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Old 01-31-2019, 08:44 PM
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Sirgallagher Sirgallagher is offline
 
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Default Bow fishing Alberta - What, Where & How?

Wanting to try bow fishing here in Alberta with my compound bow. Checked out the regs, looks like you cant shoot many fish (see below)

What types of fish can you shoot with a bow in and around alberta?
Where are some good places to check out?

"
-Spears or bows cannot be used to take trout, mountain whitefish, Arctic grayling, lake sturgeon, walleye or northern pike.
-Spearfishing or bowfishing are not permitted in Gods, May, Seibert, Winefred, Andrew, Gardiner and Namur lakes.
"

Hope some people out there can help me out!!

~SirGallagher
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Old 01-31-2019, 10:25 PM
Bush Critter Bush Critter is offline
 
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Lake whitefish in the fall, would be fun to take with a bow, it would have to be a pretty clean lake, shallow inlets, outlets, channels or weed beds would be prime... I remember back in the day “ like way back” I thinking 1990 or 1989 anyhow back then the outflow channel at the Wabamun power plant was prime... one could bow fish practically year round, back then you and a couple buddies could literally bring home a boat load of jack fish. Possession limit for pike was 20 fish and no size limit...

My how things have changed, now days it’s almost impossible to legally keep a single pike unless you drive 4hours out of town.
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Old 02-01-2019, 12:14 AM
kilgoretrout kilgoretrout is offline
 
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Default Bow fishing

You are probably best to check directly with Fish and Game but I believe its only allowed for the Sucker family and perhaps those Prussian carp that are starting to show up in eastern Alberta which would be a good deed.....
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Old 02-01-2019, 07:10 AM
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BuckCuller BuckCuller is offline
 
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Default It clearly states in the reg’s what you can bow fish.

Anything’s that is listed in the regs which are trout of any species, mountain Whitefish, grayling, sturgeon, walleye and pike.
Everything else is ok to bow fish as long as the season is open, the body of water is not prohibited to bow fishing and you can keep that species of fish.
So you can shoot suckers, carp suckers, Prussian carp, grass carp, perch, lake whitefish, goldeye, mooneye, sauger, burbot and if your a really good shot crayfish.
If you want to shoot Prussian carp look for still water filled from flood waters of the rivers that they have invaded in may to July. Where open.
The best indicator that they are there is the water will be muddy as the bottom will be all stirred up, look for their tails not far off shore.
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Old 02-01-2019, 09:00 AM
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BuckCuller BuckCuller is offline
 
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Default RedDeer river/ Blind man river/ Bow river/ Medicine River.

If your using a compound you’ll want to crank the poundage right down.
A few shots from last June.

https://imgur.com/a/rT5t41T
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Old 02-01-2019, 09:32 AM
jcrayford jcrayford is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BuckCuller View Post
If your using a compound you’ll want to crank the poundage right down.
A few shots from last June.

https://imgur.com/a/rT5t41T
Awesome Buckculler, but how do they taste?

J.
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Old 02-01-2019, 09:47 AM
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BuckCuller BuckCuller is offline
 
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Default I did eat them.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jcrayford View Post
Awesome Buckculler, but how do they taste?

J.
They taste fine.
There is actually very little meat on them.
There is white and dark meat, the dark meat is stronger and doesn’t taste as good.
I only eat the white meat off of them now.
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Old 02-01-2019, 12:27 PM
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RayM77 RayM77 is offline
 
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Default Bow fishing Alberta - What, Where & How?

Some great opportunities for whitefish through the ice. Its a lot of fun and very challenging.


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Old 02-01-2019, 12:44 PM
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BuckCuller BuckCuller is offline
 
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Default Nice.

I was wondering if it could be done. Whitefish would be a pretty tough target.
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Old 02-01-2019, 01:15 PM
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RayM77 RayM77 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BuckCuller View Post
I was wondering if it could be done. Whitefish would be a pretty tough target.
Its not easy, i think i was about 100 shots in before i got my first one 😂.
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  #11  
Old 03-12-2019, 04:11 PM
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Sirgallagher Sirgallagher is offline
 
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Looking at http://www.albertafishingguide.com/ it shows that Alberta has the following species of fish:

Trout (Brook, Brown, Bull, Cutthroat, Golden, Lake, Rainbow, Tiger)
Arctic Grayling
Burbot
Goldeye
Lake White
Lake Sturgeon
Mountain Whitefish
Northern Pike
Walleye
Sauger
Yellow Perch

According to regs, the following fish CANNOT be taken with a bow.
Trout
Mountain whitefish
Arctic grayling
Lake sturgeon
Walleye
Northern pike


That means you can bow fish the following:
Burbut
Goldeye
Lake whitefish
Sauger
Yellow perch

That about right or am I missing any other species?
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  #12  
Old 03-12-2019, 04:23 PM
kilgoretrout kilgoretrout is offline
 
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Default Bow fishing

Surprised about the Sauger as they are essentially a walleye and it might be difficult for some folks to tell the difference.... In many places they are included as part of your Walleye limit....
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Old 04-15-2019, 11:25 PM
cacty cacty is offline
 
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Following this. I'd love to find a spot to bow some of these invasive prussian carp here in SE Alberta.
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  #14  
Old 04-17-2019, 08:01 PM
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CNP CNP is offline
 
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Default Wisconsin

Facebook: Born to Fish

Last edited by jungleboy; 01-01-2024 at 09:40 AM.
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  #15  
Old 05-06-2019, 07:44 PM
stubblejumper01 stubblejumper01 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CNP View Post
Facebook: Born to Fish
819 fish 4 hours 3 shooters

That works out to 273 fish each in 4 hours? So over 1 fish per minute each.

Sounds like a bit of a stretch in the numbers
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