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Re: Opinions on Bowfishing? [Re: Notaguide] #12642378 02/23/18 03:04 AM
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Originally Posted By: Notaguide
Kill all the grass carp you can


You have to be careful about that, some of those fish are privately owned. If you're not sure, it's best to release them.

Last edited by TXMulti-Species; 02/23/18 03:04 AM.

Catch and release. The dream - to catch one of every species of Freshwater fish in our great state! If only I can resist Carp...
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Re: Opinions on Bowfishing? [Re: TXMulti-Species] #12642516 02/23/18 04:32 AM
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Originally Posted By: TXMulti-Species
Originally Posted By: crapicat
Almost forgot to give my opinion on bowfishing...with the demise of commercial fishing on most, if not all of the fresh water lakes, it seems bow fishing fulfills a need to reduce the number of roughfish in a given body of water. If you have ever spent any time speaking with a commercial fisherman, you will understand that over regulation by the TPW was a primary element in the demise of commercial fishing. Therefore, I could not in good conscience support more restrictive regulations on the sport of bow fishing, lest I would partly to blame for destroying a needed service of reducing the rough fish population within our lakes. I do however believe that those who engage in the practice should learn to utilize the resources they have taken, even if they give them to a soup kitchen...


Rough fish are a necessary part of the ecosystem. Baby carp provide excellent forage for bass, and studies have shown that the bass are better off with carp than without. Of course, that's just one example, though there are plenty.


Yes, rough fish in balance are a necessary part of the ecosystem, but I was specifically addressing the relative over abundance of them.

Since I focus on crappie fishing, the relative forage consumption of Bass is not high on my list...other than, I do keep/consume all the legal bass I catch to get their relative numbers down, to limit their predation on crappie.

I still dont believe that adding a new set of regulations is warranted based on any facts I have seen herein.

Re: Opinions on Bowfishing? [Re: crapicat] #12642555 02/23/18 05:09 AM
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Originally Posted By: crapicat
Originally Posted By: TXMulti-Species
Originally Posted By: crapicat
Almost forgot to give my opinion on bowfishing...with the demise of commercial fishing on most, if not all of the fresh water lakes, it seems bow fishing fulfills a need to reduce the number of roughfish in a given body of water. If you have ever spent any time speaking with a commercial fisherman, you will understand that over regulation by the TPW was a primary element in the demise of commercial fishing. Therefore, I could not in good conscience support more restrictive regulations on the sport of bow fishing, lest I would partly to blame for destroying a needed service of reducing the rough fish population within our lakes. I do however believe that those who engage in the practice should learn to utilize the resources they have taken, even if they give them to a soup kitchen...


Rough fish are a necessary part of the ecosystem. Baby carp provide excellent forage for bass, and studies have shown that the bass are better off with carp than without. Of course, that's just one example, though there are plenty.


Yes, rough fish in balance are a necessary part of the ecosystem, but I was specifically addressing the relative over abundance of them.

Since I focus on crappie fishing, the relative forage consumption of Bass is not high on my list...other than, I do keep/consume all the legal bass I catch to get their relative numbers down, to limit their predation on crappie.

I still dont believe that adding a new set of regulations is warranted based on any facts I have seen herein.


The primary factor affecting the quality of any fishery is human interaction, whether it be pollution, overharvest, etc. Any body of water can only support so many fish, and there is a delicate balance at play. We should all take a lesson from Mao Zedong's Four Pests Campaign. Impacting any species, no matter how "undesirable," has severe ecological consequences.

TL;DR on the Four Pests Campaign: China thought it'd be a great idea to get rid of mosquitos and flies because they spread disease, and rats and sparrows because they ate crops. They killed a ton of these animals, ignoring that rats and sparrows ate more than just crops. In just two years it led to an explosion in the locust population, which worsened an already existing famine that killed 20-45 million people.


Catch and release. The dream - to catch one of every species of Freshwater fish in our great state! If only I can resist Carp...
https://txmultispecies.imgur.com/
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Re: Opinions on Bowfishing? [Re: TXMulti-Species] #12642578 02/23/18 05:54 AM
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I bowfish and am fairly serious about it. I have a bass boat, then I have a fan boat set up specifically for bowfishing. It's set up with a fan and 6 big 400HPS lights run of a generator. I have been checked by TPWD many times with 2 full 55 gallon drums on board and overflowing into the floor at the ramp. Never had an issue from them and more than a few of them tell me I'm doing the lake a favor.....


It's only a good cast if you catch a fish...
Personal Best: 11.62 lbs
Re: Opinions on Bowfishing? [Re: TXMulti-Species] #12642580 02/23/18 05:59 AM
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It's only a good cast if you catch a fish...
Personal Best: 11.62 lbs
Re: Opinions on Bowfishing? [Re: ToasterWEyes] #12642587 02/23/18 06:44 AM
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Originally Posted By: ToasterWEyes
I bowfish and am fairly serious about it. I have a bass boat, then I have a fan boat set up specifically for bowfishing. It's set up with a fan and 6 big 400HPS lights run of a generator. I have been checked by TPWD many times with 2 full 55 gallon drums on board and overflowing into the floor at the ramp. Never had an issue from them and more than a few of them tell me I'm doing the lake a favor.....


