bow fishing boat

im wanting to find more info out about making a bow fishing boat or maybe buying one can anyone help me find more info on them

Quick Google search brings up this page:
http://www.tipsforarchery.com/bow_fishing/Building_Better_Bowfishing_Boat.php

I have one suggestion before you go out and buy that boat for bow fishing. First try bottom rigging a number of different streams and rivers and learn to ID all the different Roughfish species that are native to our waters. If you still fail to appreciate such cool species that swim in our waters then go buy your boat. Also, remember that there are endangered or threatened species like the Blue Sucker, Greater Redhorse, River Redhors, Black Redhorse, and Black Buffalo of which you should be careful not to shoot.

I am sorry but I am not a fan of bow-fishing. It seems to me to be such a waste of our resources to me. Roughfish are cool fish and not worthy of tomato plant composte. If you just want to harvest ten of them for consumption I have no problem with that. But it just rubs me wrong to see a garbage barrel or manure spreader full of them to be used for fertilizer. What’s the point? People that do this think they are doing us all a favor but they are not doing me a favor. What will we all do when some of these species are extinct for good? Do we worship the walleye or bass so much that we care about nothing else? I hope you will reconsider that “sport.”

Nothing wrong with the sport of bowfishing. If you want info on bowfishing boats send me a PM and I can also give you some info. I have a F&F custom made bowfishing rig fully set up. This is an older photo last year I updated to the HPS lights so I could run all of the lights off one Honda eu2000.

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Nothing wrong with the sport of bowfishing. If you want info on bowfishing boats send me a PM and I can also give you some info. I have a F&F custom made bowfishing rig fully set up. This is an older photo last year I updated to the HPS lights so I could run all of the lights off one Honda eu2000.

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I do sometimes go out just to fish for them with a rod and it is fun but bowfishing is a blast as well as for i shoot my bow all year long at least a few times a week i would never shy anyone away from trying a new sport in the outdoors

I guess I just disagree with most of you all on this one. I am not a vegetarian or a tree-hugger or from some other wacked out group. I just believe it is incredibly wasteful. Thankfully our roughfish numbers are usually high. The problem with bow-fishing is that you just can’t release them afterwards. Like I said before, I have no problem with responsible harvest but a full dumpster of roughfish just shows our disdain for these cool fish.

Go ahead and enjoy your “sport.” It is legal and accepted in our culture. Just remember there are some of us who love to see roughfish still swimming.

Respectfully,

C&B

Not all the fish being shot bowfishing are going to waist myself will smoke some and also smoke them for other people that can no longer get out on the water i know alot of older folks that really enjoy them if everyone was just throwin them in the trash i would understand your point better even if i guy used a few to throw in his garden he is still using the fish for something and in my eyes if they are being used for something positive them they are not being waisted if there being thrown in the dumpster then yeah they are but not everyone waist them

Not all the fish being shot bowfishing are going to waist myself will smoke some and also smoke them for other people that can no longer get out on the water i know alot of older folks that really enjoy them if everyone was just throwin them in the trash i would understand your point better even if i guy used a few to throw in his garden he is still using the fish for something and in my eyes if they are being used for something positive them they are not being waisted if there being thrown in the dumpster then yeah they are but not everyone waist them

I am sooo glad to hear you say you eat em. Stereo types is a problem and slobs of any group make things look bad. What Mike is disgusted with are the pics of hundreds of fish in a dumpster or a manure spreader full of useless fish. Often times including Buffalo that are native and prized meat in the east. This is what bothers a guy like C&B or I not bowfishing. I own a setup and plan to harvest a few fish for the smoker but I have so much fun fishing them that after 10 years I still have not used my setup.

Please take C&B’s post as a reminder that there are endangered fish out there that may not be protected by law in MN but they are endangered. C&B and I have been buddies a long time and both of us harvest Redhorse to eat and one to mount, 10 pounder! Wanton waste is hard for me to watch. I am not saying you will but that is the first thought in many minds when bowfishing is brought up. In order to preserve the sport organizations such as the one Carpdiem is a part of, are working hard to make sure the sport is respectful to landowners and others on the water.

I understand his point and respect it some are getting down there in population but some are also invasive and are causing problems so it can go either way and would also encourage everyone to grab a fishing pole and give it a try they are a hard fighting fish with a pole and at the same time would also tell them same people to give bow fishing a try get outdoors and enjoy it thats why its there

The reason I asked the admin of this site to provide a bowfishing section is not create a fight with those who enjoy catch and release of rough fish but for us who do participate in the sport to have an area where we can discuss things about the sport. I will be the first to admit that we will most likely not agree on most issues with C&R fishermen. I respect folk’s choice to do as they like according to the laws in their state/country. I choose to bowfish as I am allowed to do so by law and will not be told that what I do is wrong! I have always advocated fellow bowfishermen/women they have a responsibility to promote our sport positively.

well said! im not trying to start any fights with c&r fisherman i respect that a hundred percent and do my share of c&r with rough fish and with cats and other fish as well but my statements are only made to stick up for this sport and not have it made out to be a bad one

I am not trying to start a fight with anybody but I do strongly disagree with the tactics. Nor am I accusing anybody of breaking the law, however, I would like to see bow-fishing outlawed. The reason I feel this way is because of the irresponsible harvest I see so often taking place. I have no problem with responsible harvest even if done with a bow. The walleye crowd or musky guys or trout people wouldn’t put up with irresponsible harvest of their species, so why I should I put with it as a Roughfisher?

Some species are easier for me accept but I hate to see 150-200 lb. Aligator Gar stuck with an arrow. It takes years for these cool fish to get that big and yes I have fished them before. I don’t understand why people hate the Aligator Gar so much. They fight much harder than anything else that swims in N. America.

I also hate to see rare Blue Suckers stuck with an arrow. I cannot legally harvest a River or Greater Redhorse in WI because of their threatened status but how are you bowfishermen going to tell the difference when it’s in the water. The records for these fish cannot even be legally broken. I have a spot where I catch 10+ lb. River Redhorse(fish that push the record). There are only a few swimming in there but I hope you bowfishermen never find this spot. They would be very vulnerable to bowfishing but there is only a few of us who really cares about them. I care about trophy Roughfish just like any other angler of his species.

I understand his point and respect it some are getting down there in population but some are also invasive and are causing problems so it can go either way and would also encourage everyone to grab a fishing pole and give it a try they are a hard fighting fish with a pole and at the same time would also tell them same people to give bow fishing a try get outdoors and enjoy it thats why its there

What invasives are you talking about?

-The Common Carp has already been here for years and is part of our ecosystems. I love trophy Carp fishing. They do have good numbers though and harvest of carp doesn’t bother me so much but they are cool fish. How about shoot the smaller ones and leave the giants for us anglers?

-The Silver and Bighead are mostly in Illinois. There you go. That would be a great bow-fishing roadtrip. BTW, they are also cool fish and my avatar is a Bighead that was caught on hook and line and released.

-The White Perch looks too much like a White Bass to pull the trigger on.

-The Goby and Ruffe are too small but hey they would be small targets and might prove to be a real challenge.

-You could shoot a few Zebra Mussels I suppose. That wouldn’t bother me a bit.

-No Snakeheads that I know of in the midwest yet.

Ok, I guess I’m ok with harvest of invasives but my point here is they are cool too.