HUNT MAN and Beav go bowfishing!
Contributors to this thread:Bowfishing
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
HUNT MAN finally drew a non-resident Nebraska paddlefish tag and would be making another trip back to Nebraska. Every year I spend nearly half the month of May on the Missouri R. chasing bighead carp as it's one of my favorite things. Hunt was going to be able to join me for a couple of days prior to the June 1st paddlefish opener. My buddy Bryce has a great setup and we would be bowfishing out of his boat for almost 10 days. Here is our crew to start the trip.
From: Scoot
07-Jun-23
This will be fun! Thanks for sharing, Beav!
From: Rut Nut
07-Jun-23
The fish are in TROUBLE! ;-)
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
Bryce and I would be entertaining my daughter and her boyfriend along with Josh Phlaster and his girlfriend Rachel. Great crew and great fun. Maddie and Jon the first evening doubled on a decent fish. Trip was off to a slow start and water temp was only 61 degree but we knew things would pick up and we were right.
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
Bryce connected on a very solid fish and things were starting to look up.
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
Our buddy Matt and his two boys, Sage and Kale scored on a stud out of their boat. This one was one of Sage's best fish ever.
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
We floated into a nice school of fish and Bryce and I pointed out the big one. Everyone shot at it except Maddie. She shot 20 feet left of it. Turns out her fish was 5 lbs bigger than the "big one".
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
Jon on his first bighead trip with a nice one.
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
Jon on his first bighead trip with a nice one.
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
We were starting to stack them and water temp was rising.
From: sticksender
07-Jun-23
Looks like a blast!
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
Great fun!
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
The temps climbed into the low 90's and fish were getting active. It was just a matter of time until we find a real stud. Maddie and Josh with another solid eater.
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
Lots of solid fish were coming in the boat. Bryce doesn't miss often.
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
Josh and Rachel connect on a great fish and we were stoked. They however would get bigger in a short time.
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
Then it happened! Bryce and Josh spotted a fish deep and both fired quickly. Bryce yelled to me in the back of the boat, "get the gaff it's a big one!" He had one arrow between his eyes that stoned him so their wasn't much of a fight. Over 45 lbs! We take pics and celebrate a great fish and call Matt and Kale and to our surprise they had just shot a similar fish! We make plans to meet up and take more pics.
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
Matt and Kale had also doubled on their fish. We have the grill on the boat and have fish tacos on the beech while we take pics. Two great fish and great times! Hunt is itching to get on his plane to get here! He would be coming in tomorrow.
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
Great group photo! Josh loves to take quality pics!
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
You know it's big when you see this!
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
The next day the water is glass and the fish are up. I leave at noon and head to the airport to pick Hunt up. While I am gone Bryce, Josh, and Rachel stack em up! Hunt and I make it back and they pick us up. Hunt is excited!
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
The next day the weather is perfect and we are into fish. Hunt sees this and knows he only has to wait one more day for paddlefish! Notice the bigheads feeding right with the paddlefish.
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
Hunt sees a deep fish and connects and the fight is on. We finally land him and it is a short super fat female weighing over 31 lbs. Great fish!
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
We find a hole loaded with fish and there are some big ones. We pick out a pig and all fire. Bryce and I have connected and she takes off. We land her and it is a 40 lber. Love this stuff!
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
One of the best fish Bryce and I have ever doubled on.
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
Hunt caught a few smallmouth at camp and was having a blast!
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
Finally opening day of paddlefish was here. Hunt would be going in Matt's boat along with Matt's brother Yohn. In Bryce's boat we would have three first time paddlefish holders. Murph and his dad and our buddy Tom. It was going to be a great day! Time to get the boat ready to go!
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
We look over several dozen paddlefish and Tom finally lets one rip and we have our first paddlefish. Minutes later Murph has a 30+ lber swim by and sticks it. Seconds later it's twin rolls up and Bob puts and arrow in it and the fight is on. It didn't take long and our three tags in our boat are filled. We head back out for bigheads after getting the paddlefish packed in ice.
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
We get a message Yohn had just shot one and there were a ton of fish up and Hunt was holding out.
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
Hunt finally saw the one he came here to get and makes a perfect shot. He brings the 40 lber to the boat and the last paddlefish tag is snapped. Hunt waited four years for this and he picked a great year to draw a tag. Heck of a fish buddy! I've ate paddlefish from a lake and not a real fan but these out of the river are superb eating.