That's an obscene amount of fish. Game wardens aren't biologists, many are anglers/hunters themselves, and are subject to the same biases and misinformation. As stated previously, carp have a positive effect on bass populations, and have been in this country for ~150 years. Buffalo are a native fish. Not to insinuate that we're only talking about carp and buffalo here, but that is what bowfishermen primarily target. In all that time, we've caught numerous record fish, and giant bass, buffalo, and carp all reside side by side in quality waters such as Lake Fork. Boats muddy the water far more than carp do. Millions upon millions of carp minnows provide excellent forage for all predator species. Common Carp and Buffalo don't eat up all the vegetation in the water, the invasive (or stocked) Grass Carp do. If a fishery isn't producing as it once was, human interaction is the first and final stop you'll need to make. People make fun of Alex Jones, but pollution does quite literally turn the freaking frogs (and fish) gay. http://www.independent.co.uk/environment...s-a7821086.html


Catch and release. The dream - to catch one of every species of Freshwater fish in our great state! If only I can resist Carp...
https://txmultispecies.imgur.com/
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Re: Opinions on Bowfishing? [Re: TXMulti-Species] #12642593 02/23/18 07:26 AM
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The point of mentioning the game warden encounters wasn't to justify what I do or try to paint them as experts....
It was to show that what I am doing is 100% legal.
I can tell you this. I see enough carp under those lights in a 8-10 hr night of bowfishing to know that if you're worried about the extinction of the common carp, rest easy. Bowfisherman won't even make a dent.
I can also say that I get as excited about killing a big carp or gar as I do landing a trophy bass. And frankly, as long as it's legal, I have no plans to stop.


It's only a good cast if you catch a fish...
Personal Best: 11.62 lbs
Re: Opinions on Bowfishing? [Re: ToasterWEyes] #12642597 02/23/18 08:03 AM
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Originally Posted By: ToasterWEyes
The point of mentioning the game warden encounters wasn't to justify what I do or try to paint them as experts....
It was to show that what I am doing is 100% legal.
I can tell you this. I see enough carp under those lights in a 8-10 hr night of bowfishing to know that if you're worried about the extinction of the common carp, rest easy. Bowfisherman won't even make a dent.
I can also say that I get as excited about killing a big carp or gar as I do landing a trophy bass. And frankly, as long as it's legal, I have no plans to stop.



All waters will support a certain biomass of fish. Remove a 30lb specimen, and 10x 3 lbers will replace it. Killing the big fish will do nothing but make the fish smaller over time, and give the illusion of "overcrowding," thus leading to more killing and perhaps complete removal. It's not about legality, it's about ethics and morality. You wouldn't want people taking two 55 gallon drums of big bass, crappie, or catfish, as that would leave nothing but the small ones. Why no one can extend that same logic to other species baffles me. It is infinitely more rewarding and challenging to land the fish on a rod and reel than spotlighting it from above. It's interesting to note that spotlighting deer and other game is illegal for the very reason that it makes it so easy. And if it's so easy, can you really even call it a sport?


Catch and release. The dream - to catch one of every species of Freshwater fish in our great state! If only I can resist Carp...
https://txmultispecies.imgur.com/
[Linked Image]
Re: Opinions on Bowfishing? [Re: TXMulti-Species] #12642599 02/23/18 08:42 AM
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You ever tried bowfishing? If not you should....
Then you might know what you're talking about. I have caught plenty of fish on rod and reel as well as taking them with a bow. You are right, it's easy to shoot a few fish. But to hunt down the big ones (and hit the quick smaller ones) takes skill and a knowledge of what they are doing during that particular time of year to locate them. And I promise they don't freeze up when the light hits them...
At the end of the day, it really doesn't matter if we agree or not. The law is on my side. Therefore, I will continue to enjoy my "sport" along with angling in the traditional sense.
If you ever want to give it a try, PM me. It'll change your life. Just leave your Hillary Clinton T shirt at home. (I know, I shouldn't have. But I couldn't resist.)
Good luck in your fishing.


It's only a good cast if you catch a fish...
Personal Best: 11.62 lbs
Re: Opinions on Bowfishing? [Re: TXMulti-Species] #12642637 02/23/18 12:25 PM
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Originally Posted By: TXMulti-Species
[quote=ToasterWEyes]I bowfish and am fairly serious about it. I have a bass boat, then I have a fan boat set up specifically for bowfishing. It's set up with a fan and 6 big 400HPS lights run of a generator. I have been checked by TPWD many times with 2 full 55 gallon drums on board and overflowing into the floor at the ramp. Never had an issue from them and more than a few of them tell me I'm doing the lake a favor.....


