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Bow fishing

Does anyone bow fish in AZ?

Where do you go?

Nope there are no elk deer or carp in AZ! Ha!

Roosevelt Lake, Verde and Salt Rivers.

I used to get all over the carp on the Verde. I honestly think Andy and I put a serious dent in the population. Man it was fun.

I used to do the Rim Country Bowhunters Carp Contest but after Andy thrashed them one year and I got them the next they changed the rules so only members could do it. For two years in a row one of us won most pounds and big fish. One year Andy could have divided his catch and taken 1st- 3rd. We had a system. I'm the proud holder of the Carp King hat from my last shoot.

Is there anyone who does a guide service for this? I have been wanting to do this, but don't have the gear or knowledge.

I think hiring a guide would spoil the total low brow redneck fun of it. HA!

This ain't big game hunting it is varmint hunting.

Got to http://www.sullysbowfishing.com/ and check out the gear. The bottle reels with the dacron line are the way to go. They just mount on the sight window of your bow. I use a recurve so I had to install some threaded bushings but that was easy too. Buy a few fiberglass arrows with the cheap tips and you are on your way. You don't need anything too fancy. If you are doing it in the Verde you will destroy tips on the shallow rocky bottom so a couple of spares are nice.

For safety, get in the habit of checking that your line is not hung up on the reel or bow before EVERY shot. Also use the little plastic slides that come with the arrows to attach the string.

Lakes are tougher because they require you to have a boat. I use a canoe on the Verde though.

The best time to go is in May-June when the carp spawn and are in shallow water. They like to hang out along the banks and in shallow pools or above and below little riffles.

It is the most fun you can have with your clothes on! Do not drink while doing this because that would put it over the edge on the fun scale and they will outlaw it! The same reason they don't allow total nudity in bars serving alcohol. Ha!

Oh yeah, Aim low!

Cool, thanks for the advice. I was thinking a guide as I do not have a spare bow to use. I was looking at buying opne just to bow fish with, butt moeny is tight right now. I may just end up doing it anyway. Thanks again.

I used to have a cheapy recurve that I used for bowfishing and worked perfect for it. Shot instinctive, had a reel mounted to the front of it and just not much at all invested. Id say if you can afford a guide for a day you can easily afford a junker recurve and reel to mount to the front. We used to drill holes in our aluminum arrows because we got better distance and penetration than the fish arrows. We'd attach the fishing line with an ex large fishing snap and swivel thru the hole drilled in the arrow and a fish head point, worked like a champ. We'd chase carp up and down an irrigation ditch all day !! Serious redneck fun to be had, I need to do that again.

If you do buy a cheapo bow (good idea cause your good bow will get trashed) don't get anything over 60 pounds (for trad anyway) cause you will be shooting a lot. One day I must have had 150 shots (killed about 40 fish) but my shoulder was messed up for a few weeks. I shoot a 60+ pound Martin Hunter recurve. You can get a real cheap old school compound off ebay or craigslist. You really don't need (or want) anything fancy. You might drop it in the river or lake and never see it again!

Go for it! You will be hooked just like everybody I know who has done it.

redbeard when is the Rim country contest and what body of water?

It is usually the first week of May on the Verde River. They used to start by the car dealership on hwy 260 at 6 or 7 am. You have to weigh in by 4 or 5pm I can't remember.

A couple years ago they changed the rules so that you had to be a club member to participate so you might look into that. I'd like to think it was because of me and Andy that they did it. I'm not bragging, we just had SO much fun and we had a system and we totally sacrificed our bodies to do it. We had so many fish that we couldn't keep them all in the canoe. We had to stash them along the river then come back to get them with the truck before weigh in time.

The last time Andy and I went down for the shoot we decided at the last minute not to enter and just went off for fun. We I think we shot over 100 fish that day. I think Andy had 68 and I had around 40. Over 600 pounds between us. We would have crushed them again. That's fun! I don't care who you are!

OK, I'm bragging, but it is about carp shooting. The funnest archery sport on the planet. I get so excited just thinking about it. Andy moved to Tucson and bigger and better things so I haven't been carp shooting since. It was sort of like Jordan and Pippen. Or maybe more like Sigfreid and Roy. HAA!

Redbeard I'm in Maricopa if you want to do the bow fishing again let me know I'm down.

Robert,

If your gonna bowfish with redbeard your in for a good time,,, but you better be in tip top shape because its a work out and that guy can get after it now. good luck

Ryan

Come on Ryan. I'm a fragile old man now.

You haven't even experienced real carp shooting yet. I'll drag your skinny butt down the river this summer. We will be trashed after a long day of dragging a canoe down that rocky shallow river. But it is so worth it.

My broken ribs are feeling a little better so I'm going to do a 6hr off-road motorcycle endurance race this weekend. That ought to either kill me or get me into some horn hunting shape.

I'll be dreaming of carp shooting though....

I am a little scared to go now. I can see myself getting a new addication.

Ah just try a little bit. It won't hurt you...he he he...

I had to move to Tucson to get some professional help from the addiction.

Haven't been Sucka-Fish shootin in a few years.

But I sense I am gonna fall off the wagon here this summer.....

As good as it gets right here guys.....

Andy,

Thanks for posting those. That really brings back some good memories. Man those were some fun days. We gotta get back after those sucka fish again soon.

BTW I'm the retard in the canoe. Andy is the one with a couple hundred pounds of fish!

that looks like great fun. I can't wait.

Chris, we got to get together and do some carp stickin. you've told me about it for a while now so lets go! And yes I finally have a computer so I'm back! email [email protected] Eric

Looks like I might be linin' up some redneck fun this summer. Sounds good.

Hello everyone, I'm new here and also to az . Where is some good places to go bow fishing ? I don't have a boat yet but do have my full set up . Anyone down to hang and go bow fishing ? I'm on the west side.

Lake Pleasant has a good number of carp, but it is crowded on the weekends. You can walk some of the coves in the spring and find fish. I prefer Roosevelt. A boat is a must at Rosey in my opinion. I only make it in the spring, and never enough times.

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