bowfishing without a boat
#1

Hey all, my stepson saw a bow fishing video and wants us to get into the sport, we have recurve bows and fishing arrows and reels, but we don't have a boat just yet (probably next year) is it still possible to be productive bow fishing from the bank around our lakes here in NW Arkansas? I don't want to shoot any records but I would like to have a chance to get a few carp or gar for the garden. Thanks.
#2

I was not clear about your problem, I found this article, which it might be useful to you http://huntingactivity.com/hunting-f...-bow-correctly
#4
Spike
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Indiana
Posts: 20

4 years ago me and one of my buddy's would go down to the river house and throw dog food in the river every day at the same time and we'd do it for a week and then stop and after we stopped the crap would still come looking for the food and that's when we would still them off the dock and river banks
#5

Late summers usually see the rivers run too low to get a boat down them (more than a john boat or kayak at least), so we often just walk the rivers on foot. If we're keeping fish, we'll take a little dingy or snow sled to float the fish behind us.
We're in the water doing this. Walk the rivers, find holes, have a guy stand at the obvious outlets, then have another guy sheepdog them out of the holes so they come up out of the murk to be seen (and shot).
I've done bank fishing along big or fast rivers and on big lakes in the past in several states. Just gotta know where the holes are, and plan on doing a ton of walking, because you can't trap the fish the way you would while walking in shallow rivers and creeks. If the water is clear around cat-tails, I've had good luck around the edges there, but have only done lakes up in Minnesota like that, not sure if yours will be clear enough or what the edge flora will look like down south.
We're in the water doing this. Walk the rivers, find holes, have a guy stand at the obvious outlets, then have another guy sheepdog them out of the holes so they come up out of the murk to be seen (and shot).
I've done bank fishing along big or fast rivers and on big lakes in the past in several states. Just gotta know where the holes are, and plan on doing a ton of walking, because you can't trap the fish the way you would while walking in shallow rivers and creeks. If the water is clear around cat-tails, I've had good luck around the edges there, but have only done lakes up in Minnesota like that, not sure if yours will be clear enough or what the edge flora will look like down south.
#6

When the Carp are spawning you can have some fast and furious action. Just hip waders, shallow water with weeds and your good to go. Keep your face to the sun so you don't throw a shadow over the water your hunting over. Lots of fun, carp are good to eat, try canning them.
Look into renting a boat of canoe.
Al
Look into renting a boat of canoe.

#7

I don't own a boat. From time to time, I can find a friend that will go out bowfishing with me in thier boat. But, I have had many successful days bowfishing without a boat. I mainly try to find backwater sloughs or flooded fields that allow me to fish from the back or that I don't mind wading in.