Mr. Petschl, thanks for the post. I totally support bowfishing, but at the same time against this.
FYI, walleye tastes better and is easier to see in the spotlight.
Farm raised fillets are super cheap at Cub, plus the fiddlers are mega easy to catch with some chicken liver and a hook and line if you want some wild fillets.
Thanks for chiming in Brian, I was hoping to here the other side of the story.
http://www.texashuntfish.com/app/forum/10616/Bowfighing-for-catfish-YES-
web page
Some of the pictures don’t show but you get the idea web page
Anyway, tons of talk about it but the pictures don’t show. I think Dtro is right. Once you start on the slippery slope, next it’s spearing them then whatever.
Normally you can’t arrow a fish with a limit so if you’re going to change that, change it for all fish.
If you all think people don’t take bow fishing seriously, you’re dead wrong. A little video for you too. web page
Thanks Josh. I watched the video and I don’t know what to think. On the one hand they are taking their legal limit. On the other there is a mentality conveyed that is completely ridiculous. ‘Let the Bodies Hit the Floor’ about sums it up.
Sorry, I am against bow fishing cats. I just don’t think it is necessary.
I guess I’m changeing my mind a little now. It wouldn’t hurt the populaion any just about anywhere you would bowfish for them because its just to hard to see a cat at night, even with a light. I don’t think it would effect the population much.
Thinking about this more a guy could wade a creek that usually runs fairly clear and shine catfish running the edges at night, I think that would work plus fairly clear lakes probably would be a good spot, I don’t know because I’ve never tried or heard about anyone doing this.
My original post was from the perspective of most guys shoot rough fish with a bow, beings catfsh aren’t a rough fish and are considered a game fish that thats where my first opinion came from.
Shooting catfish for the table as long as they could be positively identified would be ok to me now as long as it didn’t include flatheads. Im sure after a guy homes in on what signs to look for when thier cruiseing the shallows at night a guy could tell the diffrence, so as of now I’m ok with it, infact it would be fun, how about a few turtles taken with a bow too, now that would be fun. After all its just another way to catch a fish for the table. If guidelines could be set where guys could have fun doing it then I would say yes. 6 a day limit with a 12 possesion maybe.
I posted this befor I seen the videos, its alot easier then I thought it would be in a lake. I still haven’t changed my mind and think its still ok. With limits I can’t see much wrong with it, I wonder if its legal down here, I know a couple perfect lakes close by.
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Let me make it very clear this issue is not about adding another fish to the barrel for fertilizer, this is about consumption!
If consumption… why then the channel cat?
Why not walleyes? or Pike? Bluegills? or Crappies? Why channel cats? I know cats are good to eat but they are not the #1 fish consumed in Minnesota. Why not shoot for that one instead… if you just want fish for consumption?
IMO… bowfishing is allowed and tolerated because there is a great benefit to removing rough fish (Carp, Buffalo, etc) from our lakes and rivers. People don’t care, they are taking care of the carp, etc. As soon as bowfishing creeps into the sportfish world, you’re going to have an issue. I think the Pike vs Muskie, MDHA vs Muskies Inc, spearers vs anglers battle is a good study of where this is headed.
Dean mentioned it earlier, how easy & effective would it be to actually shoot a channel cat with an arrow. Question was responded to by “you’d be surprised how many you see at night with lights on.” LOL! Yeah good stuff. I deer hunt to and have my bad days but you’d be surprised how many I see at night with the truck lights on.
<tangent> Sorry Hanson, with all due respect, I call BS. Find me one recent, empirical study showing the “benefits” of removing a native species like Buffalo from our waters. The is only one difference between removing Buffalo and removing walleye or channel cats with bow. That is that very few people target buffalo (they are tasty but boney) so the species can handle some extra harvest.
What really chaps my hide is that MN is behind the times on protecting rare species. WI has been protecting several rare “roughfish” for many years (black buffalo, goldeye, black redhorse, river redhorse, greater redhorse, blue sucker). MN is behind on it because they didn’t think those fish would get harvested but it is happening and that is a problem. </tangent>
Back on topic…
The way I see it… make bowfishing all species (honoring bag limits) or make it all exotic species (goldfish, carp, trout, salmon). Stop screwing around with meaningless definitions.
