Beginner Bowfisher

[Jacobus97]

Hey everybody just need some advice on a beginner bow fishing set up (bow, line, arrows, tips) and what I should buy that is not to hard on the wallet? Where I live we have tons of carp that are just asking to be shot at. Couple weeks ago I saw easily over 100-150 carp swimming in shallow water. Last question I have is what do you do with them after they have been shot and killed, I know you can you them as fertilizer but are you allowed to just toss them back in the water or is that against the law?

Thank you very much.

 

[gabriel]

Hey everybody just need some advice on a beginner bow fishing set up (bow, line, arrows, tips) and what I should buy that is not to hard on the wallet? Where I live we have tons of carp that are just asking to be shot at. Couple weeks ago I saw easily over 100-150 carp swimming in shallow water. Last question I have is what do you do with them after they have been shot and killed, I know you can you them as fertilizer but are you allowed to just toss them back in the water or is that against the law?

Thank you very much.

I just started out bowfishing as well and have not shot anything carp yet, go have a look at Cabela's site they have quite a lot of gear and special packages. By the way, where is the place located that you speak of that has tons of carps? Im interested to take a look at this place. thanks !

gabe

 

[punkrockerpj]

What's the point?

 

[salmotrutta]

Hey everybody just need some advice on a beginner bow fishing set up (bow, line, arrows, tips) and what I should buy that is not to hard on the wallet? Where I live we have tons of carp that are just asking to be shot at. Couple weeks ago I saw easily over 100-150 carp swimming in shallow water. Last question I have is what do you do with them after they have been shot and killed, I know you can you them as fertilizer but are you allowed to just toss them back in the water or is that against the law?

Thank you very much.

Unless this is your private pond, I would advise against throwing dead carp back into the water. You'll create a stinking mess for everyone else that goes there.

It's illegal to dispose of fish parts in the water so you'll risk getting a ticket too.

If it's not suitable for consumption, which I'm assuming most large carp will not be, it is legal to throw them in the garbage like many do with salmon in the fall.

 

[mikeh]

Seems like a troll post, just trying to feed off the previous disagreement on bowfishing. Sent me 5 PM's and also tried to post on my profile.

*I'm sure I'm not the only one who got the pm. Ignore user and PM's from user is an awesome feature BTW....

 

[DanielPerronie]

we have to control the population for carp they take over everything

 

[Blair]

Seems like a troll post, just trying to feed off the previous disagreement on bowfishing. Sent me 5 PM's and also tried to post on my profile.

*SMILES*

TALK ABOUT SETTING the BAIT! (Could it be more obvious?)

- Most Carp are too smart to BITE at this one.

 

[salmotrutta]

Most Carp are too smart to BITE at this one.

Are you calling punkrockerpj and I idiots, Blair? :huh:

:lol:

 

[NADO]

Hey everybody just need some advice on a beginner bow fishing set up (bow, line, arrows, tips) and what I should buy that is not to hard on the wallet? Where I live we have tons of carp that are just asking to be shot at. Couple weeks ago I saw easily over 100-150 carp swimming in shallow water. Last question I have is what do you do with them after they have been shot and killed, I know you can you them as fertilizer but are you allowed to just toss them back in the water or is that against the law?

Thank you very much.

Dont worry about these guys Jacob, seems like Carp hit a spot close to home for alot of users on this forum and as a result you will see alot of emotionally driven responses such as the ones in this thread.

I cant give you any advice on a bow setup.

As for using them as fertilizer or tossing them back in the water thats a touchy subject. Releasing a fish you know is going to die isnt against any regulations however it is against the morals of most anglers. As for using them as fertilizer that is a touchy subject as well. I have talked to two MNR officers and received opposite opinions. One said it was ok to use them and the other said it was a violation. If you catch a 40lb carp it is fair to assume that it is not suitable for human consumption and it would be ok to use as fertilizer. Also if you catch it out of a polluted lake it would also be fair to say that it is not suitable for human consumption. That is the problem with the regs, there is way too much room for interpretation so there is no clear answer to this question.

One thing I can say is don’t go taking your bow and arrow into any public park as it is a weapon and im pretty sure there are only certain places it can be used. Any hunting store should be able to give you a good idea as to where it is legal to use a bow.

