Soon to be an Illinois Bowfisher...crossbow?
 

Greetings all, great site!
I have recently found an area in illinois LOADED (you could almost walk across them today) with bighead carp. So I want to shoot them with a bow and arrow...actually a crossbow that I had acquired when I was a teenager (a long time ago).

I checked the illinois dnr regulations and using a "bow and arrow device" IS ALLOWED (this means i can use my crossbow...right???) on the illinois river.

So all I need (other than a fishing license) is the proper gear like arrows/bolts, reel, etc...get in my boat, and I can shoot these things to my hearts content???? No creel or size limits??? Sounds too easy!

Can anyone verify these assumptions?

As far as eating them...they were farmed in the U.S. as a food source that happened to get into the mississippi so they have to taste pretty good...right??? I know they are filter feeders so: 1. They aren't consistently caught on hook and line, which would be great fun, and 2, the pollutants in any river system don't/shouldn't be as great a concern as the bottom feeding carp. (I've read previous posts on preparing carp, and I'm excited to try it, but am concerned about biomagnification...that's why I think bigheads would be the way to go)

ANY feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks
AJ

RE: Soon to be an Illinois Bowfisher...crossbow?
 

I'm not giving you any info until you tell me where these bigheads are....;)

Seriously tho' , I don't know anything about bowfishing with a crossbow. I think you'd be much better off with an old cheap compound or recurve. I think you're going to have some difficultly finding bowfishing gear that's compatible with your crossbow, and the time it takes you to redraw/reload with your x-bow might be slow enough to drive you nuts.

Still, if it's legal... and it's what you have.... go for it. :D

Check over at http://www.bowfishusa.com for more info. (but remember to come back here... because HuntingNet rules)

In Illinois there is no limit on carp (common, bighead or silver).

I have heard that the bigheads are very tasty. They do have those little intramuscular bones to watch for. Because they don't feed on the bottom, eat other fish or mollusks, I doubt they get that nice toxic build-up like common carp or catfish. I heard the state of IL was testing them just to see. (I'd like to know how toxic gar from the Illinois River are....)

I heard the bigheads were stacking up by the Peoria dam. I'm going to have to drive down there and check that out. I really want to shoot some of those things.

Good luck to you!

Christine

RE: Soon to be an Illinois Bowfisher...crossbow?
 

AJ as far as i know there is no rig for crossbows but check in at sullysbowfishing and he can steer you in hte right direction.......good luck

RE: Soon to be an Illinois Bowfisher...crossbow?
 

Amanita how far are you from hte peoria dam if its as full of bigheads as they say it would be about half the drive we take to get to the tennessee river....

RE: Soon to be an Illinois Bowfisher...crossbow?
 

I don't know... maybe 3 hours?

(it's a whole lot close than Kentucky... I know that) ;)

RE: Soon to be an Illinois Bowfisher...crossbow?
 

I'm going to give her a run for her money someday so watch out! :D

RE: Soon to be an Illinois Bowfisher...crossbow?
 

First off, WELCOME to huntingnet.com.

Second, if you see a boat flying a jolly roger, go the other way as fast as you can. It will save you a bunch of money on psychiatric bills.

Third, don't use the crossbow. It's probably to powerful. You really don't want to blow completely through the fish. Go with a lightweight recurve or compound. They're also easier to find gear for.

Fourth, I stopped on my way home today from a teacher conference and within an hour got enough bigheads for my daughter's birthday party tomorrow - she wants a fishfry. Christine, there were large schools of carp and tons of gar everywhere. And I wish it were legal to shoot spoonbill here. I saw well over 100 less than 10 yards from the boat.

RE: Soon to be an Illinois Bowfisher...crossbow?
 

Ok im pullin my hair out where in hte world are all these bigheads everyone is raving about i wanna go shoot em too.......lol

RE: Soon to be an Illinois Bowfisher...crossbow?
 

I'm in central Missouri. They're all over the Missouri river and all tributaries. I tore them up just below Bagnel Dam on Lake of the Ozarks.

RE: Soon to be an Illinois Bowfisher...crossbow?
 

I knew they were in the missouri and really there everywhere but where im at and that my friend is a total bummer......