Bowfishing

[Hula Popper]

1. Bowfishing

Some years ago, I used to bow fish. 55-60" recurve bow with a shoot through reel taped on. I "fished from a canoe on the Des Plaines River near Chicago. I would shoot any carp over 16" that surfaced... People shore fishing would take the fish for meals. They would cold smoke the carp.
( A local Chicago Trout Unlimited once had an awards dinner where they unknowingly ate carp!)
I really got to hate having dead carp in my canoe! Between that and stepping out on an island and sinking into muck to the waist probably ended my shooting days.
I'm sure those days were one of the reasons that I started using barbless hooks and fished only C & R.
Be careful shooting those river jumpers and always carry a tube of tooth paste for cleaning your hands...