I’m serious, what would be the harm done on opening musky and walleye to bowfishing? Everyone tells me bowfishing is harder than angling anyway so the impact should be minimal.
It should be noted that Texas opened a Catfish bow season in 2006 and by 2008 they closed it. This is Texas a state with tons of cats, I’d be curious to find out the exact reasoning behind closing the season back up (I don’t have time to look right now)
Here’s the first part of the Texas story:
Beginning Sept. 1, Texas bowfishers will join their colleagues in 10 other Southern states in having the opportunity to catch catfish with arrows in addition to targeting the half-dozen or so non-game fish typically pursued by the aquatic archers.
After discussion over two days, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission voted 5-3 on Thursday to allow bowfishing for catfish for one year ending Aug. 31, 2007.
Currently, catfish are classified as a game fish. Texas law prohibits taking of any game fish with bow and arrow.
Recommendation rejected
The vote to allow bowfishing for catfish was a rare rejection by the commission of a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department staff recommendation. The agency’s inland fisheries staff told the commission it was not in favor of making catfish legal game for bowfishers.
The issue had been forced by a petition for rulemaking from a bowfishing organization that wanted the opportunity to take catfish as well as the carp, gar, buffalo and other non-game fish targeted by bowfishers.
The inland fisheries staff said the agency didn’t know what, if any, impact allowing bowfishing for catfish would have. The agency doesn’t know how many people bowfish in Texas waters, where they fish or how many catfish they are likely to take.
But allowing a game fish to be taken by lethal means would be a step backward in the agency’s efforts to promote “selective harvest,” giving anglers the choice to retain and kill a fish or release it.
Catfish are the second-most popular freshwater game fish in the state, and about 300,000 Texas anglers target them. State officials are encouraging development of a catfishing ethic much like that seen among bass fishermen. Many anglers release most of the bass they land.
“We’re trying to increase the recreational value of catfish,” said Phil Durocher, director of TPWD’s inland fisheries division. “I’d be afraid (allowing bowfishing for catfish) would devalue catfish.”
Opponents of adding catfish as bow targets voiced concern that the move could put the state on a slippery slope.
They fear it might lead to pushes to legalize bowfishing for other game fish species such as redfish and largemouth bass. Representatives of the Coastal Conservation Association and the Sportsman Conservation-
ists of Texas told the panel that their organizations opposed allowing bowfishing for catfish. They cited the precedent it would set if there are pushes to allow bowfishing for other game fish.
Public comment on the proposal ran 3-to-1 in opposition to allowing bowfishing for catfish. Supporters of allowing bowfishing for catfish countered that there is no evidence bowfishers hurt catfish fisheries.
“Ninety-nine percent of the fish we see are non-game fish,” Tim McKee of the Texas Bowfishing Association told the commission.
Bowfishers would like the opportunity to take the occasional catfish, McKee said, because they, like other anglers, often like to eat fish.
“We just want a piece of the pie. That’s all,” McKee said.
Bowfishers, estimated to number no more than a few hundred across the state, would take few catfish, supporters said. And they would operate under the same rules — bag limits and minimum length requirements — as hook-and-line anglers.
The worry that taking a catfish with a bow and arrow violates the status given to designated game fish holds no water, supporters said.
Catfish have several asterisks beside them in the regulations. They are the only game fish allowed to be taken on trotlines, set lines or jug lines. And, catfish are the only game fish that can be taken from public water and commercially sold.
No problem seen
Commission member Phil Montgomery of Dallas supported allowing bowfishing for catfish.
“Part of our mission is to expand hunting and fishing opportunities,” Montgomery said. “Since this is not a (natural) resource issue — there’s no evidence bowfishing depletes catfish populations — I don’t see a problem.”
The commission will revisit the issue in a year and decide whether to renew the rule allowing bowfishers to take catfish or allowing the regulation to expire.
From Dtro’s post:
“But allowing a game fish to be taken by lethal means would be a step backward in the agency’s efforts to promote “selective harvest,” giving anglers the choice to retain and kill a fish or release it.”
This was my point earlier. The MNDNR has worked hard to promote catch and release, and this is a complete 180 on their efforts.
Being the pot stirrer I am…
Wouldn’t the release in bowfishing be passing on shooting a fish? It’s not being caught so there isn’t anything to release.
Like when a hen pheasant jumps up and you don’t squeeze the trigger on your shotgun or in deer hunting letting the doe or small bucks go?
Channels cats are the gateway drug of bow”fishing”. It will only lead to harder things. Just say no!
This whole bowfishers want something for their table….Well eat carp.
“It takes a village!!”
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Being the pot stirrer I am…
Wouldn’t the release in bowfishing be passing on shooting a fish? It’s not being caught so there isn’t anything to release.
Like when a hen pheasant jumps up and you don’t squeeze the trigger on your shotgun or in deer hunting letting the doe or small bucks go?
True.
The one issue I see is an attitude that persists in too many bowfishers. This is an attitude that was common in angling and hunting in the past but has become a rarity. However, in bowfishing it seems to still be quite common.
The attitude is that success is measured by the body count. Once upon a time you could only judge a good day of fishing or hunting by taking home a “limit,” and the bigger the limit the better.
It maybe because bowfishing has not been popular for very long, maybe as it grows it will “grow up.” Mind you taking out large numbers of exotics is one thing, but stacking barrels full of Cats, Walleyes, Buffalo, Redhorse, whatever is something else entirely.
I know for a fact there are responsible bowfishers who would use this opportunity well, I’m just not convinced yet that the “average” bowfishing population has matured enough yet.
schollmeier, I don’t know many bowfishers, but all the ones I do know, know the laws and are very watchful of their actions because…well, they don’t want their privilege taken away.
However, you are correct that their is a stigma that goes with bowfishing. One would trust that they would follow the 5 or 10 channel cat limit as catch and kill anglers do.
I think sometimes we forget that there are people that still keep fish.
Dtro thanks for the read it was good!
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I know for a fact there are responsible bowfishers who would use this opportunity well, I’m just not convinced yet that the “average” bowfishing population has matured enough yet.
This is one thing I forgot to say in my posts/rants!
Carpdiem do you know the post I am talking about on LLB site where a WI resident shot protected species and I made a comment about in WI they are protected then the posts “disappeared” not one bit of effort to ask me anything. It kind of shows me that it would look bad that this was known. How many other cases like this are there? It is that kind of thing that makes me nervous to support a new species that the state (Joel in particular)is working so hard to create a trophy fishery for. Most bowfishing sites I see have areas where members only can join in and “hide” thoughts and pics that may offend non bowfishers. I know I seem as though I am anti bowfishing but I am not. Go ahead and shoot the carp. I am ok with the other exotics as schollmeier mentioned. If you want table fair get a fishing rod, buy it from the store, or eat carp! I have a bow setup and have gone out but I really don’t killing just to dump them for “fertilizer.”
I have and do eat-
Golden Redhorse
Shorthead redhorse
Silver Redhorse
Carp
Mooneye
Drum
And every one of these is allowed in current regulations so there is your table fare! I smoke up much of them and everyone knows what they are eating and love it! I have heard you can smoke anything and make it good but that is not right I have had some bad tasting fish smoked. But the options are there all I hear is one more excuse to expand what can be shot.
Yup, them bowfishers are baby rapers, wife stealers, mafia hit men who cheat on their taxes too…all this from people who don’t even know a bowfisher..uh huh…I’m impressed.
I think the DNR should hire some of you, lots of anwsers with out any information..not politians are ya??
Al
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schollmeier, I don’t know many bowfishers, but all the ones I do know, know the laws and are very watchful of their actions because…well, they don’t want their privilege taken away.
However, you are correct that their is a stigma that goes with bowfishing. One would trust that they would follow the 5 or 10 channel cat limit as catch and kill anglers do.
I think sometimes we forget that there are people that still keep fish.
I keep fish (of many different species) but I cannot say I can remember the last time I kept a limit of anything. It was probably stocker trout from a put-and-take lake.
Repeated taking limits of any species isn’t responsible. I know bowfishers who would be responsible and I’ve talked to some that would likely not be.
