Bow fishing?

[dhickey]

Iwas asked yesterday what I would like for Christmass and without even thinking about it I said bow fishing equipment?

I have never done it and dont even know of any one who has so here I am.

 

I looked on line but its pretty much useless(FOR SOMONE THAT DOESNT KNOW WHAT THEIR LOOKING AT) with regard to equipment so I thought OFC.

I have 2 decent bows that would work but I seem to have more questions than ansures that I can find??

 

Any bow fisheman out there? and would you be willing to share a little bit of knowledge to get me started on the right track?

 

ie

reels/line/arrows/pionts??

 

Looks like it would be an intresting challange..

 

Ps.

I have been thinking about this for quite a while.(pretty good shot)

 

Thanks.

Saltydawg.

[mike rousseau]

Only tip I can give is remove your feathers.... My brother always did.....

 

Also

 

Keep in mind if your planning on shooting carp (wich most do) it should be for consumption.... Not to line the shore with rotting carcasses or to be left floating for boaters to hit... They are considered a sport fish BY MANY... so to kill them for no reason other then target practice and sport.... You might upset a few people...

 

And I think your suposed to aim low because the water bends what you see....

[Sinker]

I've always wanted to try this as well.

 

I think there is a guy on here that does bow fish. Skud maybe? I forget, but I know GB fisher used to do it as well. I'm not sure if he's still around here or not.

 

S.

[NAW]

I've gone out a few times. With a re curve though.

 

Very hard to hit fish.

 

PM me with any specific questions. I can forward them to my buddy who has been a bow fishing finatic for a long time. He will know the answer to any questions you have.

[DOS]

NAP makes a bow fishing kit for around $60, put it on your bow( low poundage is the best cause you will be shooting alot and holding for longer periods) most shots will be under 30 ft. The rests are very different. It is an absolute hoot. You will have some people frown upon throwing the carcasses up in the bushes, but some of the CO's around here will tell you to kill everyone you can...

 

I carry the kits in my store, I am pretty certain Gerry has them at the Wolfs Den also which is close to you...

 

DAN

[mike rousseau]

This is from our regulations

 

 

GENERAL PROHIBITIONS – IT IS ILLEGAL TO:

........

• Abandon fish or permit the flesh to spoil, if the fish is suitable for human consumption.

 

And plenty of people consider carp a delicacy... Give it away to someone that will use the meat...

 

And for those that say the MNR encourages anything other then harvesting for food or trophy mount should be reporting these officers that are enforcing based on their personal opinion...

[DOS]

This is from our regulations

 

 

GENERAL PROHIBITIONS – IT IS ILLEGAL TO:

........

• Abandon fish or permit the flesh to spoil, if the fish is suitable for human consumption.

 

And plenty of people consider carp a delicacy... Give it away to someone that will use the meat...

 

And for those that say the MNR encourages anything other then harvesting for food or trophy mount should be reporting these officers that are enforcing based on their personal opinion...

 

This is a touchy subject and I will weigh in just a bit cause there is a little misconception about the whole spoiling/fit for human consumption. There are certain times when you are allowed, even encouraged to let certain fish spoil. Invasive species is one of those times. Round gobies being a perfect example, kill em, throw them up on the bank. Nobody will argue with that, right? Are they fit for human consumption...sure you can eat them(they are a bugger to fillet tho) Minnows are to be dumped on the shore after a day of ice fishing not put into the lake... anybody ever eat sardines?

 

Carp, although they have been around for a long time are invasive to our waters and the damage that they do to the rivers is devastating. Yes they can be eaten, and yes they are very good to eat. I will make a point to give them to people that want them after I shoot them, but when nobody asks or wants them I will continue to feed the local skunks, raccoon's and foxes every chance I get.

 

Do a google search on the Asian grass carp, we will be in a world of hurt if they make it here.

 

Lets keep this civil, all hell breaks loose whenever this discussion comes up on other message boards. I have a call into a CO right now, and if I am incorrect I will certainly retract anything that I have said.

 

RED

[Steve]

Mike, I hate when anglers line the rivers with carcasses - especially when its done for roe.

 

I know in the harbour (hamilton harbour) the carp are not fit for consumption, so the spoil part is not a factor.

