# Bow fishing



## State fish rob

anyone on Microskiff bow fish. Stingrays about to get right in NC. Dawn and dusk. Heavy on the dawn !


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## lemaymiami

Down here in south Florida... anyone “bowfishing” should be made to say exactly what he or she is going to do with whatever they’ve killed....

To put it mildly, I can’t remember anyone willing to admit they’d done something like that.


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## bryson

Do you eat them? I've had stingray before and it was okay, but I just fried it.


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## Smackdaddy53

Guys here pay me $10 a piece for them to use for shark fishing. Chill out guys.


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## State fish rob

Yes. Fake scallops. Usually 
Crab pot bait too 
Didn’t mean to offend. I eat what I kill !


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## Smackdaddy53

lemaymiami said:


> Down here in south Florida... anyone “bowfishing” should be made to say exactly what he or she is going to do with whatever they’ve killed....
> 
> To put it mildly, I can’t remember anyone willing to admit they’d done something like that.


Don’t be a snob, I’m pretty sure you are a great guy with a ton of knowledge but this was a pretty stereotypical post. I can be a bit abrasive sometimes but I can also take constructive criticism from the folks on here if they are willing to give it. I could see if the thread title were “Where to Bow Fish and Fill a Dumpster with Dead Fish After I Make a Facebook Hero Shot”...


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## Capnredfish

I don’t, it it sure looks fun.


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## lemaymiami

As you easily figured out I don’t approve of killing fish (of any kind)... for fun. I did enough of that back when we killed every big shark we caught “for the taxidermist” when I started out as mate on charter boats in the early seventies (made really good money doing it as well - we all did...). To this day the population of big sharks along the Atlantic side of south Florida has never recovered.

I know that in other places the attitude about bowfishing is different and that’s exactly why I spoke up. I was pretty mild compared to some I know about this sort of stuff. If guys these days had any how hard it was to get tarpon kill tournaments stopped years ago (and that was only one of many fights we got involved in... before the net ban was voted in...).

By the way... we lost most of our conservation battles years ago - but we kept trying.


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## texasag07

I’m not really worried about the abrasive nature of it, what sport is involved with shooting a cow ray from 10’ with a bow! I can pole up to them and almost pick them up. I also fish a lot for gar and carp which are low hanging fruit on the bow fishers totem pole. 

Most bowfishers dump their catch when done and it’s wanton waste in my book. Nothing good comes from their charters than some easy money. In the captains pocket.


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## 18590

What about freshwater? You can bowfish all the giant tilapia, oscar and cichlids you could ever want. Only know of one little pond in my area that holds average size bluegill. If you're bow fishing invasive species, I'm all for it. Side note, I've fried up the tilapia and oscar I've caught by conventional methods, they taste pretty good to be honest.


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## Ben

I saw some huge tilapia in lake o that makes me want to invest in one.


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## Smackdaddy53

No one said anything about cow nose rays or dumping fish at a landfill. The OP asked about stingrays. Lighten up people. I’m against the bow fishing guides my self, especially bowfishing redfish and gar even though they eat the redfish. Seriously, go back and read his post.


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## State fish rob

You guys must be a better shot than l am. Running about a 30% success rate. If I threw every stingray that I have ever shot with a bow in a pile ,it would amount to three .I am 56 years old ,ease the hell up. Time on the water yo. Not poppin’ tarpon scales. Not keeping illegal fish. Bought a Lifetime fishing license when I was 16 . Never broke a game law in my life .can anybody on this site say the same ? Moral superiority must be spreading ,watch out! I’m going bowfishing


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## Guest

Eat your quarry and I don't care what method you use. I gig mullet and flounder for the table, does that make me less of a sportsman or un ethical? I don’t think so. Some of us know that our food doesn’t come on a styrofoam tray at Publix and prefer it that way. Now don’t get me wrong, I also see no reason to keep more than we can eat in one night so I am not for “filling coolers”! A typical day of “meat fishing” for me includes my 5 crab traps and a cast net for shrimping. I’ll set the crab pots out in the morning, go fishing, have some fun & catch some fish. When the sun goes down, we will gig a few mullet/flounder and try to get some shrimp with a dip net if we didn’t cast net any earlier. Then we have a nice “organic” seafood dinner the next day all the while spending quality time with family and friends. I have a feeling @State fish rob does it similar!


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## ifsteve

In general not a fan of bowfishing for sportfish. Especially redfish where we all know what happens to the out of the slot fish they shoot.

Now that said if its legal then I am not going to bust someone's chops for doing something I don't care for. Not sure what "sport' there is in poling up to a ray and shooting it?


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## jmrodandgun

texasag07 said:


> Most bowfishers dump their catch when done and it’s wanton waste in my book. Nothing good comes from their charters than some easy money. In the captains pocket.


Come on man. Nobody is dumping anything anything. It's perfectly fine to have a negative opinion about bowfishing just keep it between the lines.


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## State fish rob

Lol. You don’t shoot dove off the line , you don’t shoot ducks sitting on the water , and you damn sure don’t shoot stingrays sitting on the bed. Never seen so many butt hurt grown men in my life
Any of you guys trap growing up ?


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## Smackdaddy53

It’s a stereotype. The greedy, wasteful assholes ruined it for everyone. Dudes complaining about “the sport of it” and you see them threading GULP on jigheads for clients in their videos and photos. Don’t be hipocrites.


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## Megalops

I use this slingbow. Love it, stows easily under the bulkhead. Believe it or not this thing can take down a hog, deer, and turkey (obviously take off the Zebco). That’s one of my good buddies about a month after a knee replacement just taking a practice shot. Can’t tell you how many mullet I’ve given a haircut. Lol. Waiting for a shot at a Cobia...


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## Smackdaddy53

Megalops said:


> View attachment 72614
> I use this slingbow. Love it, stows easily under the bulkhead. Believe it or not this thing can take down a hog, deer, and turkey (obviously take off the Zebco). That’s one of my good buddies about a month after a knee replacement just taking a practice shot. Can’t tell you how many mullet I’ve given a haircut. Lol. Waiting for a shot at a Cobia...
> View attachment 72612


You’re gonna get death by burning on a jet ski for that...
I dig it. Life’s too short to cry about everything. I shoot tilapia around here, they are an invasive species so please no one get your panties in a backlash.


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## Megalops

Hey I need some of those lights you made so I can pop some flounder.


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## Smackdaddy53

Megalops said:


> Hey I need some of those lights you made so I can pop some flounder.


Message me


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## texasag07

I guess I just have a bad taste in my mouth from coming back to to many boat ramps to find big alligator gar floating with a giant hole in the side of them. 

Also here we have 2-3 captains that take people out on the flats and bow fish rays. The flats they frequent doing this it isn’t un common to see dead rays with arrow holes.

I don’t really have a problem with it if folks are keeping there catch and it’s a legal species to take with a bow. Just don’t like to see the waste of it.


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## Smackdaddy53

texasag07 said:


> I guess I just have a bad taste in my mouth from coming back to to many boat ramps to find big alligator gar floating with a giant hole in the side of them.
> 
> Also here we have 2-3 captains that take people out on the flats and bow fish rays. The flats they frequent doing this it isn’t un common to see dead rays with arrow holes.
> 
> I don’t really have a problem with it if folks are keeping there catch and it’s a legal species to take with a bow. Just don’t like to see the waste of it.


I am with you 1000% on this. Just like all guides don’t rape the resource neither do all bowfishermen.


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## anytide

i just drain the ponds and pick up what i want.......


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## permitchaser

Ben said:


> I saw some huge tilapia in lake o that makes me want to invest in one.


i know nothing about tilapia other than i can buy it in the grocery. Can you fly fish for them?
if there invasive, shoot them, dynamite or whatever


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## Smackdaddy53

permitchaser said:


> i know nothing about tilapia other than i can buy it in the grocery. Can you fly fish for them?
> if there invasive, shoot them, dynamite or whatever


They eat aquatic plants, that’s why they were introduced to some Texas lakes and now they have eaten all the vegetation and these lakes are mud holes for the most part. People playing with Mother Nature...


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## anytide

edit: tilapia are.....

farm raised nile perch


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## Smackdaddy53

anytide said:


> farm raised nile perch


Barramundi


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## 18590

About the only thing I can catch tilapia on around here is a ball of bread, or frozen corn and peas. I've got a few on a worm, but it's pretty rare.


