Trad Gang
Topic Archives => Memorable Hunts => Topic started by: Charlie Lamb on June 24, 2008, 09:23:00 AM
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I guess you'd have to live in a cave not to have heard a little about the flood conditions throughout the midwest this year.
This is bad for a lot of folks and there's no doubt about it. I heart goes out the all of them.
But since I live back in the hills away from the mighty Mississippi (the river that's doing the most damage in these parts), I didn't miss the opportunity to take advantage of the rising water and find a few fish to shoot.
Bowfishing has it's own special set of cicumstances for bowfishermen and the fish come into shallow water for a number of reasons.
I'd been watching the advance of the river for quite a while and waiting for those special circumstances to arrive.
Each day I'd run down into the bottoms to check places I knew the water would fill first and was finally rewarded with a couple of winners.
This would be the first time I'd used one of my own recurves for bowfishing. In the past I'd always used some off the shelf, second string wonder or at the best one of my own longbows.
That had always worked o.k. but when I had a recurve that wasn't quite right for the guy I'd made it for, I was quick to drill it for a stabilizer bushing and fit my Shakespeare Synergy reel to a reel seat and screw it on the bow.
With the same grip and draw weight as my normal hunting bow, I expected and got very pleasing results.
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And those results would be.........
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Hmmmmm, gotta give Mr Charlie a little time loading pics with the new puter.
Did you pause for just a sec before drilling that riser Charlie. Pretty sure I couldn't do that to one of your bows.
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I knew that the carp and gar would be coming in with the rising water, but in the early stages of the flood I was a little confused about the way the water was rising.
The Mississippi river bottoms in criss crossed with a patchwork of levee's and while the water could be rising in one place, just across the road it might be bone dry.
By scouting around I found where the water had come in right up to one of the back roads that followed the bluff which bounded the bottoms.
Even early on the water was making inroads anywhere the road was low.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/floodedroad08.jpg)
I'd have to make the best of any shooting that presented itself since the fields that flooded were privately owned and I didn't have permission... though I'm sure nobody would have cared.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/floodedfield2n08.jpg)
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What I know about shooting fish in flood waters is...
1. the fish follow the rising water into it's very shallowest reaches often progressing to the point that they end up in water that's only a few inches deep.
This leaves them exposed with backs out of the water and usually making quite a commotion as they move around.
A bowfisherman's dream!
2. The come into the fields for the abundant bugs, crop waste and other forage. Often you'll see them bust up through a raft of corn or bean waste making quite a splashing.
This action trows the bugs that are riding the flotsom onto the open space left by the breach and the carp return shortly to suck them with smooth vacuum mouths into wait bellies.
3. They also spawn in these shallow waters, though I've often wondered what happens to deposited eggs when the water recedes and the fish leave.
I guess the eggs hatch quickly and the fry follow the the same exit strategy as the bigger fish.... not being a carp biologist I wouldn't know.
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Hey Bud, glad to hear you're high and dry and taking advantage of the shooting opportunities! Git'em while the gitten's good.
We could sure use a little of that water, it's sure dry around here.
Pop
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I posted along the side of the flooded road the first day and did pretty well. All told I took a dozen fish, shooting only at the bigger carp and letting the small ones swim and ignoring the ever present cruising gar.
Not much bigger than a hammer handle, the gar would be available to me all summer so I didn't waste my time on them.
For three days I returned to the roadside shooting gallery taking quite a few fish in the proscess.
As I mentioned earlier, the carp come into the shallows and spawn as well as feed. That means that there'll be a big female followed or even surronded by smaller males pursuing their amorous intent.
What that means to the bowfisherman is opportunities for multiple fish on the shame shot.
In the past I've skewered as many as 4 fish with one shot... they were very small fish! I almost pulled off 5 at once on one occasion but the arrow just didn't have the steam to fully penetrate the last fish and it slipped off as I reeled in the line.
I was able to shoot three doubles while working that road.
Each day passed with the water a little higher than the day before.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/floodedfield08.jpg)
You'll find that when carp are in fields like this they will often find "trails" through brush and shallower water. Once you find a travel lane like that, it's a good idea to stay close by.
By watching nearby weed tops you can be alerted to moving carp as well and position ahead of them as a direction of travel is established.
The days down there were sweet and cool early, but warm and humid as the sun rose higher above the now distant river.
The constant splashing of thousands of carp was puntuated now and again by the trilling a Red Winged Blackbirds doing their own thing with the local bug populations.
Here and there a Great Blue Heron flapped lazilly along transporting my back to the time of the Thompson brothers and their quest for that great bird.
In the distance bright white Cattle Egrets stood in the shallow blue waters waiting patiently like the fishermen they are.