 

Salty, I'll personally drive you around in my boat and you can use my casting deck to shoot from.... not a problem at all!

 

We can then bring the dead over to the RBG, they don't have issue with taking care of the carp.

[bdox]

Man, if there was ever a place to go bow fishing it'd be Hamilton Harbour. It sure could use a thinning of the herd. Just take a ride down the north shore in mid-July and watch them wallow around in the weed beds. Don't bother bringing a rod because anything worth catching stays well clear of the spawning carp.

 

If you're looking for somewhere to dump them which won't interfere with proper fisherpeople or boats

1. Around the mouth of the Desjardins Canal

2. Anywhere around Valley Inn (could use the fertilizer, it looks pretty barren down there)

3. The banks along Eastport Dr.

[dhickey]

Well when I posted this I realy didnt think it would go this way..

Personaly I have no intrest in carp nor do I have any intresestt in culling..

 

My intrest is in the logisticks as well as accuracy and chalange of hitting a submerced fish or if its playing on the surface.

 

A fisherman I am. A bow hunter as well.

 

My intresst is in learning as much about bow hunting/fishing as I possably can.

I practice regularly but never shot into water.

 

I had a couple good leeds that I will persue.

 

Salty

Ps. I just might bump this a few times..

 

Cheers and bring on Winter.

[mike rousseau]

 

 

Carp, although they have been around for a long time are invasive to our waters

 

They were introduced to our waters intentionally as a food fish....

 

As far as I know....

 

And again I'm not against bow hunting carp... Heck ill give you solid advice on structure and baiting if you'd like... Just be respectful to the resource....

 

And one CO to the next will give you different answers.... So I'd stick to what the regs say in the book....

 

I'm glad this hasn't gone nasty... And thanks to everyone involved for making valid arguments on the subject.... It is a grey area that can be twisted from one extreme to the other....

[dks]

Why would anyone dump fish on shore to "feed" other animals? Fish stink when they rot on the shore. I would suggest you dump the fish in the water instead of sinking up the land. Keep it clean.

[mike rousseau]

Why would anyone dump fish on shore to "feed" other animals? Fish stink when they rot on the shore. I would suggest you dump the fish in the water instead of sinking up the land. Keep it clean.

 

 

You ever hit a fish going 30 mph....??

 

It's a hazard

[Mike Pike]

Bowfishing was always something that I thought looked like a fun thing to try ever since I saw it on a fishing show. Although, I don't quite get the "killing it and leaving it on shore to rot" mindset. Unless of course you're talking about gobies. Now THAT would be a challenge! lol

[DOS]

Ok guys, just got of the phone with a CO and this is how it is interpreted....Its a grey area, he determines at the time if the catch is fit for human consumption. #1 resource is the guide to eating sport fish. If the area says none is safe then there is no issue, ie Hamilton Harbor area carp is not an issue. Now if the fish was clean and the water way healthy, say upper Notty. Then he would think about issuing a ticket or a warning. Where we shoot them he stands by his words to kill every last one of them and I quote "I would never eat one out of there".

 

I also asked him about the guys catching salmon, cutting them for eggs and dumping them(by the way I do not agree with that at all) but we wont get into that right now....

 

 

RED

 

Oh ya, back to the OP when shooting you have to aim lower/below the fish...how low depends on the angle of the shot...

[Mike Pike]

Ok guys, just got of the phone with a CO and this is how it is interpreted....Its a grey area, he determines at the time if the catch is fit for human consumption. #1 resource is the guide to eating sport fish. If the area says none is safe then there is no issue, ie Hamilton Harbor area carp is not an issue. Now if the fish was clean and the water way healthy, say upper Notty. Then he would think about issuing a ticket or a warning. Where we shoot them he stands by his words to kill every last one of them and I quote "I would never eat one out of there".

....

Wow, thanks for that Red. Intersting because by that CO's words, one would be able to catch and throw a Brown Trout to rot on the shore from Hamlton Harbour because the Consumption Guide says they are not safe to eat.

[Steve]

Trout are not in the listed fish ok to bow fish for.

 

Muskie are unfit for consumption in 90% of the bodies of water as well - can't shoot them.

 

Still have to follow the bow fishing laws.