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## WhiteDog70810

My dad pickled the carp that he shot. I gave carp and buffalo away to folks that wanted them and never had a problem finding takers. I never had a chance to stick a gator gar, but once I found out how long it took to grow a 6 footer, I no longer had the itch. I tried to eat regular gar, but once was enough (they’re kinda mealy and you have to add a lot of potatoes to improve the texture), so I don’t shoot them anymore. 

I hate killing without respect, so I understand why people get pissed at bow fishermen, but we aren’t all filling dumpsters with carp. That being said, often times the dumpsters are actually provided by rendering companies up north where they want bow fishermen to nuke carp.

I need to hunt some snakehead up here. They are supposed to be good.

I will never stick a redfish. That shit ain’t right.

Nate


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## Henry Lee Fowler IV

This happened in one night and were released into that hole you see in the background. I have seen it destroy many of the lakes I fish. I respect the old guys I see shoot one or two and eating them. I am afraid none of the old guys with some restraint are left. I agree with getting rid of damaging invasive species such as the lone grassie you see in the photo(which at the time I swiped this photo were illegal to shoot) but this is simply irresponsible. Man as far as stingrays they do taste good but please show some restraint. Btw that sling bow is badass.


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## 18590

Where do you find that sling bow? I do an invasive tournament every year, and i could use that for some of the species. 


Megalops said:


> I use this slingbow. Love it, stows easily under the bulkhead.


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## Henry Lee Fowler IV

SuperFluke16 said:


> Where do you find that sling bow? I do an invasive tournament every year, and i could use that for some of the species.


Just found it myself lol. Chief AJ sells it


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## Megalops

Sorry missed this. Yeah Chief AJ and also Amazon which links to his site. You see how my buddy is keeping his elbow high and level? That’s crucial since the bowfish arrows don’t have vanes and if you don’t keep it level the arrow will sometimes not fly level. But it’s a small learning curve. The thing is so small and easy stow away. And fun.


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## Megalops

Mullet are incredibly challenging to hit. And for the record, I only shoot fish that one can legally spearfish for here in ole Florida. I do that too. <gulp>


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## Ben

I think I’m gonna get one. Fish for snook and reds and then shoot me some mullet or sand brim to eat.


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## Megalops

I have no horse in this race, it’s just a fun thing to shoot. I will say, it takes some muscle to pull and hold, but that make it more challlenging. Check some of Chief AJs vids. Hogs, turkeys, deer, and he took out a grizzly. Lol.


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## SomaliPirate

permitchaser said:


> i know nothing about tilapia other than i can buy it in the grocery. Can you fly fish for them?
> if there invasive, shoot them, dynamite or whatever


I used to do them like mullet: chum them with some oatmeal then throw a "fly" consisting of a little piece of cotton. They would usually eat. Or you could cheat and let a nymph sink into their bed and let it sit...in a minute or so they will pick it up to move it out of the bed. They actually fight pretty well in my opinion.


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## Guest

SomaliPirate said:


> I used to do them like mullet: chum them with some oatmeal then throw a "fly" consisting of a little piece of cotton. They would usually eat. Or you could cheat and let a nymph sink into their bed and let it sit...in a minute or so they will pick it up to move it out of the bed. They actually fight pretty well in my opinion.


And the wild caught ones taste pretty darn good too!


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## permitchaser

Well i dont want them up here in GA. But they look like they be fun to catch


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## Gatorgrizz27

Boatbrains said:


> And the wild caught ones taste pretty darn good too!


If somebody says they don’t like mullet that tells me they don’t know how to cook. Or they didn’t get around to it until day 3! However, I draw the line at “white roe.”


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## Guest

Gatorgrizz27 said:


> If somebody says they don’t like mullet that tells me they don’t know how to cook. Or they didn’t get around to it until day 3! However, I draw the line at “white roe.”


Amen! But I will eat my weight in red row!


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## DuckNut

Up north we would bow fish for carp every spring on the floods. We would take them home and use them in the garden. Never ate a carp. Haven't touched one in 20 years but I can still smell them.


