i was just wondering where you guys shoot flyin' silver and bigheads. i want to do it so bad. my father wants to do it too. the only problem is that people who guide these trips want too much or they don't return my phonbe calls. so do any of you know a good guide or outfitter to do this through? if you do please let me know i am itching to kill some flyin' targets.



Thanks


William

You got your own boat?

Don't go to a guide/outfitter. It's a waste of your money. Launch in the Illinois and cruise around till the fish start jumping. They're easy to find from what I hear. Save your money and put it into your boat.

Definitely do not go on a guided hunt for silvers. These vermin are everywhere. Any tributary to the Missouri-Mississippi basin will have them. For sheer numbers can't beat the Illinois River. Just wear a cup.

Since you're up here in the Northeast, the closest place the find them in numbers is the Illinois River anywhere downstream of the Starved Rock Dam.

Just motor up and down the river using your outboard until you run through a school and get them to jump. Make note of the location and then repeat your run through them and adjust your speed to get the fish jumpingcloser to the boat.

The shooter should tell the driver he has a 'fish on' as soon as he scores so that the driver can immediately slow the boat and minimize the drag on the fish so he doesn't pull off the arrow.

You'll probably have more fish 'surrender' by jumping in the boat than you'll even get shots at, but that's part of the fun.Just remember, if you come back from shooting at Silvers with arrow holes in all of your fish, we'll know you stabbed a few in the boat.

thanks guys. i am just going to save my money and put it into my boat and try to kill some later on. i don't have the right size boat right now but i will in a while. so thanks again.



William

I wouldn't say that it's a waste of money to hire a guide. If you do they can get you on fish quickly and you can learn their tactics and improve your own fishing. Are they worth the cost? Well that depends on each individual.

That being said, you can learn to do it by yourself simply by reading as much as you can, talking with folks with experience and of course going out and trying it as often as possible until you find tactics that work best for you.

Good Luck to all who go after 'em. Be safe.

I hear the Illinois River near Peoria is a good place for shooting silvers out of the air.

From what I've seen, Peru is better and it's closer to you guys. That's always a plus when gas is $3/gallon

I was thinking of the guides that charge $1,000 or better. $100 or less might be worth it, but probably won't find any for near that.