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Lake Elsinore CARP

Started by Dark_Knight_9C1, June 28, 2025, 05:07:59 PM

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Dark_Knight_9C1

Went to Lake Elsinore this morning to bowfish.  Conditions were good. Calm air, water was smooth  and 81°.

There was tons of baitfish along the shores making lots of distracting splashes. But when I started watching I could see the backs of carp on the surface along the edge.

Was definitely what I expected to get during a spawn. There were large groups of fish all along the mile of shoreline I walked. Once I shot and missed and scared the closet group I'd just walk 25 feet further along and there would be another group. Could've easily got my 30 goal if I'd had a way to transport and dispose of them. Maybe next time...

Got there just before sunrise so the backs of carp in the shallows was my only targets to start with. Made lots of shots on fish but only managed to hit one or two.

About 7:30 I had enough light so I could start seeing the fish below the surface. Water was murky so that meant 6 to 9 inches but made all the difference. Within less than an hour I had 10 fish.


I stopped at that point because I knew I would have to drag whatever I caught back to my truck.

I weighed them and they were all 3 to 5 lb range. So 40lbs to drag back.

People always say aim low.
My favorite shot is when one is swimming towards me about 6 inches below the surface. I like those shots since you shoot low but if you don't shoot low enough to get the head you have the whole body above it.

This was just low enough. 😁

-Keith

PS Anybody want some fish to fertilize their garden?

Latimeria

Damn, you're getting pretty good with that bow!
You can't catch them from your computer chair.

Dark_Knight_9C1

#2
Went again to Lake Elsinore sunrise of 7/26/2025 and found the carp were actively feeding along the shoreline again. Lots of groups of carp in the shallows with their backs sticking up out of the water.



They were on the shoreline for about an hour after sunrise and then went further out like last time.

This was only a recon trip since I haven't found a place to easily dispose of them yet.

I did bring a fishing pole and some corn but even casting into the middle of them and dragging my line across there backs didn't get much reaction. Maybe a night crawler would've done better.

Anyway, got more intel. Now I need to talk to our local waste disposal company to find out if they can offer a way to dispose of the fish without putting it in my normal trash and stinking up their trucks.

- Keith

Dark_Knight_9C1

Quote from: Latimeria on July 01, 2025, 08:38:09 PMDamn, you're getting pretty good with that bow!

I was "practising" all morning on the ones with there backs sticking out of the water. Lol...
Got better when shooting at the ones further out and under water. Also seems to help when I'm shooting at a single fish.

- Keith

Latimeria

Quote from: Dark_Knight_9C1 on July 27, 2025, 08:05:56 AM
Quote from: Latimeria on July 01, 2025, 08:38:09 PMDamn, you're getting pretty good with that bow!

I was "practising" all morning on the ones with there backs sticking out of the water. Lol...
Got better when shooting at the ones further out and under water. Also seems to help when I'm shooting at a single fish.

- Keith

Your next goal should be shooting them mid-air in a jump. 8)   

Well done as usual boss.  I could just tell that I would totally suck at bow fishing.
You can't catch them from your computer chair.

jrodda

Cleaning up one lake at a time! Have you tried eating one of them ever?

Dark_Knight_9C1

Quote from: jrodda on July 30, 2025, 11:01:06 PMCleaning up one lake at a time! Have you tried eating one of them ever?
I'm  not that brave.
In the past I've eaten an opaleye perch which got me extremely sick, so I'm very picky about the fish I eat now.
The smell of the carp reminds me of the smell of the perch when I was cooking it, a little fishy but slightly sweet. It didn't smell bad but reminds me not to go there again. Lol.

- Keith

Dark_Knight_9C1

Quote from: Latimeria on July 27, 2025, 05:25:21 PM
Quote from: Dark_Knight_9C1 on July 27, 2025, 08:05:56 AM
Quote from: Latimeria on July 01, 2025, 08:38:09 PMDamn, you're getting pretty good with that bow!

Your next goal should be shooting them mid-air in a jump. 8) 


Funny you should mention that. When the carp are spawning they start jumping a lot. I've spent a couple sessions trying to hit them when they jump.
I mostly would shoot where they go into the water because by the time I shoot and the arrow gets there they are in the water.
Occasionally one might be jumping multiple times and I'd be able to shoot mid air.
Never hit one. Although that was the first season I was bowfishing. If they are jumping again I may get one now.

- Keith

Tim524

Years ago I saw a dead Carp at Lake Wohlford that someone put on a stick and stuck it in the ground in the upright position, it had been there for a long time cause it looked like Jerky at that point. My thought was they must be pretty nasty if a Coyote, Crow, Buzzard or any other scavenger wouldn't eat it  :o

Dark_Knight_9C1

I've seen about equal number of mummified carp and skeletons.
I tried burying one in my yard but after a couple days I noticed it got dug up and was gone.
We have lots of coyotes. Another time when I didn't have ice to put them on I had them in a closed trash can in my yard for two days. For a week after that we saw one or two coyotes every day wondering by.