Plain and simple it is a tough situation and the ultimate management tool will always be personal choice. I just hope we can improve the numbers of Anglers, Bowfishers, and Hunters to responsibly use their power of choice.
Unfortunately, I run into individuals on a regular basis that make me question their ability to handle responsibility with our natural resources.
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Yup, them bowfishers are baby rapers, wife stealers, mafia hit men who cheat on their taxes too…all this from people who don’t even know a bowfisher..uh huh…I’m impressed.
I think the DNR should hire some of you, lots of anwsers with out any information..not politians are ya??
Al
Good to see a constructive post. 
I have 5 friends that bowfish and I respect them and they respect me. I have bowfished but it is not for me. The reason to open up cats is for table fare? My buddy lives near Lake Meade and cans all the carp and uses it in place of tuna. You can eat the fish shot but most people turn up their nose at it. I in no way want to ban bowfishing for carp and as in any group there are bad apples. Laws are not always followed on limits and such and that is why there are Conservation officers.
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Unfortunately, I run into individuals on a regular basis that make me question their ability to handle responsibility with our natural resources.
Exactly, and they come in all different colors, ages and use angling, spearing, shotguns, rifles and bows as their method of harvest.
Just take Al for an example. 
It should be only Carp (Commons, Bighead, Silver, Grass Carp, Goldfish, you know, the invasives) they are allowed to harvest with a bow, but even that can get screwed up. Too many fish shot by “accident” if ya know what I mean. Adding Channel Catfish to the list of hunted will only increase this statistic, and you know the Flathead will be part of this. Right along with Black Buffalo, Blue Sucker, River and Greater Redhorse….ect. Even these guys blasting our native species irritates me. Fish like Buffalo, Quillback, Redhorse, Suckers, Goldeye all have their place in the ecosystem, and are a part of the native food chain. I harvest my share of fish, but I can tell you this, none of them get tossed into the ground for fertilizer.
I dont think there will be too many people even getting their limits of Channels. Thats not even the issue here. I mean hows a guy gonna even be able to tell a Channel from anything else in the Minnesota River or the Mississippi? Its just pointless to open them up to bow-“fishing”. Go get your limit just like anyone else has to. By fishing with rod and reel, you know the good old fashioned hard way. Christ, whats next, a hand grabbing season in MN?
I don’t know any avid bowfishers, but I am an avid darkhouse spearer and have many friends that spear. From my experience, the majority of spearers are ethical and not detrimental to the resource. Granted – I associate with people that are similar to myself, so my viewpoint may not be representative of the population of spearers as a whole. I can only assume that the majority of bowfishers are ethical, non-abusers of the resource and that there are a minority that would abuse if given the chance. Something in my gut tells me these people are already abusing the resource and keeping silent about it. There are some deer hunters, bird hunters, cat fishermen, walleye anglers, etc…that will take more than they should and will abuse the resource not matter what. To paint all of a group as bad is pretty silly, IMHO.
To be honest, I have no horse in this race, as I neither bowfish or catfish. If I want fish to eat, I will just take a limit of walleyes when I get the chance…..and trust me, the chance isn’t too rare 
I know you all have been waiting on baited breathe, so to speak, on my final decision.
After careful deliberation and deliberate effort to understand why it might be ok, I have to say no.
There are three reasons:
1.) This would be a step back and reinforce the stigma that catfish are not gamefish.
2.) Bowfishing appears to be a sport that is allowed to control roughfish and give bowfishermen something to hunt, although personally I don’t use the word roughfish. I’ll catch carp all day and have a blast doing it. I’d take the control part out all together, because short of killing a lake off with , you cannot control carp.
3.) Even the bow fishermen aren’t sure that most will be responsible.
There were some points on the other side, but the nos far out weighted the yeahs.
Finally! 
I have no problem with people using fish for fertilizer if they do it responsibly and their personal garden. What is responsibly to me? Well, I don’t think you should be keeping larger than average adult fish or over harvesting. When I say fertilizer, I mean for personal use and not bringing it up to the local hog farm or vegetable farm.
To me once a fish is killed and taken from the water, it makes no difference what a person does with it. Bottom line is it means the same thing, 1 less fish in the body of water. But I hope more and more people at least practice selective harvest when taking fish from the water.
