Bow Fishing in Texas
Bow fishing in Texas is an exciting and unique way to catch fish and turtles. Spectacular species include the alligator gar and snapping turtles. Gars can weigh more than 200 lbs., and snapping turtles reach over 50 lbs. Other species include carp, panfish and catfish.
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Gear and Regulations
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Shallow-draft boats allow access to more areas for bowfishing. Texas state regulations allow only non-game classified fish to be taken with a bow and arrow. Crossbows, longbows, recurves and compound bows are all legal. Bow fisherman use a special bow with a reel and line attached to the arrow so they can retrieve their catch. Flat bottom boats with a platform for spotting and shooting fish are often used.
Alligator Gar
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Fish are difficult to hit--make sure you practice before you go bowfishing. Alligator gar are perhaps the most exciting fish to to after with a bow. They can grow over 200 lbs.--the Texas bowfishing record is 290 lbs. Gar are commonly fished at night, or during the heat of summer when they can be observed rolling on the surface. There are several species of gar that are fished, including the shortnose longnose and spotted gar.
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Carp and Catfish
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The largest carp taken with a bow in Texas weighed 84 lbs. The common carp and grass carp are frequently fished with a bow in Texas. The largest grass carp taken by bow in Texas weighed 84 lbs. Catfish and bullhead are also frequently targeted. Catfish species include the blue, channel, flathead, hardhead and suckermouth catfish. Buffalo species include the bigmouth, black, smallmouth and yellow buffalo.
Other Fish
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Panfish can also be taken with a bow in Texas. Other notable fish that are taken with a bow include sunfish, shad, freshwater drums, tilapia and eels. Gamefish like bass and trout cannot be taken with a bow. The paddlefish is considered threatened and cannot be taken by any means.
Turtles
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Common snapping turtles can be taken with a bow in Texas. Red-eared sliders, softshell and common snapping turtles can be bowfished for private consumption, not commercial sale without a permit. No other species can be taken without a special permit. The alligator snapping turtle is listed as threatened by the State of Texas and cannot be taken by any means.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit alligator eating a gar image by Earl Robbins from Fotolia.com fishing boat image by Tammy Mobley from Fotolia.com boy playing archery. symbol of success.leisure. image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com carp on Steroids image by Christine from Fotolia.com sunfish image by Lucid_Exposure from Fotolia.com common snapping turtle (chelydra serpentina) image by Bruce MacQueen from Fotolia.com