While I would have loved to have waded out and stalked the thashing carp I made do with what I had... flood waters are pretty nasty in reality carrying all forms of waste material and garbage.
By the end of the third day my roadside shooting had slowed. I was thinking seriously about changing locations on the last day. When a saw something out in the deeper water that made me fall into Cattle Egret mode.
A couple of wide shallow wakes moved slowly in my direction as if some large object in no particular hurry was moving just below the surface.
As they moved closer I could see a large whirlpool like hole open in the water and as they moved even closer the white rim of a baseball sized mouth became apparent.
From experience I knew that they were Bighead carp and they certainly were bigger than the common carp usually found in these waters.
Finally I could make out the tapered bodies of the two fish angled down into the dark water and I made ready for the shot.
Fish may seem stupid but as you get close to them you must be aware of not making any sudden movements.
That may seem like a duck soup shot can suddenly turn into a hasy and often noisey, departure of the target. It's good training for bigger stuff!
The bow was pointed and I had tension on the string. I was glad to have ahold of the familiar handle and even happier to have the 67# at my beck and call... large fish are difficult to penetrate when you hit them in there solid parts. Which is something you should try to do to prevent twist off and rip outs.
A head or gill plate shot makes for a more controlled situation.
I slowly drew the bow to anchor and settled there a moment before letting the heavy fish arrow slip.
The white shaft arced out the ten yards and connected, then disappeared in a whirl of foam and froth as the line peeled merrily from my reel.
It took some doing to land the powerful fish. At first I just held tight and let him fight agains the heavy line and a reel drag that was cinched down good and tight.
Finally I drug him through the roadside brush and the safety of dry ground.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/Bigheadflood08.jpg)
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Gary,
Wish I could send some your way. We've certainly got plenty to spare.
Curtis was telling me how bad the drought is down your way. Mom nature can sure be a puzzle at times.
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looks like your makin the best out of a bad situation. Congrats on the fish
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Thanks for sharing, Charlie! That's a nice sized fish! Congrats! :thumbsup:
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Looks like good recipe for lots of fun Charlie. :thumbsup:
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Looks like great fun. Nice fish and, as always, an even better story. Thanks for sharing.
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Good Shooting Charlie...great story.
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Great story Charlie! Thanks for sharing.
Glad you and your family are safe.
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I was just listening to NPR and they were talking about serious flooding in Foley. Good thing you moved up on the hill!
Great telling and fine shooting. Love to read your stories, only can you please drag them out over a couple of days so I can savor them more.
Wonder how CK's plans for a new bowfishing boat are progressing... maybe this winter we can see what water they have left in TX.
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It sure is fun to get some shooting in this time of year isn't it? Thanks for sharing Charlie.
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neat pic's and big ole fish
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I guess you guys thought I was done.
:biglaugh:
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There was a lot of traffic on the road considering it ended in unpassable water. Just the locals doing a little sight seeing to satify curiosity about the rising water.
That's how I got the picture of the big head carp. I asked one of them to take the pic for me.
I was having a hell of a time setting up the camera, setting the timer and wrasslin that big ole carp into position before the shutter snapped. I won't show those pics and it's just as well that there was no audio either.
Another sight seer stopped to jaw and told me of a place where he'd just seen carp crossing a flooded section of road... "they're everywhere!"
Well, I'd heard that line before but decided to cruise over to where he suggested just to see.
I knew exactly where he was talking about and had soon loaded my truck and was heading over there.
Where the road ended at the water turned out to be right by a friends house. I'm sure it's underwater now, but he's smart enough to have flood insurance and will be alright.
Parking across the road from the house I walked down to a causeway that crossed a big lake. Normally it would be twenty feet from the road on top to the water below but now it was flowing over in a pretty strong current.
Although it was just 6 or 8 inches deep the carp and gar were crossing and laying EVERYWHERE!
The carp weren't even that spooky and the little gar were downright trusting.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/Kingslakecarponroad.jpg)
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Go get'em Charlie!! that last pic right there is Bowfishing heaven. Kinda wish I still lived over on the St.Louis side of the state.
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I tried to pick out the bigger fish, but none of them were huge. Hopefully a solid head or gill plate shot would keep the tip of my arrow from bending and dulling on the hard pan road inches under the water.
I was pretty impressed with the Muzzy Gar point as it went through the fish and struck the road anyway, but remained in very good shape.
I'd shot several fish when I noticed a car pull in near my truck. Keeping an eye open in that direction (there's some real s***bums in this area) I soon saw a Sheriff's deputy round the back of my truck.
Dragging my most recent fish back to the dry section of the road for arrow removal I met the deputy who was all smiles and good nature... I hate to say that that is almost a surprise these days.
He was very interested in the process and we chatted for quite a while and when his buddy pulled up we continued the conversation.