If bow fishing is so sporty then why not open it up to game fish? Why are gamefish excluded in such a great sport? After all, a musky or bass on the end of the arrow should be great fun. No, the truth is that the gamefish communities would be in an uproar over it and they should be. Then why would I, a multi-species angler, not be any more outraged over another species to stick with an arrow and then be labeled as non-tolerant, etc., etc.
BTW, you all think ridding our lakes of native roughfish species is doing us all a favor. You are not doing me a favor. I get sick of all the special interest groups that control our fisheries. In my opinion, All fish are sportfish.
Post deleted by Outdoors4Life
I get tired of the intolerance towards bowfishermen by labeling as not a sport. We all know that PETA views us the way some of us view bowfishermen.
I don’t claim to know a lot about bowfishing, but unless it is about sticking the arrow in the water and waiting for a fish to come up an impale itself on the arrow tip, I guess I would call it a form of fishing and sporty.
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Dtro thanks for the read it was good!
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I know for a fact there are responsible bowfishers who would use this opportunity well, I’m just not convinced yet that the “average” bowfishing population has matured enough yet.
This is one thing I forgot to say in my posts/rants!
Carpdiem do you know the post I am talking about on LLB site where a WI resident shot protected species and I made a comment about in WI they are protected then the posts “disappeared” not one bit of effort to ask me anything.
As president of the LLBA (2008-2009) I was very active in managing our forum. With regards to your story the only thing that comes to my mind was a thread which did have pictures of blue suckers which were harvested by one of our members in one of the western states where it is legal to do so, and by the way those fish were eaten! There was some who thought these fish were shot in MN or WI which they were not. I do not recall this thread being removed, no laws were violated, and there was nothing to hide from. And as far as our reason for having a member’s only section is due to the unfortunate workings of the anti’s!
This issue should be decided by good scientific data and facts and not emotional thinking, which is nothing more a weak way of thinking! Make sure you can back up your statements with facts and I would be more than happy to listen to them. Here is an example of what I am trying to say:
Emotional thinking:
Bowfishermen/women are nothing more than a bunch of irresponsible people who have no respect for the laws and will surely break them.
Fact:
During a MN Senate hearing in 2009 MNDNR Director of Enforcement Col. Jim Konard testified they see no more or less violations with the sport of bowfishing when compared to other hunting and fishing activities.
See the difference?
For those who don’t like my way of fishing I understand it’s not for everyone, and to be honest I am ok with that (more fishing spots for me)! I am not here to win the hearts of those who will never agree with my way of life. But remember this…….Bowfishing is going nowhere and we would rather work with others than fight our way through it.
Brian Petschl
LLBA Legislative Director
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Fact:
During a MN Senate hearing in 2009 MNDNR Director of Enforcement Col. Jim Konard testified they see no more or less violations with the sport of bowfishing when compared to other hunting and fishing activities.
Just to clarify anything that may have come across wrong in my posts (can’t speak for anyone else).
My statement about the maturity of bowfishers is neither fact nor emotion. It is an observation. Over the years I’ve come across many people acting unethically (and/or illegally) in terms of fish and game laws (I’m sure most people have). Percentage wise, my observations show a higher number on the bowfisher end. Now, that could be chance or it could be that anglers and hunters may be hiding it better.
Quick question because your fact is a little foggy. Does Jim Konard state that the total number of violations is the same? or that the percentage (relative to the number of participants) is the same?
I’m curious because the percentage would be the telling statistic, as you well know there are fewer bowfishers than anglers in the state.
I’m not calling you out. I’m curious and like having as many facts as possible. I honestly have no wishes to see bowfishing ended assuming it is managed properly.
Unfortunately, not everyone in the world is honest and as such laws will always need to exist.
The thing that scares me is misinformation. There are plenty of people in MN who honestly think that native roughfish are damaging to waterways, some people even feel the same way about pike, catfish, sturgeon, bass, you name it. Heck, bowfishing opened up for SM Bass in MN arrowhead region you’d see some guys rushing to get into the sport (where they are an exotic species, and can harm other species populations in some of the lakes).
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