That's an obscene amount of fish. Game wardens aren't biologists, many are anglers/hunters themselves, and are subject to the same biases and misinformation. As stated previously, carp have a positive effect on bass populations, and have been in this country for ~150 years. Buffalo are a native fish. Not to insinuate that we're only talking about carp and buffalo here, but that is what bowfishermen primarily target.

soap Not to be rude, but man, you need to get over yourself. It is highly apparent, you are not a fisheries biologist either, rather it seems that you are a well intentioned fisherman, trying to stop what you perceive as abuses against your ablility to catch a record fish of every species, as you have more or less stated in other posts. More regulations, just to help you fulfill your crusade, will not happen. Basically, the GWs routinely visit with their in house biologists regularly, and do tend to keep up with what is happening on lakes they are responsible for...in fact, whenever, I need to talk to a biologist, I call my local GW for a name/number.

In theory, your bandwagon is correct, you have to maintain a balance. In practice is where it falls short, in fact our lakes are over run with rough fish these days, and need to be removed to get the lakes back in balance. Since you have a keen interest, I would suggest you work towards a degree in fisheries biology, maybe the truth of the matter and the truth of your perception will meet somewhere along the way, and quite possibly an answer might be found on how to best maintain lakes in equilibrium...hint, human interaction is the key, as is wide open regulations on rough fish harvest. While, I do personally appreciate your sense of right/wrong, and your desire for a better planet/lakes/fisheries...this very reason, is why the lawmakers have fisheries biologists...to make decisions based on fact rather than emotion, with a strong emphasis on theory, prior practices, as well as best practices. Good post though, kind of a fun rant (I do appreciate your concern), points out to me what a commendable job the state is doing in the area of rough fish administration.

Re: Opinions on Bowfishing? [Re: TXMulti-Species] #12649350 02/27/18 04:45 PM
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At one time, long ago, and in another State, I took my camera and joined a bow fisherman. I was into shooting tons of pictures back then.

In an hour or so, he shot two large garbage cans full of carp. I asked what he did with them. He said he had a neighbor who owned a pig farm. Pigs, apparently, will eat anything.

At least the dead fish were used for some purpose, as opposed to being left to rot by the launch.


regards, richg
Re: Opinions on Bowfishing? [Re: TXMulti-Species] #12649818 02/27/18 09:03 PM
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I'm not a biologist, and I don't need to be to know there are no shortage of carp out there in Texas. I'm sure that any type of legal harvest, including bowfishing does NOT make a dent in the population. I live in the RGV and and more than once, I have called Game Wardens on illegal aliens using GIL NETS and they have always been full of carp. Now we all can agree that GIL NETS can hurt populations. Well not on carp down here anywways, still plenty of them down here too.


Re: Opinions on Bowfishing? [Re: Jake Blood] #12649854 02/27/18 09:18 PM
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Originally Posted By: Jake Blood
I think we all have our opinions on what is fair and not fair and even what people do with the fish they catch legally... so I will reserve my opinion on that aspect... but this is ridiculous. These were left right on the boat ramp. I had to move them to back my boat down to the water. So you didn't want your fish, I get it.. dump them somewhere where it is not someone else's problem to care for. All of these fish were hunted with a bow.




These people have been dumping rough fish at the Lake Worth ramp for probably 5 or 6 years. Game Wardens say they are "watching" for them but every other week theres another batch of em tossed out on the ramp. Its happening frequently enough that a bunch of buzzards have decided to make Arrow S Park (820 Bridge) their home. Wait till summer gets here, 110 degree heat indexes and rotting fish make for a rather unpleasant experience. Whoever is doing it also reads these threads, last time we called them out on it on the forum the next Wed night we showed up to an actual pile, probably 15-20 fish, right in the middle of the boat ramp.




Re: Opinions on Bowfishing? [Re: TXMulti-Species] #12649929 02/27/18 09:55 PM
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That is sad... like I said, I don't get into discussions about what people do with their fish, and didn't know it was illegal to just dump fish like this... But was upset that they do it like this, where it affects other fisherman. The same guys you would need to flag down on the water if your rig died. have a little respect at least...

Re: Opinions on Bowfishing? [Re: TXMulti-Species] #12650052 02/27/18 10:44 PM
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Many of you would change your mind and support bowfishing if you had seen as many gar as I have seen with crappie and bass in their stomachs. I am no biologist, but it does not take a science degree to make personal observation. I can tell you the fact is that gar prefer to eat game fish over carp, buffalo, or drum. It makes me sick to think about how many game fish the big gar are eating every day. Most of the fish I see in gar stomachs are smaller game fish under 4 inches, but those are fish that could have grown into trophies. Anybody who tells you that gar do not have a negative impact on the game fish population just doesn't know what they are talking about.

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