As for the members on this forum why are so many people being D***s lately? Jacobus clearly is interested in bowfishing, he probably googled bowfishing in Toronto or something and came across threads upon threads of the arguments taking place on the forum and thought this would be a good place to get some information. What does he get? A couple of users gave sincere responses and a couple others gave blatently rude responses. Mike why don’t you just block his PM’s and not pollute this thread with negativity?

 

[punkrockerpj]

I just don't see the use of shooting a living creature if it is not considered a pest, threat or food. Carp are less desirable of a creature for sure, but to shoot it randomly for your own enjoyment without really using it for good seems like you are showing little respect for life. Unless you are an avid gardener (which You may be) it seems you are making an excuse to shoot something for fun. Why not bow for a fish you would eat?

 

[NADO]

I wouldn’t want to see bowfishing become legal for anything that isn’t an invasive. I’m not sure why Bowfin are legal to bowfish, I don’t know much about the species, if they are native, invasive etc. But I certainly would not like to see bowfishing for pike or bass even if the angler intended to eat the fish.

To me shooting a carp with a bow for fun is no different than a farmer allowing access to hunters to shoot coyotes that are killing their chickens. Both are done in effort to preserve.

 

[gabriel]

I respect all the opinions on bowfishing for carp. However, I think everyone is entitle to their own style of fishing. I believe that bowfishing is the same, if not better, than eating animals that are brutally slaughtered in slaughterhouses; remember, when you point your finger at someone, there are three more pointing back at you. Moreover, by judging a person by the style they fish only proves that you are a shallow and judgmental being.

 

[Yanni]

Hey everybody just need some advice on a beginner bow fishing set up (bow, line, arrows, tips) and what I should buy that is not to hard on the wallet? Where I live we have tons of carp that are just asking to be shot at. Couple weeks ago I saw easily over 100-150 carp swimming in shallow water. Last question I have is what do you do with them after they have been shot and killed, I know you can you them as fertilizer but are you allowed to just toss them back in the water or is that against the law?

Thank you very much.

Basically what I posted in another thread:

You can buy from a big store like Cabela's or Bass Pro, most of the prices are a little higher, but the bowfishing arrows seem to be really overpriced. Lots of stores aren't too great because they provide free shipping to US residents but either they won't ship here or it'll be too expensive to be worth it. The best shop I found that would ship to Canada through USPS was bowfishingextreme. Arrows are fairly cheap ($10 with arrowhead carp points), safety slides $3 each, spare retriever lines $10ish, retriever system around $80, etc. Shipping comes out to around $40 so as long as you order all the things you'll need and some spares it'll be worth it still (spare arrows, definitely spare points, line, etc).

As for bow, you can use pretty much any compound bow. They do have "bowfishing" models (just some blue paint on it lol. I got mine on archerytalk. It's a diamond razor edge (19-29" draw, 30-60lb). For a complete package it was $240 US, due to a store clearing it out, retail it's $330. You can just use an old bow you got laying around or a cheap recurve or compound you can find, but you can go as big as you want. :razz:

Make sure to check the legality of discharging a bow anywhere you plan to shoot; municipal by-law restricting the discharge of a bow. And I've always had the fishing regs on me or in the vehicle (though usually for all fishing).

 

[Jacobus97]

Basically what I posted in another thread:

You can buy from a big store like Cabela's or Bass Pro, most of the prices are a little higher, but the bowfishing arrows seem to be really overpriced. Lots of stores aren't too great because they provide free shipping to US residents but either they won't ship here or it'll be too expensive to be worth it. The best shop I found that would ship to Canada through USPS was bowfishingextreme. Arrows are fairly cheap ($10 with arrowhead carp points), safety slides $3 each, spare retriever lines $10ish, retriever system around $80, etc. Shipping comes out to around $40 so as long as you order all the things you'll need and some spares it'll be worth it still (spare arrows, definitely spare points, line, etc).

As for bow, you can use pretty much any compound bow. They do have "bowfishing" models (just some blue paint on it lol. I got mine on archerytalk. It's a diamond razor edge (19-29" draw, 30-60lb). For a complete package it was $240 US, due to a store clearing it out, retail it's $330. You can just use an old bow you got laying around or a cheap recurve or compound you can find, but you can go as big as you want. :razz:

Make sure to check the legality of discharging a bow anywhere you plan to shoot; municipal by-law restricting the discharge of a bow. And I've always had the fishing regs on me or in the vehicle (though usually for all fishing).

Thank you for the helpful information.