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
We spend the next couple of days shooting bigheads and have a blast.
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
We would be taking some fish home but Hunt was especially excited to fly home with a cooler of meat. This stuff is about as good as it gets for fish.
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
Just like that my 9 days on the river was over and Hunt would be flying back home. What a great time we all had and we are already planning the next one!! Thanks again Hunt for coming out!
From: Zbone
07-Jun-23
Looks like a lot of fun... Enjoy...
Just curious on the paddlefish though, don't know if there are different subspecies but I thought they were protected, at least that is what I once watched on a nature program talking about how rare they were... My apologies if that is not correct...
From: Brotsky
07-Jun-23
Awesome stuff Beav! Great trip and the weather here has been absolutely fantastic the past couple weeks!
From: Brotsky
07-Jun-23
Z, not protected but highly regulated. The area Beav is fishing is one of the few remaining areas where the paddlefish naturally reproduces. Lots of fish, but limited archery tags and limited snagging tags. It is a border water that is regulated jointly by Nebraska and South Dakota.
From: pav
07-Jun-23
Congrats on another amazing bowfishing adventure with family and friends Beav! Thanks for sharing!
Glad to see Hunt add a paddlefish to his bowfishing repertoire! Congrats Hunt!
From: Jaquomo
07-Jun-23
You all are ruthless! What a great trip!
From: Jasper
07-Jun-23
This is epic! Congratulations guys and great pics too! I want to do this one day
From: Rut Nut
07-Jun-23
Good stuff! That looks like a BUCKET LIST thing for sure!
Those paddlefish are really COOL looking!
From: Stoneman
07-Jun-23
I’ve said it before, Beav you are a true ambassador for our sport. Thanks for sharing!
Congrats to all on a great trip.
From: Smtn10PT
07-Jun-23
I'd love to chase those bigheads some day! We have common carp here but they arent much for eating. Congratulations on your hunt!
From: midwest
07-Jun-23
Can't imagine much more fun than that. Thanks for the recap Beav!
Those are some serious bowfishing rigs, too!
From: Bowboy
07-Jun-23
Awesome and I’m sure no drinking was going on:)
From: Beav
07-Jun-23
Bowboy there was a lot to celebrate! ;)
From: rattling_junkie
07-Jun-23
Looks awesome!
From: ROUGHCOUNTRY
07-Jun-23
Arrows flying everywhere! I like it:)
From: Scoot
07-Jun-23
Looks like a hoot! WTG guys!
From: Supernaut
07-Jun-23
Outstanding all the way around!
From: Dino
07-Jun-23
Awesome story and pics! Thx for posting!!!
From: deerhunter72
07-Jun-23
Looks like a great time! Thanks for sharing.
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
07-Jun-23
Great group. No doubt you all had a blast. Any bourbon involved or just Busch Latte's?
From: Zbone
07-Jun-23
Thanks for clarification Brotsky...
From: huntinelk
07-Jun-23
Looks like a great time with lots of action
From: JTreeman
07-Jun-23
Hammertime
—jim
From: WV Mountaineer
07-Jun-23
I love it!!!!
From: otcWill
07-Jun-23
MF Jones Jones!!
Some of my favorite people doing one of my favorite things! Can't wait to see Josh's video
From: Lucas
07-Jun-23
Looks fun!
From: bghunter
07-Jun-23
That looks like a great adventure.
One of these days I will draw another paddlefish tag. Hope to see them like in your photo. Water was so murky when I went I couldn't even see them lol.
Great job again guys and great fish too
From: t-roy
07-Jun-23
Way too much fun!! Too bad Zach wasn’t there. He’s probably not having ANY fun up in Alaska….
From: HUNT MAN
07-Jun-23
I have been a lot of places with my bow in my hand. You will be hard pressed to find a better time than on the river!!
Thanks Harlin , Matt and Bryce for the good times !! Since our first hunt together in 2017 we have had many adventures. One thing is always the same. Lots of laughs and lots of dead stuff!!
Will we missed you. Next year !!
From: Willieboat
07-Jun-23
Thanks for sharing looks like fun
From: Glunt@work
07-Jun-23
Looks like a blast! I know squat about Paddledish but read an article about farming them for caviar becoming more popular. I guess sturgeon numbers being depleted has created a demand.
From: kota-man
07-Jun-23
Great stuff guys…congrats on a great week.
