Trad Gang

I suppose it's official, I'm an Archery Addict! I spend my lunch breaks on the river just on the outskirts of town. Each day at lunch I find myself with a hamburger in one hand and a bow in the other. The Spring bowfishing season has officially begun and the daily opportunity to shoot fish is wide open. Carp and gar are innundating the shallows and I'm having a ball! Some of the guys around work are starting to carry ice chests to work and fight for my lunch time rewards! Life is good!!!!CK

 (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/ck/IMG_0303.jpg)

Pretty COOL, Do you use a reel for those?

Good looking fish, so what is a good recipe for carp   :thumbsup:

If I know the Kellar's, they know a way to turn Carp into the most delectable viddles you can imagine...

What's that saying CK, the best never rest?  :readit:    :D

:bigsmyl:    :thumbsup:

Yep, I'm using a Zebco 808 spooled with 300# fast-flight line. It's hidden under my left hand in the pic.

Joe, I'm really sorry to say that I really don't have a carp recipe. I have employees that swear they love to eat carp though and I'm real happy to have takers for the meat. I wouldn't be shooting them otherwise. I'm currently trying to tag one big enough for bow backing. Gotta give Timo's techniques a try. CK

Now that hurt!   Beautiful fish!   I'm dieing to get a chance to do some bow fishing, but it's close to a lost cause in WA.   Carp only.  There are a few lakes with carp, but in city limits, and I guess a couple of spots down on the Columbia, but by and large, you don't find carp in our fast running streams and salt water.   I've been seriously thinking about looking up a bowfishing guide down south and having a guided carp/gar hunt just like the guys that go after elk and such!

Dick in Seattle

Curtis,that fast flight work good???I have the same reel on my set up and its getting close to time for carp in my area.

Good          by the way.

Stephen

Dick,

I have a lake house on a lake in Western Indiana where we can shoot carp until we're sore.  I'll put you up for a week if you get me into some elk in WA.  You'll shoot more carp by weight than I will in elk  :)

John

Curt, Sylvie has this carp recipe that everyone goes nuts over here.  We also substitute carp for white fish and or Inconnue.  She makes fish patties and mixes in fresh grated uncooked potatoes, parsley, garlic and a few other things.  When she cooks them they come out of the pan with a golden brown crispy crust and the inside is simply magnificient....lunch time soon, does it show...LOL

We will add it to the recipee forum this evening.   God Bless

Daniel and Sylvie

Cool! I'll try the recipe.

Stephen, The fast-flight bowfishing line is absolutely the bomb! Nothing compares! I like it due to the fact that a 200# gar could rise at any given time. The small diameter and extreemly heavy breaking strength works the entire spectrum!   :thumbsup:  Get some! You'll like it! CK

LittleFeather,

One time I was fishing with the wife and kids and one of them caught a 14 lb carp. When I went to turn it loose my wife asked what I was doing. Well, to make a long story short, even after sharing the nail it to a board, cook it , throw away the fish and eat the board recipes...I took the fish home. I hate to tell you this but the meat is white and darn good. Man I hate say'n that too!

JohnScifres,

What big town to you live close to? I'm located by Lafayette.

Daniel, that sounds pretty good, gotta try it.

Gracias

Ditto on the FF bowfishin line,the stuff is great.Be for warned if ya stick it hard in a log or somethin on the bottom it's not likely you,ll be able to break it.

As for eatin....I boned out a carp once figurein I'd give it a whirl but I just couldn,t get past the bloody mush called meat.I gladly give them to anybody that wants them but mostly catch and release.Be forwarned about the catch-n-release program LOL depending on where ya are it may not be legal.Here you hafta be 100yrds from shore to release fish parts.

Smoke em! Kinda hard to keep lit but...

Really, try slow smoking in your pig smoker and baste with a mix of vinigar and brown sugar.

I fillet them out and then smoke em. You need to soak in a brine solution before smoking. This cures the meat.

I'd hate to work w/ you in the afternoon........smelling like carp and a squished hamburger in your pocket!

If anyone want to get the real fishy taste of the fish away, cook it whole and run a few rows of mustard in the middle ( by the back bone).  Still add your bacon, onions and all and you will be so surprised at the delicate taste you get this way.  I regurlarly do this for Jackfish.

-------------------
The most valuable gift is a good example

Would you look at the shoulders on that boy????? That's from draggin big porkers out of the south texas brush real regular, I imagine!

:thumbsup:

John... if I could put you into the elk, I'd take you up on that!   Unfortunately, I'm not a hunter and don't have legs that can be trusted in the kind of country elk hang out in in season.   I can pick you up at the airport and lend you a car and camping gear to go after 'em, but that's about it.  Oh, yeah... I can tell you where they are... NW corner of WA... lots of 'em.  Course, it's a National Park...   :^)

Dick in Seattle

Man, I've heard pictures can do wonders for a person. I certainly never thought they could do so much as put shoulders on me. LOL! Believe me Ray, it's all in the camera angle. Scrawn anin't brawn my friend. Thanks for the compliment though. CK

QuoteStephen, The fast-flight bowfishing line is absolutely the bomb! Nothing compares! I like it due to the fact that a 200# gar could rise at any given time.  

What you don't see in the picture is the water ski Curtis wears in case that 200# gar does come up.
I can almost see him now, racing down the river, huge rootertail of water rocketing out behind, bow in one hand, Busch NA in the other...

We used to get the FF in 200# and 400#, both the same diameter. The 200 coils up better. We used the 400 on sharks and salt water fish until Florida changed the regulations....

Humm? Maybe Im mistaken about the breaking strength. Maybe I am using the 200# but I thought the stuff I use for the Biggie-big fish was 600# fast flight. They call that stuff gator line. Keeps from abraiding badly by big gar without using cable at the arrow. Who knows? I just shoot em and hold on for dear life!  :scared:  They normally win anyway! CK

Ok outfitter Littlefeather......when is the best time for BIG gator gar?

Ummmm, I suppose it's best when the beer is cold and the water is very warm.

Actually, They seem to be in spawn mode right now. Every rough fish species is moving in very shallow and demonstrating pure ignorance. Easy money!

The best time is either right now, for the next few weeks or late July and August. Wesbrock and Lamb are scheduled to come do some filming on July 4th weekend. I like August myself. Water gets hot, the oxygen levels plummit, and the gar stay on the surface all night gulping air. BIG GAR!  :scared:  

So, when are we going?  :D

My grandmother used to pressure cook carp so all the bones would be soft, then make breaded patties and fry em up.  Not bad.

Cool Curtis!!!  Hope to be doing some of that myself soon.

Hope ya get a couple of those giant gar this year bud   :thumbsup:    :thumbsup:

:thumbsup:  Oh yea Bud, I've about got all the bugs worked out. The only goal I've set this year is to take a 100# or bigger gar with a selfbow. I just put the first coat of finish on the bow last night. I did a slight re-tiller and now the "Dream Keeper" is primed and ready to fish! It's gonna happen!  :thumbsup:   CK

I can't make it out at lunch, but I got these after work last Friday.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v450/Fletcher610/04-14a2.jpg)

Thinking 'bout try'n this...what happens if you forget to push the release or the string snags?

A few I shot last spring to put in my garden.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/jindydiver/006.jpg)

You can see that the water here doesn't make you want to think about eating the carp (http://www.madmick3006.com/Gif_pics/forum_fun/vomit.gif)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/jindydiver/robaftercarp.jpg)

If that happens, someone will no doubt get you on film.  :knothead:  

Killdeer  :thumbsup:

take one medium sized carp fillet
tack both ends down on a small board   :knothead:  
spread a mixture of garlic salt, peper, sage and butter evenly over the carp fillet
cover in aluminum foil
bake for 15 minuets at 300
remove from the oven, let cool
gently remove the fillet from it's cooking board
put the carp in a small bowl and cover with milk or cream
feed carp to the cat and eat the board
bon apetit  

Quote"I fillet them out and then smoke em. You need to soak in a brine solution before smoking. This cures the meat."

