Bass/Catfish

[Hog Killer]

does anyone bowfish for bass or catfish?

[steven JT]

i have never went fishing with a bow i was wondering if it was hard

[Bulzeye]

I don't think that many game fish are legal to take with a bow anywhere.
Catfish is one that can be taken in KY, I think, but I haven't heard of bass being on the menu.

As a genreal rule, if there are size or creel limits on a particular species, it cannot be taken by bow. You can't put back one that is too small once you blow a hole in it. It's definitely not catch and release.

Bowfishing is ussually restricted to the types of fish that are overpopulated,underutilized, non-native, and environmentally harmful.

Is it hard?
Somedays it is.
It can take a bit of practice to get the hang of dealing with the refraction and learning to aim low to overcome it, but honing your skills is the most fun you'll ever have missing something. There is no substitute for watching a stuck fish zooming away with your arrow dancing along behind it. It's a rush, and bowfishingprovides lots of moving targets to keep things exciting.

[bowman15]

Hogkiller, I'd check my state-regulations on that one. I don't know of anywhere you can bowfish for bass. I know it's illegal here in Illinois. Catfish is legal in some states. Your local DNR would be able to answer that for you.

Steve, it's not hard, but like anything else, when you first start out it's alot to learn/remember. Mostly, it's hand-eye-coordination. Get you a bow, set it up, and go out and shoot. Watch where your arrows go and adjust your aim accordingly. Remember that water refracts light, so you'll want to shoot lower than where you think you're seeing the fish.

The very first time I went, me and another guy who had never tried it before had our first fish in about an hour/ 30 shots.

[RobinAim Low]

Bass can be shot in NE at certain times. They even have state records for gamefish shot with a bow. That is the only state I know of. Not sure why anyone would want to shoot one. Catfish are legal in many states such as KY, LA, SC, and TX. I do plan on shooting some catfish this season in TX, and maybe SC where they get some big dudes.

[HNI_Christine]

Hog Killer, ditto on the check your state and local regs.

StevenJT, the newbies we take out always say "Bowfishing is a lot harder than I thought." It's often very fast shooting with no time to judge distance or depth of target. Of course, that's part of what makes it so much fun too.

[Fishhunter]

Fun? It's the only time I get my boat pulled in circles by a fish.

Hard? Only if you're not seeing a lot of fish.

[Shootstuff4570]

not sure if this is true or not but i think you can shoot catfish in lake michigan, but im not entirely sure. i tried searching on the michigan dnr website but couldnt find it.

[maks_daddy]

you cannot shoot bass in nebraska

[RobinAim Low]

ORIGINAL: maks_daddy

you cannot shoot bass in nebraska

That would be fine...if you were right. Why try to tell someone they are wrong when it is so easy to find out out first? They have a very comprehensive list of gamefish taken by bow at http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/fishing/guides/fishguide/FGrecords.asp?recordtype=2

And...page 16 of the NE fishing Guide:

ARCHERY/SURFACE

SPEARFISHING

Game fish may be taken by bow and

arrow from July 1 through Dec. 31 from

sunrise to sunset, statewide. Game

fish may not be taken with surface

spears. Nongame fish may be taken by

archery or surface spear statewide

from sunrise to sunset between Sept.1

and March 30 and 24 hours a day from

April 1 through Aug. 31.

Only hand-drawn longbows

(including compound bows) are legal.

A disabled person who has a medical

certificate on file with the Game and

Parks Commission may use a

crossbow. Arrows may have only one

point, which must be barbed, and must

be attached by a line to the bow at the

time the arrow is released. For surface

spearing, only hand spears are legal.

All spearing devices must be barbed.