 Bowhunters get yourself ready for fall hunting by practicing your accuracy on shooting trash fish and help the ecosystem at the same time. Shooting fish with your bow can be very exciting and challenging. You can get started by buying a bowfishing kit with a retriever reel and and arrows through several companies or at your local sporting goods store. Bowfishing can begin with very little investment. If you have no idea how or where to begin, then hire a local guide to take you out and show you the ropes. Once you get the idea, then you can go out on your own.
In some parts of the country, especially the south, it’s already warm enough for shooting carp and suckers. In the north where rivers open up small areas in frozen lakes in February rains, the carp are already congregating.
Rough fish are designated for bowfishing in each state fishing rules and the species can vary especially from the southern US compared to Northern US. These fish, such as various carp and sucker species stir up the bottom of lakes and destroy ecological habitat for game fish. Check your fishing rules to get the list of fish that can be shot by bow and arrow.
Here are some of the common type of fish that most states consider legal for bowfishing. Many of the rough fish grow to tremendous size (40-50 lbs) and would be a trophy if caught by a fishing rod. These are called rough fish and are generally the enemy of ecosystems, so in some cases lake associations ask state bowfishing clubs to rid their lakes of these pest fish. Game fish, such as bass, perch, walleye, pike etc are not allowed to be shot by bow.
Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) held by author June 2008 (Minnesota)
Common carp shot Feb 2009 in ice opening by Janice Baer, WH Field Coordinator (Minnesota)
Winter bowfishing in open water in Minnesota
Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), imported from Asia for aquaculture and escaped into wild. (Ohio)
Grass carp, Bighead carp, common carp, catfish, longnose gar (Illinois)
Bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) and Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)
Silver carp, brought from Asia about 10 years ago, fly in the air as a boat goes by. The silver carp is a real menace since it jumps out of the water when a motor disturbs it. Presently, it is found in big rivers as far north as Illinois. But recently, a couple were discovered in nets in Lacrosse, Wisconsin. The fun is shooting them while they fly through the air behind the boat.
Three Buffalo Carp. The world record for smallmouth buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus) is 82lb 3oz.
38lb Black Buffalo. (Ictiobus niger), (Tennessee).
Bigmouth Buffalo.(Ictiobus cyrinellus). World record is 70lbs 12 oz and they can grow to 40 inches.
Mirror carp ( Cyprinus carpio specularis ), (Minnesota). Three irregular rows of enlarged scales. There is a version of the mirror carp known as the fully-scaled mirror carp that has these enlarged scales all over.
45 inch longnose garfish (Lepisosteus osseus), (Minnesota) world record is 50lbs, 5oz.
Shortnose gar (Lepisosteus platostomus), (Minnesota) . The world record was taken in Illinois in 1995: 5lb, 12oz.
Alligator gar (Lake Erie Ohio) world record is 279 lb in Rio Grande River in Texas in 1951. They have been known to grow 10ft in length. Often hunted in big rivers in Texas, Lousiana, Misssissippi River and Great Lakes. They are the supreme challenge of giant fish hunted with a bow. For non locals, going with a guide in a big boat will make this hunt the most enjoyable bowfishing adventure ever.
Big Alligator Gar (Lepisosteus spatula), close to 10 ft long. (Texas)
Several species of Suckers (Minnesota)
Blue sucker (Cycleptus elongates) next to Northern hog sucker (Hypentelium nigricans), (Minnesota)
Bowfin (Amia calva), (Minnesota). World record is 21lbs, 8oz in South Carolina.
Female bowfin (Iowa)
Eelpout (Lota lota) also known as burbot (MN).
Closeup of Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula ), (Texas). The large paddle has electrical charges that can locate plankton in the mud.
Highfin Carpsucker (Carpiodes velifer) Has the largest high first ray as compared to quillback or other carpsuckers. The first ray of dorsal fin can be depressed over the length of the dorsal body.
Quillback (Carpiodes cyprinus) Identified by its high first ray in the dorsal, but if flattened will only go about half the length of the dorsal body.
Leatherback (Cyprinus carpio nudus) Carp with no scales except along the dorsal fin body.
Freshwater Drum, (Aplodinotus grunniens), (Minnesota). World record is 54lb, 8oz
Goldeye (Hiodon alosoides) Large golden eye is the unusual charachteristic.
46 lb common carp (Texas)
This is only a brief list of the fish available for bowfishing. As you can see most of these fish can get very large and make for an exciting retrieval after shooting them with an arrow. Many of these fish do not bite on a hook and line because of the type of food they eat. Bowfishing gives you an opportunity to aggressively go after large fish that damage our environment.
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