Bow Fishing for Carp

[JJ]

I'm very aware of the smell and that is what I want to avoid - the easy answer is to throw them up on shore, but I'm not sure that is the best idea - even if this is a rural area, seems like it could be a problem.

Yeah the DNR can and will ticket you for wanton waste for leaving them on shore.

I had always heard you could get fined for returning "rough" fish to the water. When we fish the rum the all get chucked into the woods. (no houses around though)

Up until about 10 years ago you were not supposed to return them to the water. Now that has changed.

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regula ... =bookmarks

• Depositing fish entrails or fish parts into public waters or onto lake or stream
shores is prohibited (pg12)

Any fish that is caught and will not be utilized must be immediately returned
alive back into the water. A person cannot wantonly waste a fish that is
caught by leaving it or any usable portion on the ice, thrown up on the
bank, or intentionally killing it and returning it back into the water unless
authorized.(pg12)

• Speared or dead rough fish may not be returned to the water or left on
the ice or banks of any lake or stream.
• Rough fish taken by bowfishing shall not be returned to the water or
left on the banks of any water.(pg60)

[xracer390]

Good to know !

[Norsesmithy]

Use them as bait to catch snappers. Or if you've got a garden, bury them 18 inches down between your rows.

Carp aren't actually terrible eating.

I've seen more than a few people leave them in open pickup beds and just wait for them to fall out going down the road. Don't be that person.

[Dick Unger]

Carp are very good if you can deep fry them. It's just oily, and must be served differently than walleye. Problem is you get too many.

Take a 15 pound carp.gut it, use a pliers to pull off the skin, then cut off the head with a cleaver, split the back bone like a deer, (use an actuall sawsall) then cleaver the fillets into three section each and deep fry them. Put them in a sandwich with rye bread and serve them with dill pickels. It's good, even the kids will like it.

It's counter-intuitive but good. Apparently a delicacy in southern Missouri. It's apparently a sort of soul food. On resturant buys them live from Minnesota, keeps them in Missoui in gravel pits, as sells about 1000 sandwiches a day. Thats how we learned. A friend has a deep fryer, he lives along the Minnesota River, he can have fresh fish served in an hour.

[gyrfalcon]

If you know a cop (or anyone else) that's a jerk... and they've left their window open...

[R.E.T.]

Carp are very good if you can deep fry them. It's just oily, and must be served differently than walleye. Problem is you get too many.

Take a 15 pound carp.gut it, use a pliers to pull off the skin, then cut off the head with a cleaver, split the back bone like a deer, (use an actuall sawsall) then cleaver the fillets into three section each and deep fry them. Put them in a sandwich with rye bread and serve them with dill pickels. It's good, even the kids will like it.

It's counter-intuitive but good. Apparently a delicacy in southern Missouri. It's apparently a sort of soul food. On resturant buys them live from Minnesota, keeps them in Missoui in gravel pits, as sells about 1000 sandwiches a day. Thats how we learned. A friend has a deep fryer, he lives along the Minnesota River, he can have fresh fish served in an hour.

There is a restaurant in Omaha Nebraska that specializes in carp sandwiches.

[Dick Unger]

Carp are very good if you can deep fry them. It's just oily, and must be served differently than walleye. Problem is you get too many.

Take a 15 pound carp.gut it, use a pliers to pull off the skin, then cut off the head with a cleaver, split the back bone like a deer, (use an actuall sawsall) then cleaver the fillets into three section each and deep fry them. Put them in a sandwich with rye bread and serve them with dill pickels. It's good, even the kids will like it.

It's counter-intuitive but good. Apparently a delicacy in southern Missouri. It's apparently a sort of soul food. On resturant buys them live from Minnesota, keeps them in Missoui in gravel pits, as sells about 1000 sandwiches a day. Thats how we learned. A friend has a deep fryer, he lives along the Minnesota River, he can have fresh fish served in an hour.

There is a restaurant in Omaha Nebraska that specializes in carp sandwiches.

I've never visited one of these places, but I've heard they do really well. Probably the same thing. My friend visited these resturants and came home with the procedure. We fed it to a bunch of KIDS, they all loved it.

Business opportunity, or just an easy way to get a lot of food. Unfortunately, the Minnesota River has mercury guidelines for fish consumption because of the pollution from pwoer plants and other sources. But I think you can still eat once a week.

[yukonjasper]

I guess its worth trying to eat, but as mentioned you just get too many to want to eat them. I may call the DNR for the area that we will be visiting and ask them what they think.

I like the idea of bowfishing for Carp, but don't want to deal with breaking the law or creating a bunch of work. If I had access to a small back hoe or something similar - I'm not to fired up to spend a bunch of time and effort digging holes - sort of takes the fun out if its a ton of work afterward.

Now if one of you wants to open a Carp sandwich shop.................

Thanks for the input.

[gooseman]

My cousin had the solution to this problem... it's not legal though. He used to use an arrow with one of the barbs cut off so when he stuck the carp he would get them close to the boat and make an "Attempt" to get them. If you grab the arrow first and with the correct angle... opps it got away. LOL I am not really supporting this idea but that is what he taught me .

[bensdad]

If you shoot them in a somewhat rural area, with some woods between your home and the water you shoot on, just chuck them in the woods. All kinds of wild critters will be thankful for the meal. What could it possibly hurt? I've shot them out of the Cannon River (I live in Dundas - about 150 yds. from the river) and I always pitch them in the woods.

[Squib Joe]

Land of Lakes Bowfishing Association has lots of info on where to bowfish and what to do with your catch (including rough fish recipes)

http://landoflakesbowfishing.com/