Finally he got to his point and apologetically told me I'd have to move along as his orders were to keep people away from the rising water for safety sake.
I was disappointed to say the least, but it was time to get home anyway.
Once again I asked for a favor and had the deputy take my picture with my new catch.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/floodwatercarp08.jpg)
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First pic looks like old 79 about 5 minutes from my house. If you ever need a camera man, I help.
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Glenn... we'll have to shoot a few arrows some day.
That last pic is the Kings lake road.
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Great pictures Charlie even if ya did'nt take them :D Good to see you are well and having fun :thumbsup:
Brent
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Brent... when you get settled, you'll have to get in contact with my son. He's in the Phoenix area and could use a hunting partner.
I'll bet they have carp out there too. LOL It sure seems like pretty country.
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You got a PM Charlie :thumbsup:
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Great story and pics as always Charlie...but I hear it's 14 years bad luck to drill a hole in a Sunbear :biglaugh: Glad you and Miss Sunnybear are weathering the storm, and even making some lemonade with those lemons.
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I did cringe a little bit when I put the bow in the drill press.
I just made sure it was squarely through the handle overlay so that if I ever want to I can just grind off the overlay, add a new one and voila, good as new.
It does seem to make a difference in my bowfishing as I had very few misses. Maybe it was just because I'd developed a habit of snap shooting when bowfishing and I've been working on curing that little snafu.
Regardless, it's smooth drawing, has plenty of power, and fits my hand just right.
I moved around to a few different places after this story took place and it became increasingly more difficult to get to the water.
The main north/south highway is now closed with water over the road and any side roads are blocked by barricades and National Guardmen.
My old house in town is flooded up to the back deck and the river has finally inundated the high side of town.
The misses and I are safely tucked into our new house some 200 ft above the river bottoms.
I'm shifting my focus to squirrel hunting as soon as I get rid of this dang tennis elbow thing I've got going on.
So stay tuned. :wavey: :campfire:
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:clapper:
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Looks like fun Charlie!! Get ready for more water,rained 8-9" here last nite! Most of it in bout 4 hours!! :help:
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Cool Mo DEE!
:wavey:
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Didn't look like that elbow hurt your shooting too much.
I may have to come see you and bring the ultrasound machine....along with my bow.
Chris
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Hey Lamb,
Nice story . The only thing is - I think I've seen that Carp before at Bean Lake just north of here. You did have a different colored shirt on.
Glad you and your family are safe.
You are "The story teller"
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Good to see that you've gotten that computing machine up and running! Also good to see you wencing through a good shoot-out. I know all too well about shooting with pain. The shoulder lets me know it's there every day.
Dry, dry, dry is the word around here. I think I saw a lizzard fighting a snake over a canteen the other day. :D It hasn't rained a measurable amount since September.
While you've been wacking fish I've been doing some scouting for Jason Westbrock. He'll be here on the 4 th of July weekend again this year like he did with you and I last year. No problem finding hogs! The corn is still standing in the fields for a few more weeks and with the drought going on all you have to do is hunt the trails between the standing corn and the remaining few water holes. I shot this guy at the edge of a water hole a few nights ago as darkness strangled the life from another day.
This bow is a nocturnal Sunbear.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/Littlefeather/Picture754.jpg)
See how relaxed she looks laying next to my pig in the darkness. :rolleyes: Thanks again for the great bow Charlie! She works really well with my teflon coated El Grandes! Talk to you soon. :wavey: Hello to the rest of the Gang! :thumbsup: CK
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Great Story Mr. Lamb, Nice fish too.
Great looking Bow & Hog You got there CK....
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Good times Charlie! Looks like a blast hunting the roads like that! :D
Hey Curtis! You're looking well li'l buddy, hope you're not too dessicated. That's a fine looking hog :thumbsup: (the bow's even nicer ;) )
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Good lookin hog there buddy. Wish I could wangle my way down there for some of that. I've got another Sunbear up here that ain't afraid of the dark.
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Dang! CK on TG. Been a while little brother. I see you are still a hog's nightmare. Great looking bow and piggy.
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:D Sorry to have been absent.
Turning my hobby into a business has left me with a real need to disconnect after hunting season is over. I just needed to find some balance in all this. AND I had two hard drive crashes in two old computers. Lost everything and got kinda bitter towards the computer thangy.
Yea, I'm still wacking pigs and I'm sure Charlie is still finding some flood water with some fish. :saywhat: I hear ol' Butch found a honey hole that he had to show Charlie yesterday. :biglaugh:
Call me Shaun. I've tried for quite awhile but it seems the towers are clogged with flood calls out your way. Glad to know you are alright and still afloat. CK
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Dang Curtis, nice hog!!! Is it next Thursday yet? :pray: