|
by Pat Lefemine
photo of Pat Lefemine Jr. (8 yrs old) with his first
carp - a nice 25lb. common taken in May, 2004 on the Ct. River.
In my opinion, bowfishing is the best way to introduce new people to bowhunting
and archery. Especially kids who are not quite old enough to hunt - yet may
be bored with accompanying someone else as an observer. Bowfishing has a lot
of advantages as a recruitment tool; it is often fast-action, it is typically
done in warm weather, and you can hoot and holler all you want - the fish don't
mind.
I've been enjoying bowfishing for 20 years and have experienced just about
every type of bowfishing available - including wading, night fishing on a boat,
saltwater, and big game bowfishing. These days, most of my bowfishing excitement
includes introducing others to the sport - especially kids. For me this is more
rewarding than shooting all those fish myself.
Here at Bowsite.com, we've seen many topics on how to get started in bowfishing.
We put together this summary of the different kinds of bowfishing along with
the techniques and my personal opinion on gear. We then discuss how to find
a place to bowfish, how to deal with 'refraction' and finally what to do with
your carp after you've landed him. As usual, if you have any questions, there
are lots of good folks willing to answer your questions in our Bowfishing
Section, or you can email me directly from our Bowsite.com contact page.
Daytime Wading/Bank bowfishing
Night Bowfishing
Big Game Bowfishing
Links to suppliers and national as well as local organizations
What to look for in a body of water
Why most people miss "high"
Eating Carp
Daytime Wading/Bank bowfishing
This is how I did it for 17 years and loved every minute of it. Find a
good marsh, grab a pair of hip waders, your bow, and a fish arrow, and stalk
carp in the shallows.
The author stalking carp in the shallows |
|
| Type
of Fish: |
Carp, Gar, Suckers, Eels |
| When
to go: |
Typically this type of bowfishing is done during the spring when the fish
are spawning. Pre and Post-spawn the fish are harder to find and the action
drops off considerably. |
| Where
to go: |
Lakes, Rivers and ponds with shore access, or marshes for wading. To find
carp, the best thing to do is to ask folks here on the Bowsite.com
state forums as a start. Also call your DNR fisheries biologist and
tell them you are looking for heavy concentrations of carp, gar, etc. Don't
forget to search the web using Google
- simply type in "carp fishing in MI" etc. for a search term to
start. Look for the hard-core carp angling sites as they usually contain
a wealth of information. |
Night Bowfishing
This is the ultimate in bowfishing, but because of the high entry costs
associated with rigging up a bowfishing boat - few people get a chance to enjoy
it. If you have a boat already, you might try rigging your own lights and generator
setup. Lots of guys get away with cheaper setups than I've outlined below.
John Shneider takes aim in Louisiana
One that didn't get away...
|
|
| Type
of Fish: |
Carp, Gar, Suckers, Eels |
| When
to go: |
Unlike daytime bowfishing, any time of year is good. It is best during
the spawn as this is when most of the fish are in the shallows and on the
move. Don't forget fall fishing as well when the water is clearest and the
fish are in normal feeding patterns. |
| Where
to go: |
Lakes, Rivers and ponds with boat access. You would find bodies of water
same as with daytime fishing suggestions above. Having a boat gives you
a lot more mobility and access to a variety of waters. |
 |
The author's bowfishing boat is
an 1860 F&F Tunnel-hull Jon boat with a 100HP Yamaha 4-stroke,
90" custom shooting platform with 6 Halogen lights, Yamaha 3000
generator, and a Minn-Kota Powerdrive Trolling motor with a co-pilot
wireless remote control. |
|
Big Game Bowfishing
This is where things really start to heat up. Bowfishing for Gator Gar,
Big Southern Stingrays, Sharks and Alligators are probably better suited after
you've got some experience under your belt. Big Game bowfishing is rarely done
via stalking or from shore however some guys have successfully pulled out some
big fish without a boat.
Sam Lovell and freind with a beautiful
Gator Gar shot in Texas. |
|
| Type
of Fish: |
Gator Gar, Sharks, Stingrays, Alligators |
| When
to go: |
Bowfishing is best during the spring when the fish are spawning however
summer is good too. |
| Where
to go: |
Freshwater Lakes, Rivers, ponds for Gator Gar. Saltwater or brackish marshes
and open water for sharks, and rays. You would find bodies of water same
as with daytime fishing suggestions above. Having access to a boat is generally
a 'must' for this type of bowfishing. |
What to look for in a body of water
 |
Water Depth - the first thing I look at is the consistency
of water depth. In the pond above, there is a significant shallow section
at the North and South end of this pond. Clear water to 3-4' is ideal.
Flooded Grasslands - Carp like to hang out in flooded
grassy areas. This is especially true during the spawn as carp project
their eggs in these areas. In the map above, the North end of this pond
is a great place to look for carp.
Access to Carp Waters - Carp will leave big rivers
and other significant bodies of water to spawn. In the case above, I
had never bowfished this area before 2004, but I had gotten a tip from
some anglers while bowfishing another section of the Connecticut River
and since the CT River is a major carp fishery, it made sense that carp
would like this spot.
Water Clarity - water clarity (or turbidity) is important
to bowfishing. If the water looks like creamed coffee - muddy, the bowfishing
will be tough since visibility is limited. Areas with heavy concentrations
of zebra mussels - which purify water, are good bets for clearer water
as are colder waters of the North. There's not much you can do to predict
water clarity other than check it out yourself or listen to reports
from fishermen returning from the area. Keeping a log of spawning activity
and water clarity during a particular tidal period is helpful.
|
Why most people miss "High"
This year I've introduced 15 new people to bowfishing. Every one of them had
a blast and shot fish - but every one of them shot high 99% of the time. In
fact, unless I coached them through each shot - many would never have adjusted
their shots to realize that the fish simply is not where your brain is telling
you it is.
It's called refraction and it there's a bunch of scientific reasons for it
(snell's law) but there is only one thing you need to know. SHOOT LOW!!!!
What I tell people is to aim for the bottom of the fish, and then drop down
10". This is not entirely accurate since the closer your angle is to 90
degrees, the closer you would aim at the actual fish - still it seems to help
most people just starting out. Try the interactive simulation below to understand
what I'm talking about.
| |
Use your mouse to drag
the yellow shooting line to the fish (air
side) and follow that yellow line into the water to see where the fish
actually is.
|
Here's a real-world scenario based on a shot taken
this past summer. The arrow can be seen hitting low based on where the
carp is - but it's not low enough. You can see the angle of the shot bending
dramatically - resulting in a miss. The shot should have been at least
6" lower to score a perfect hit on the center of this fish. |
Eating Carp
"Don't ask if the carp is good enough for you to eat. Ask instead if you're
good enough to eat carp." Anonymous
Carp and contaminants. Carp, like other sport fish, can build
up contaminant levels which may limit consumption. Consumption levels of all
fish should be checked by contacting your local DNR office and inquiring about
fish advisories before you head out.
Handling carp. The key to good eating is the proper selection
and handling of caught carp. If the fish are taken from waters which may produce
bad tastes or odors, sniff the gills. If they have a musty odor (oddly, not
every fish from the same water body will), then the flesh will likely taste
bad unless you hold the fish in clean water or off the bottom for 5-7 days.
If it smells fine, bleed it by cutting the artery near the tail, or a large
artery between the gills. Gut it immediately and place the fish on ice. Alternatively,
keep fish alive as long as you can in a mesh bag or on a clip-stringer.
Preparing carp.
Fleecing. If you wish to leave the skin on, remove the scales with a sharp filleting knife. Insert the tip of the knife just ahead of the tail fin with the sharp edge facing the front of the fish. Loosen the scales at the tail, then work your way towards the front of the fish along the belly, lifting the scales and using a sawing motion as you work towards the dorsal fin.
Skinning. After filleting in the normal manner, remove the skin and scales by placing the fillet skin side down and cutting through the tail meat to the skin. Move the knife edge so that it is parallel to the skin and cut while you lift the meat away from the skin. Turn the fish over. You may see some reddish-brown flesh. This flesh will be more strongly flavoured, and you may wish to remove it.
Scoring. Carp have a series of small, thin, free-floating bones found about one-third of the way below the muscle surface both above the lateral line, and below the line along the back half of the fish. These bones can be broken up by lightly cutting through the bones using a number of shallow, parallel strokes. Cooking will further soften these bones so that they will rarely be noticed when eating.
Cooking carp. Carp can be baked, roasted, broiled, fried,
barbecued, poached, smoked, marinated, or used in casseroles, chowders, chili
or quiche. Try some of the recipes below, or substitute carp in your favorite
fish recipes.
Carp Recipes
Baked carp with stuffing
1 carp, fleeced or skinned, head and/or tail removed
2 cups soft bread crumbs
1 tsp. grated onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. melted butter
2 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. minced parsley
1 cup cooked rice
1/2 lb. mushrooms
Clean and dry fish. Rub inside and out with salt. Mix stuffing and
stuff fish; covering the exposed stuffing with foil. Brush the outside
of the fish with butter or margarine. Bake at 375oF, 15 minutes per pound.
Barbecued carp. Place fillets or steaks on an oiled
grate 4 to 6 inches from the coals. Allow oils to drip from fish, but
keep water on-hand to douse flare-ups. Turn with a spatula, and brush
with butter and lemon juice when done. Do not cook in foil.
Chinese broiled carp steaks.
2 lbs. prepared fillets
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tbsp. catsup
2 tbsp. peanut oil
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. grated ginger
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
Place fish in a single layer in a pan and combine all remaining ingredients
and pour over the steaks. Marinate for 2 hours. Drain and save the marinade
for basting. Broil fish 4 inches from heat until done, basting with marinate
to brown both sides.
Smoked carp spread.
1 1/2 lb. smoked carp
1 cup mayonnaise
Worcestershire sauce
lemon juice
2 tbsp. sweet pickle relish
Remove skin and bones. Finely chop carp and combine with other ingredients.
Spread on crackers or rye bread.
Carp fried in beer batter.
1 cup beer
1 cup flour
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
Blend flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add beer and eggs
and stir until batter is light and frothy. Dip boned fillets in batter
and deep-fry at 375oF until golden.
|
In conclusion, bowfishing is one of the greatest sports I've ever enjoyed.
Not only does it give you something to do in those long boring spring and summer
months, but it is a great way to bring new people to archery and bowhunting.
Give it a try - you'll be glad you did!
|
