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bowfishing
Pennsylvania
Contributors to this thread:
sshavocxt 05-Apr-14
Teeton 06-Apr-14
Jeff Durnell 06-Apr-14
sshavocxt 06-Apr-14
Rut Nut 06-Apr-14
Jeff Durnell 06-Apr-14
sshavocxt 06-Apr-14
Teeton 06-Apr-14
Jeff Durnell 07-Apr-14
Teeton 07-Apr-14
Rut Nut 07-Apr-14
dgildy 11-Apr-14
dgildy 11-Apr-14
Rut Nut 13-Apr-14
sshavocxt 14-Apr-14
Rut Nut 09-May-14
Yodermeister 21-May-14
dougell 21-May-14
Rut Nut 22-May-14
Jeff Durnell 22-May-14
outpostdave 23-May-14
outpostdave 24-May-14
Rut Nut 25-May-14
Yodermeister 27-May-14
outpostdave 28-May-14
mixed bag 29-May-14
outpostdave 30-May-14
From: sshavocxt
05-Apr-14
who gonna be bowfishing this year? when you starting and what are you gonna do with the fish?

From: Teeton
06-Apr-14
Theres a lake by my house that had big crap on it a few years back.. Saw them while kayaking it. I'm going to go kayaking come May. If they're there Rut Nuts going to show me how to shoot them.. Then he's going to eat them.:) Ed

From: Jeff Durnell
06-Apr-14
I'm going.

Around here they usually get active around Memorial day or thereabouts.

I want to use the skins of the longest ones to back osage selfbows. I would also like to try to eat them. There's got to be a way to cook them that they're palatable. I don't like to take the word of others whether something will taste good to me, because often I disagree with them, so I've vowed to give them an honest try myself.

Even though they can be detrimental to an ecosystem, it seems a shame to kill them and not eat them.

I just Googled Carp Recipes and saved several that sounded yummy. I'll let ya know how it goes :^)

From: sshavocxt
06-Apr-14
i'm getting squared away to try to shoot some this year also. great idea on the bow usage jeff, and i also am having a hard time trying to figure out how to cook, smoke, grill em. they say everything is good wrapped in bacon :

From: Rut Nut
06-Apr-14
Yeah, hopefully Teeton and I will hook up to chase some CARP! (check your spelling, Ed! ;-)

I too have a problem with killing stuff I don't eat. I was going to try to smoke 'em if I get 'em.

LOL Stick n string- I heard that about shad until I went to a local shad festival years ago and had some deliciously prepared filets. They were cooked on a cedar board over charcoal, but they threw the boards away! ;-)

From: Jeff Durnell
06-Apr-14
Yeah Stick, I'm not afraid to disagree :^)

Heck, I know guys that won't eat antelope, caribou, wild turkey, beaver, muskrat, groundhog, and even deer meat... I disagree with them too :^)

Yep, smokin em is one of the recipes I found and I have a smoker. I'm gonna try it.

I also like the sounds of carp patties with fresh dill.

From: sshavocxt
06-Apr-14
so if it comes down to nonpalatable, who do you think would want them or how to dispose of them responsibly?

From: Teeton
06-Apr-14
Opps!!! lol... So I guess ur not going to eat them, right??? :)

From: Jeff Durnell
07-Apr-14
Scavengers will eat them if you take them up in the woods.... Just don't leave them lay where folks frequent. Some places prefer we throw them in dumpsters to be hauled away... and actually, I bet that's the legal way to take care of them... treat them as residential refuse... like deer carcasses. That's what I do with them after I remove the skins... right in the garbage. I would bury them in my garden, but I know my dogs would dig them up and roll in them :^(

If I think of it, next time I go past the park office over at Moraine, I'll stop in and ask them.

From: Teeton
07-Apr-14
Fertilizer in ur garden cut them up and put a piece under ur flowers or plants. Thats what Indians did. I know folks that would put a fish under tomato plants.. Dig hole a little deeper than the plant put fish ("CRAP" sorry Nut I had to say it. :)... ) in it, put back some dirt. then put plant on top and cover.. Just try it on one plant and come back and tell us what happened.. Ed

From: Rut Nut
07-Apr-14
LOL! Just another word for fertilizer, eh?! ;-)

From: dgildy
11-Apr-14
My dad brined and smoked carp. If I remember right, he would split them down the back, remove the skin and cut out the dark red line. Then brine and smoke. It was great that way. Suckers were good for pickling.

Dave

From: dgildy
11-Apr-14
My dad brined and smoked carp. If I remember right, he would split them down the back, remove the skin and cut out the dark red line. Then brine and smoke. It was great that way. Suckers were good for pickling.

Dave

From: Rut Nut
13-Apr-14
Thanks Dave- do you remember what wood he used for smoking? I heard alder or fruit woods are better on fish. That is what I use on trout. But thinking maybe hickory might not overpower a strong tasting fish like carp.

From: sshavocxt
14-Apr-14
i am leaning towards using the smoker.

From: Rut Nut
09-May-14
Hey Teeton- you been out yet to check for carp?

From: Yodermeister
21-May-14
Went for carp at Howard with a buddy last night. Only landed one but had decent action for stalking along the banks. Hit several others and had one on pretty solid but it gave up its swim bladder instead of coming in nice and easy

From: dougell
21-May-14
I've had smoked carp and it was terrible.I wouldn't consider eating one.Like pretty much anything,they need managed.I have no problem throwing them on the bank and I have no issues tossing crows or stuffing woodchucks back down their holes either.

The third week of May is when they start spawning.

From: Rut Nut
22-May-14
Ed said the water was high last week, so he didn;t check. But we should have a report soon. ;-)

From: Jeff Durnell
22-May-14
I saw two rolling around down a Moraine's Lake Arthur yesterday. Nothing today.

It's close. Things usually kick off about Memorial Day or after. Now is the critical time. Weather from here on will determine if the spawn is concentrated and insanely fun, or spread out and meh. It's supposed to be nice the next several days and then get in the mid 80's... I'm thinking it could be an awesome spawn. My problem is, I'm in the middle of house closings and moving, and all my stuff is packed up. I'm gonna run up to the other house tomorrow and grab a longbow and get my license. I need some skins for bow backing.

From: outpostdave
23-May-14

outpostdave's embedded Photo
outpostdave's embedded Photo
It's finally warming up enough here for some limited action. My buddy Bill and myself took these 5/22 in about 2 1/2 hrs. Some were real hogs!

From: outpostdave
24-May-14
We give ours to the local Zoo. They feed them to the bears.

From: Rut Nut
25-May-14
wow! Congrats! Looks like you had a great time. What part of the state?

From: Yodermeister
27-May-14

Yodermeister's embedded Photo
Yodermeister's embedded Photo
5/20/14 The one that didn't get away.

Wow! Outpostdave, that's a haul! Looks like fun. I need to get out some evening this week. Should be getting good.

From: outpostdave
28-May-14
Rut Nut, Erie. Presque Isle. We went again on Memorial day and slammed em' pretty good only to find that the Zoo wasn't taking any more. They won't let you bury them on the park anymore, so disposal is becoming an issue. It takes a pretty big hole to bury a good days worth. My buddy the farmer isn't even real keen on the idea of tossing them in his compost pile. I have to come up with a better idea before the spwawn ends! Dave

From: mixed bag
29-May-14
If I as closer I'd take every carp you shot for coon/mink bait.Go on the trappers board on huntingpa and those guys will take all you shoot Anyonecloser to the Poconos with no way to dispose,I'll take them all

From: outpostdave
30-May-14
Thanks for the information! I'll try to see if anyone in our area wants them.

Dave

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