient for us.

I need to get a new tub if I go out and try it again this year. Think my old one got pitched in a move. Might try to get some Muzzy logo painted on it

Need to try some carbon sharks with Muzzy tips, I like their tips a lot. Sold my AMS, and gave away my strap on accessory mount. Was cool for recurves you didn't want to drill, and held the AMS OK, but the straps wrapped in the sight window, and a bit of flop............plus the "pock" sound of the AMS at the shot (even after adding O rings to various spots).................man, it really sucks compared to "freestyle".

Had a PSE Coyote, hated that riser, thought it might be OK for a bowfisher. Proly need to warf something.

 

[Max Volume]

We used to get these all the time. I learned the hard way if using a tape on bow reel use a full leather glove instead of a 3 finger shooting glove. When they decide to bolt with an arrow in them, which they always do, the line will slice into your hand when reeling them in. And the best tips are the Stingrays. The type with the wire barbs will pull out or bend backwards and you will loose the fish.

I do not know if they still allow access or if the carp would still be there since the generating station is now closed down.

 

[Hookeye]

We bowfish shallow areas, so rocks are commonly hit.
Never a failure, the short Muzzys with wires.
Have hammered the Trocar tip's facet edges smooth, looked like a fieldpoint

I had some old Bear single and double wire heads from my dad's recurve days, and yes indeed, they sucked.

 

[econnell]

I took my old points that had broken barbs and soldered a screw on each side and took the old dremel out and ground the head down...I haven't had one yet get off that point...y'all should try it...works great on the big ones.

 

[jrogers88]

I spent most of the winter slowly collecting older pse parts. Now i have 3 complete frankenbows ready for bowfishing with a big box of extra spare parts in case anything breaks. During the summer i practically live out in goosepond fwa bowfishing and frog giggin