Team Outdoorsmen Productions member Marlyn Wiebelhaus with a state record grass carp he took with his bow in the Missouri River near Wynot, NE. (Photo courtesy of Wiebelhaus Guide Service) 

Bow fishing has changed drastically since I was a kid in Watertown where I was hanging over the bridge on Highway 212, taking shots at the rough fish.                                                                                                                   

  Back then, I was using a cracked fiber glass bow that our neighbor had given me, repaired with a couple of rolls of Dads electrical tape, a tuna can, that would act as my line holder, attached to a piece of wood, mounted to the bow limb with the rest of Dads tape and a bow fishing fiberglass arrow.

  Back then, I was using a cracked fiber glass bow that our neighbor had given me, repaired with a couple of rolls of Dads electrical tape, a tuna can, that would act as my line holder, attached to a piece of wood, mounted to the bow limb with the rest of Dads tape and a bow fishing fiberglass arrow.

with the hard-core bow fisherman and women, shooting from a bow fishing boat, on an elevated platform with numerous lights, for shooting after dark. 

  Their set up includes a high-capacity reels, holding enough heavy line, so that once the bow fisherman has stuck the fish, then retrieved.

 The bows they use are not just any old bow, they’re set up special and bowfishing gear can be purchased, with everything needed to begin bow fishing.

  Rough fish at can be taken with a bow and arrow include, Common Carp, Bighead Carp, Silver Carp, Grass carp, River Carpsucker, Long nose Gar, Short nose Gar, Threadfin Shad, Bigmouth Buffalo, Smallmouth Buffalo, Freshwater Drum, but you better check out the state’s fishing regulations to be sure what species is legal to take with a bow and arrow.

  Many of these rough fish, like the bighead carp, are plankton feeders, swimming with their huge mouths open, siphoning plankton that’s needed by young game fish, native mussels, larval fishes, and paddlefish that feed on similar food sources (plankton).

The bighead carp is a large filter feeding fish that can weigh up to 110 pounds and grow to four and a half feet.

  Removing these species, many of which are invasive species, helps to take a few of these rough fish from the body of water.

  Nebraska the rough fish season is open year around, with the game fish season opening July 1-December 31, sunrise to sunset, while game fish require an extra permit and can only be shot from sunrise to sunset June 15 through March 15.

    In South Dakota, rough fish can be taken 24 hours a day, while game fish require an extra permit and can only be shot from sunrise to sunset June 15 through March 15.

  If prepared, Grass Carp, when filled, properly makes for some very fine eating.

The sport bow fishing has become so popular, that somewhere across this great nation of ours, is being held every weekend.