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## Smackdaddy53

DuckNut said:


> Up north we would bow fish for carp every spring on the floods. We would take them home and use them in the garden. Never ate a carp. Haven't touched one in 20 years but I can still smell them.


Great cut bait for catfish


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## DuckNut

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Great cut bait for catfish


Yes but not at that time of year. Still too cold for the cats to come out. When the shallow water would warm up we would use small carp (10-12") as bait for the cats. The big boys lived down stream of the power plants in the warm water discharge. Few of them but every year you would pull at least one 40+ lb'er up.


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## Smackdaddy53

DuckNut said:


> Yes but not at that time of year. Still too cold for the cats to come out. When the shallow water would warm up we would use small carp (10-12") as bait for the cats. The big boys lived down stream of the power plants in the warm water discharge. Few of them but every year you would pull at least one 40+ lb'er up.


12-24” channel cats make great drop line bait for big yellow cats...


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## State fish rob

^^^^^^^. I’ve got a birthday coming up. 
Seriously, I found a 24” compound bow that will regress to a 17# pull
( bad shoulders) too much cast net lol
Still busting squirrels & neighbor kids w a wrist rocket


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## State fish rob

Just trickin’ on the neighbor kids , I know how some of you guys are!


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## Megalops

My brother and I used to pop each other with green grapes with wrist rockets. Lol.


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## Guest

Megalops said:


> My brother and I used to pop each other with green grapes with wrist rockets. Lol.


To this day, I still wanna pop my brother with some non lethal rubber buckshot right in his arse. And that day will come


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## 321nole

Megalops said:


> Mullet are incredibly challenging to hit. And for the record, I only shoot fish that one can legally spearfish for here in ole Florida. I do that too. <gulp>


was kinda thinking to myself that bowfishing is essentially just spearfishing, so long as the same rules and regs are being followed.

of course its just for the weenies who either cant hold their breath or are afraid of what might be lurking just out of sight


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## Guest

321nole said:


> was kinda thinking to myself that bowfishing is essentially just spearfishing, so long as the same rules and regs are being followed.
> 
> of course its just for the weenies who either cant hold their breath or are afraid of what might be lurking just out of sight


Isn’t that what powerheads were invented for?


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## 321nole

Boatbrains said:


> Isn’t that what powerheads were invented for?


something like that haha...though Ive never used one. oh and for the record, Im always wary of what might be lurking just out of sight


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## Megalops

Check this out. Just watched a really neat show guys night sniping snakeheads with blow guns.









50 Cal Fish Hawk


The 50 Caliber Fish Hawk has a smaller bore launching a faster dart for deeper penetration ATTENTION: The 50 Cal Fish Hawk darts go with the 50 Cal Fish Hawk Reel available for purchase separately. Personally Designed by Tim Wells




slockmaster.com


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## Smackdaddy53

Megalops said:


> Check this out. Just watched a really neat show guys night sniping snakeheads with blow guns.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 50 Cal Fish Hawk
> 
> 
> The 50 Caliber Fish Hawk has a smaller bore launching a faster dart for deeper penetration ATTENTION: The 50 Cal Fish Hawk darts go with the 50 Cal Fish Hawk Reel available for purchase separately. Personally Designed by Tim Wells
> 
> 
> 
> 
> slockmaster.com


I saw these a couple of weeks ago. It looks fun. I have a big bore 72” blowgun that is a blast to shoot. I can make some tight groups!


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## Megalops

Well, I need your night lights more than ever bro!


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## Smackdaddy53

Megalops said:


> Well, I need your night lights more than ever bro!


I guess I never got back to you on that did I?!?
I don’t build them any more but can link you to the source of my LEDs and help you build a setup. It’s not hard. PM me


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## teebig

Can't go wrong with the swamp eye bowfishing lights. Build your own lights may be ok as long as you know what you're doing. I have seen several guys try and they end up blowing their LEDs because they don't do it correct. Sounds like smackdaddy53 has done it before so maybe he can help you avoid the mistakes but I'm real happy with my swamp eyes. 

Yea bowfishing rules pretty much follow the same rules as spear fishing or gigging. we do a lot of flounder gigging and Bowfishing.


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