From: MA-PAdeerslayer
07-Jun-23
Awesome Beav! Looks like a blast!
From: Jeff Holchin
07-Jun-23
Wow!
From: Medicinemann
07-Jun-23
Beav, Thanks for sharing. Which one is better eating....river paddlefish or bigheads?
From: HUNT MAN
07-Jun-23
Big heads hands down
From: Shug
08-Jun-23
Very cool
From: Shug
08-Jun-23
Very cool
From: HUNT MAN
08-Jun-23
From: HUNT MAN
08-Jun-23
Slabs
From: HUNT MAN
08-Jun-23
From: HUNT MAN
08-Jun-23
From: BULELK1
08-Jun-23
Way too much Fun---->
Thanks for sharing,
Robb
From: midwest
08-Jun-23
Are there any extra bones you need to deal with in those bighead fillets or are they like most other fish?
From: Charlie Rehor
08-Jun-23
Bow fishing is a lot of fun. Enjoy
From: drycreek
08-Jun-23
That looked like y’all had a blast ! Congrats on a boat full of fish and a tub full of fun !
From: Beav
08-Jun-23
midwest there are 5 rows of bones. We have our own method of making them boneless with out having to remove the skin side. We can make a pile of boneless fillets in a hurry. It does take some practice. Most important thing is to get the fillets on ice very soon on hot days. We carry the carcasses until we have a full barrel then stop at one of the fish cleaning stations and they have dumpsters for them.
From: Nick Muche
08-Jun-23
This looks like too much fun! Nice work fellas!
From: ryanrc
08-Jun-23
Congrats on a fun trip! Those fish look so cool to me. I can't believe how big they get.
From: Ned mobile
08-Jun-23
Awesome
From: spike78
08-Jun-23
Awesome that you eat them kinda sucks seeing a pile of dead fish not eaten even if they are just carp.
From: Treeline
08-Jun-23
Awesome trip with an awesome bunch of people! And one heck of a nice pile of fillets ;-)
Definitely on my list to get over there. Kind of upside down this year and zero time to even make the attempt. Have all the gear for it that I got when I was thinking I could make it but so much keeps getting in the way.
From: midwest
08-Jun-23
When you doing the youtube fish cleaning video, Beav? ;-)
From: Beav
08-Jun-23
We did record one
From: tobywon
08-Jun-23
Looks like a lot of fun, thanks for sharing!!
From: Zbone
08-Jun-23
I take it those Bigheads taste different than common carp?
From: Beav
08-Jun-23
Yes Zbone they are extremely different. These fish are plankton eaters and the meat is super white and mild.
From: WV Mountaineer
08-Jun-23
The slabs of those big heads look like striper fillets. Nice and white. And, striper is some fine eating. So, I’m betting those big heads are delicious.
From: SBH
08-Jun-23
#lovethisthread
From: 'Ike' (Phone)
08-Jun-23
Sweet!!!
From: Shiras42
09-Jun-23
Another epic adventure! Congrats to all on some great fish and a great time!
From: IdyllwildArcher
10-Jun-23
Looks like a blast guys.
From: Zbone
10-Jun-23
Thanks Beav...
From: Jeff Holchin
12-Jun-23
How deep are the carp when you shoot? I am not used to shooting carp more than 1-3 feet deep.
From: Jeff Holchin
12-Jun-23
How deep are the carp when you shoot? I am not used to shooting carp more than 1-3 feet deep.
From: Beav
12-Jun-23
They are usually in 6-8 foot of water but often times are feeding near the surface
From: BigStriper1
12-Jun-23
Looks like you guys and gal’s had a blast. Had to be a great time for sure. Just wondering what kind and size of reels you were using and what kind of line. Hoping to get set up to doing some bow fishing myself. Thanks, Kurt.
From: Dirty D
12-Jun-23
Nice work fellas, I am so jealous of this thread... Thought for sure I'd be back out this year and could work on dialing in my Big Head game. Ended up having some medical/weird family issues throw a wrench in my schedule of important events. We're gonna be back next year for sure. My kids are mad we didn't make it, I'm gonna send them a link to this thread just to rub it in! Love it.
From: Paul@thefort
12-Jun-23
What's up guys? Other than the one can of Busch Light in the Big Head's mouth, no other evidence of a few celebratory drinks. On the wagon? Good job, great entertainment. My best, Paul
From: ND String Puller
13-Jun-23
So awesome, thanks sharing Harlin!
