[Bowfisher]

Being I am brand new to the area, is there anywhere I can get out and do some bow fishing? Is it legal for salmon? Thanks

 

[the general]

Here is the rule:
You may not fish for gamefish,SALMON, Shad, STURGEON, or SHELLFISH with bow and arrow or spear.

 

[Hunter P]

Head over to Eastern Washington in about 2 1/2 months. The Carp will be spawning,and you can shoot them to your hearts content. Moses lake,Potholes,and Banks Lake have tons of them. They even have tournaments you can join.

 

[Major]

Head over to Eastern Washington in about 2 1/2 months. The Carp will be spawning,and you can shoot them to your hearts content. Moses lake,Potholes,and Banks Lake have tons of them. They even have tournaments you can join.

While I don’t do it, I see lots of people with bows working the southwest shore of Banks Lake all year round except when the lake is frozen over.

 

[steelyden]

bow fish for scrap fish? where's the fun in that? beings you can't bowfish for gamefish in this state, why do it at all? just to kill a carp or whatever else swims into your view? Maybe try bow hunting when it's in season, at least you can kill and eat your prey.

 

[wolverine]

Lots of carp on the eastside. I've done really well at Potholes when the get the urge to spawn. They may eat carp in England, but the only thing that I use them for is fertilizer for my roses.

 

[Major]

Some people think carp are a scrap fish but it is classified as a food fish in Washington State. And while I do not eat them I have talked to many people that do. Some even say that smoked they are as good as the other food fish listed in the reg’s.

By the way, while you can’t bow fish for salmon they are a food fish too, not a game fish.

And for those that don’t know it, carp fight hard and long when on a hook and line. Way harder than any salmon or trout of the same size.

 

[steelyden]

And for those that don’t know it, carp fight hard and long when on a hook and line. Way harder than any salmon or trout of the same size.

true. pound for pound, they are some of the best fighters out there...pure brute strength. Much more fun with rod and reel. I've caught 10-12 pounders off my dock at Tapps and it still amazes me how good they fight. I wouldn't eat one though sick:

 

[Major]

Like I said, I don’t eat them either. But I have talked to people that do.

In the spring here on Banks Lake at some of the shallow bays I see hundreds of people fishing for the carp with rods and reels. Some people cast from shore and others wade out up to their waists and use fly rods. I was surprised at the large numbers of people that were out there. I do know that the carp in Banks Lake are some of the biggest carp I have seen in this state.

I have seen some swim by my boat while I was walleye fishing that I think were more than 20-pounds.

 

[Stonefish]

If you like to flyfish, carp are an excellent target. They fight great and can be finicky as heck at time. I refer to them as Eastern Washington Golden Bonefish.
The old road bed in Banks is a good place to target them as are some of the Seep Lakes, Potholes Res and the Columbia.
Fun to catch. As far as eating them, no thanks.

 

[steelyden]

I went over to Sun Lakes a couple summers ago, and in the shallows at I think Banks lake, were thousands upon thousands of spawning carp. There wasn't anyone fishing there, but parked and walked down to the water to investigate and was astonished by their boldness. They swam right by me standing there at water's edge, not intimdated whatsoever. They definately have poor eyesight and rely on their sense of smell to identify food and preditors. Could have slayed 'em, but didn't have gear or regs at the time. I never eat a fish with lips.

 

[Major]

I never eat a fish with lips.

Now that is funny. I will have to remember that for future use.

 

[sir john]

They may eat carp in England,

No we don't we give them names and C&R so that others can have the pleasure of catching them.

Poles and other Eastern Europeans eat them. The folk in the old days used to eat them but not nowadays. You will be heavily fined and could go to jail if your caught and killed a carp in a private lake.

Carp killers and bow hunters of carp will not be getting presents from me.

 

[Major]

You are right sir john. Killing them never made much sense to me either. All the ones I have ever hooked got released to fight again another day and I have never bow fished, even for fish I plan on eating.

But it is legal here in Washington State to shoot the carp with a bow so I can’t say much to those that do use a bow. You can bet I would be all over them is it were not legal.

 

[Bowfisher]

Thanks for the heads up on the carp, I wil look into it. I love bow fishing! People who think it is unfair need to try it, as far as I am concerned I think it is more just as challanging as a rod and reel. (area dependend) As far as everyone being holier than thou about bowfishing and killing carp, sure hope you have never shot coyotes and varmits of any kind. Seems like some people of the Northwest have a good ole case of the salmon snobs.

 

[sir john]

Bow I think I better introduce myself. I am an old Englishman, emphasis on the old, some say ancient, I do not kill anything with a gun or bow. We are not allowed guns and bows are frond on.

I do kill fish where I am allowed to and do eat them.

Look out for that old British flag flying again when I come over there in September.

 

[Hunter P]

Thanks for the heads up on the carp, I wil look into it. I love bow fishing! People who think it is unfair need to try it, as far as I am concerned I think it is more just as challanging as a rod and reel. (area dependend) As far as everyone being holier than thou about bowfishing and killing carp, sure hope you have never shot coyotes and varmits of any kind. Seems like some people of the Northwest have a good ole case of the salmon snobs.

Not to mention Carp aren't native to the US. They do tons of damage to lake bottoms and vegetation when they root around looking for food. Females can lay 300K eggs and spawn more than once a year.

Its funny, lots of guys like to toss a Squawfish on the beach because they eat Salmon and Steelhead smolt. Lots of guys hate Seals and Sea Lions because they eat Salmon and Steelhead and want nothing more than to put a bullet in their skull. How many Dogfish have been sliced and diced over the years because they chew up Salmon leaders?

We should put together a rally in downtown Seattle to save the Carp from the lowly bowhunters.

 

[madcapmag]

Sir John is just a cranky old man we let post because he sometimes posts goodies over! Just treat him like you would any old folk, stowed away in a home and ignored except for occasional visit!

I've seen bowfishers out in Illinois. Pretty cool, if you ask me. They say smoked, they are good. In fact, I've had carp steamed. It was light and flaky. Readily took to the soy sauce/ginger/garlic marinade it was in. Realy tasty with some rice.

Smoked, I suppose it might be like shad, which I like too, btw.

So all in all, I might have weird tastes in food, but carp are pretty tasty. Of course, there'd be some places I wouldn't eat it out of, mainly because of pollutants.

I'm not for wasting fish, but fertilizer has to made somehow....

 

[Major]

Bowfisher,

I too am sorry if you took my comments to sir john as being a “Salmon snob�. If I were dead set against carp shooting with a bow I never would have told you about the southwest shore of Banks Lake to begin with.

However, I also need to say that on that shore I don’t see the fish left to rot like I see in other areas of the state. So I assume that those fish that were shot here were taken home to eat or to feed the garden and that they not wasted. I just didn’t have my prior post very well worded. It is the wasting of the resource (any resource) that I object to. in all, I might have weird tastes in food, but carp are pretty tasty. Of course, there'd be some places I wouldn't eat it out of, mainly because of pollutants.

I'm not for wasting fish, but fertilizer has to made somehow.... ir skull. How many Dogfish have been sliced and diced over the years because they chew up Salmon leaders?

We should put together a rally in downtown Seattle to save the Carp from the lowly bowhunters. <

 

[Robert]

i agree, carp fight HARD! the last time i was over in eastern washington i was using a 5'6" rod with 6lb test on a single hook with some corn. that was fun!


the group of people i went with though, kept every single carp and made stew out of them, they used everything whole fish, including the heads and bones. that soup wasnt so fun sick: