bowfishing..

[aero86]

got no idea how to being to do this.  i know some people do it at night with lights.  but how would you go about this during the day from the bank?  just walk along and get lucky? while i dont have a primitive bow, its a recurve but im going to make some river cane fishing arrows.  got a neat spot id like to try it out at..  i did see once what i thought to be a gar..  also thought about making an atlatl dart too..

[Bevan R.]

I have found bowfishing is great 'stalking' practice. Trying to get up close to a big carp can be a challenge. I do ALL my bowfishing from the shore. Walking along creeks, rivers, & lakes.

[sailordad]

no matter if you do it from a boat or the bank
a good pair of polarized shades are something to invest in
it cuts the glare from the water which inturn allows you to see thru it better 

[mullet]

 I wade one of our rivers, slowly stalking. I'm usually shooting Gar, Bowfin, and Tilapia. And the occasional Water Mocassin. I throw rocks at the alligators.

[Bevan R.]

I wade one of our rivers, slowly stalking. I'm usually shooting Gar, Bowfin, and Tilapia. And the occasional Water Moccasin. I throw rocks at the alligators.

I think I would rather take a chance with a gator on my fishing arrow than a water moccasin. 
Tried to scare a muskrat one time and hit it by accident. Ever tried to de-arrow a pissed off muskrat?

Snakes are the main reason I only bowfish during the day.
Another plus, in Nebraska, we can take game fish after the 1st of July during daylight hours. Got myself a 27.25 inch catfish out of the river one year.

[koan]

Aero, during the spring and early summer the carp tend to gather in the shallows for spawning( i presume)... they are pretty easy pickins when they're lookin for love, lol.. when it gets plenty hot(here in Missouri) during summer the gar and carp tend to kinda just free float around, and they can be abit hard to reach from the bank but not impossible. Think of it like rabbit huntin... if ya miss, give em a few minutes and they will usually come back..Sailordad is right, polarized glasses can really improve your odds by reducing glare giving you a more realistic view of the fish.. oh and aim low cuz the refraction from the water distorts the true depth of the fish....Brian

[aero86]

thanks for the suggestions guys.  got a spot where my girlfriend likes to fish.  i actually dont like to fish too much myself.  too much waiting, id rather be moving around with my bow in my hand! lol, bowfishing!

[JackCrafty]

Shooting fish with an arrow is great fun.  I've shot carp and I love it.  They sometimes "free float" near the surface (as already mentioned) and they also feed off stuff on the surface of the water.  That's when I shoot.  I wait for a good broad side shot when they are VERY close to the surface.  I never shoot when they are deep.  They are really smart and they will warn eachother when there is someone walking the bank.  If you are patient and move very slowly, they will not get spooked.

[wildman]

We shoot at night and during the day mostly from boats, but if your going to hunt from the bank I have found a good L.E.D spotlight to be a great help the blue light does'nt seem to startle fish as much. If you go on a quiet night you can find a lot of gar or carp just by listening for the slurp or plopping. The polarized glasses are a must have. Around here once the water heats up I have better luck during the day with a light drizzle going on. A small  STABLE  boat and trolling moter will open up a lot of ground. If you ever around KY look me up I have a camp right on the Ohio and we shoot alot would love to take a fellow stick bender out. Good luck   If you come bring a football helmet we have tons of the dreaded flying carp.

[PeteC]

Aero,how far are you from Martin Creek State Park,near Tatum? It's a good place to hunt tilapia. They have both "blue" and "common" tilapia in the lake,and these fish fresh from the lake are delicious eating  God Bless

[gstoneberg]

I used to bowfish a lot.  There's always a magic 3 or 4 days in the spring when the carp spawn.  I used to live for that time and shoot until my fingers couldn't handle the string anymore.  I still have the stuff but it's been a few years since I've done it.  I do like the idea of going after Tilapia, one of my wife's favorite eating fish.  Pete, can you tell us more about the how and when of that?  Sure wish I hadn't sold my boat before moving down here now.  Longview's about 2 hours from me, probably a little less for Aero.  I didn't post the question, but I'd be interested in doing some bowfishing too.

George

[SiongSA]

I tried once witha homemade crossbow, i attached some  string to the base of the bolt and had a shoot in some pristine S.Africa waters, didn't get anything but it was great fun!

[PeteC]

It's just about that time. I'll pig hunt a few more weeks,then it'll be fish huntin'. I hunt tilapia during the daytime,mostly wading,or,  hunting off steep banks. Bright sunshine,little or no wind,and spawning fish make for great spot and stalk huntin'. It's just like any still hunting. Move very little,very slow when you do move,and watch spawning beds and cruising fish. Tilapia have a way of appearing right under your nose and if you're not already to full draw,the fish is history. It's great sport and fine eating. God Bless

[gstoneberg]

Pete, we have got to get together to chase fish!  I'll trade a hog hunt at the deer lease.   Course, you have hogs over there so there's not much incentive there.  O well.

George

[PeteC]

George,We'll  be doing a scouting trip in a few weeks.If the fish are there,maybe you can meet my son-in -law and I down there for a dayhunt. I'll keep you posted. God bless