"If anyone want to get the real fishy taste of the fish away, cook it whole and run a few rows of mustard in the middle ( by the back bone). Still add your bacon, onions and all and you will be so surprised at the delicate taste you get this way. I regurlarly do this for Jackfish."

"My grandmother used to pressure cook carp so all the bones would be soft, then make breaded patties and fry em up. Not bad."

"She makes fish patties and mixes in fresh grated uncooked potatoes, parsley, garlic and a few other things. When she cooks them they come out of the pan with a golden brown crispy crust and the inside is simply magnificient....lunch time soon, does it show...LOL"

" I hate to tell you this but the meat is white and darn good. Man I hate say'n that too!"

"tack both ends down on a small board [knothead]
spread a mixture of garlic salt, peper, sage and butter evenly over the carp fillet
cover in aluminum foil
bake for 15 minuets at 300
remove from the oven, let cool
gently remove the fillet from it's cooking board
put the carp in a small bowl and cover with milk or cream
feed carp to the cat and eat the board
bon apetit"

I've heard of you people before but I always just thought it was folklore.

   :D      ;)      

Hey Darkegreen,  The biggest danger with bowfishing is that it's tons of fun and you can get hooked very easily, so try it at your own risk.  Not to worry too much about things messing up.  The worst I have had happen is for the line to break and and the arrow to go sailing off into water too dirty and deep to get it back.  The only thing dangerous is if the line gets wrapped around the bowstring and the arrow snap back at ya.  It's pretty rare, but it does happen.  The AMS safety slides will prevent this.  The Retreiver bottle reel is pretty easy to use and less likely to cause problems than a spincast, but the sc's are very popular and faster to retreive.  Just gotta remember to keep pushing the button.  I use both.

If anybody is within a few hours drive the carp are spawning in Utah Lake in central Utah. Just walk around in the shallows and shoot till your fingers and arms can't take anymore. No need for a bow reel either, there in ankle to knee deep water so we usually just use regular arrows and head shoot them. My favorite is to get down low to the water and try for a double or triple on spawning pairs. There are seriously millions of carp in and around this lake so give it a try.

And for dessert we got possum!

Nice fish pics guys!  :thumbsup:  

Looks like the carp all the way over in Oz are taking a woopin also. Good to see ya Mick!

Darkgreen, Just give it a try! You'll quickly find that if you are concerned about "not" pushing the button, you'll constantly be checking it. Set your reel drag somewhat light so that it will lessen the kickback if you forget to push the button. Safety slide is imperative as far as I'm concerned!

Killy, go shoot some fish girl. Recipes are easy to provide. Someone to try the finished product may prove somewhat more difficult!  :D  

Legolas, Nice suprise! How ya been? CK

Thanks, I have the arrow I just need to set it up with a slide. I'm only 5 minutes away from the river so I have easy access. I've have a bunch of trouble with the little Zebcos hanging up and was wondering if it was an issue with the bigger reels. I'll give it a try.

Hey DarkeGreen, what part of Indiana do you live in?...................................Steve

Curtis
Over here they are a real pest, so it is good to find a use for them.
Deer are off season each spring so the carp get a real hammering.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/jindydiver/robshot.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/jindydiver/goodhaul.jpg)

Voodoofire1,

I live about 20 minutes North/East of Lafayette. I grew up in Hartford City.

Ive always wanted to bow fish for carp but the idea of killing them and not useing the meat has turned me off to the idea. I wish I knew someone around here that wanted them. I tell you this much I hunt them down in the shallows of the columbia river and see them tailing like bone fish. I use a 6 wieght fly rod with small wolly bugger or a carp candy fly and lightly toss it just in front of them and the drag just sings. then I release them to catch another day. its a hoot.

Rich
Take them home and bury them whole in your vegitable garden. We do it every year and leave that patch fallow for the summer then next spring we put our tomatoes on top of them. You have never seen a plant bear as much fruit as when they have carp under them. It is a great way to use them so you can feel good about removing them from the river.