Outdoors With Kevin Fox: Taking It Back To The Simplest Of Hunting

I parked the truck, and as soon as I had grabbed my gear, I knew it was going to be a good afternoon. I crept along carefully, placing one foot in front of the other in an effort not to spook the target of this hunt. As I neared a likely looking location, I could look ahead and see that the creatures had other ideas and were more concerned with mating than they were in me. Still, if I was careless, they would easily be spooked and just as quickly take off.

Like all hunts, the closer I could get, the better my chances would be at being successful. As I got closer, I could see one large female and three smaller males vying for her attention, but they were still too far away, maybe 20 yards. I took a few more steps, paused, and then took a couple more. I was as close as I dared and decided to see how the action played out. Perhaps they would work their way closer to me.

It took a few minutes, but in time they did just that. As they neared my location, I drew my bow back, and when I had a good broadside shot, I let the arrow loose. It smacked into the side of the closest male. As they say, all heck broke loose as the small group took off like a herd of runaway cattle, but my target was had. No matter how strong his attempt to get away was, he was mine.

I cannot tell you how many times this exact scene has played out in my life, but I do know it has been many, many times. It is fun and exciting at the same time.

The story is not set in the fall timber or even some spring woods. It takes place in the fields that run along the rivers and creeks, where floodwater runs out into the lower areas along the water. It is there that rough fish such as carp and buffalo spawn.

The water is still cool enough that it is a time for a fisherman or hunter, depending upon which equipment you wish to use to take the fish. If you are using a pole and line in an attempt to snag a fish, then it feels like fishing. If you are stalking the fish with a bow or a gig, then it feels like hunting. The fish you are after will be carp, buffalo, suckers or even gars.

I have always been a big fan of archery equipment for taking these rough fish. First of all, it provides an opportunity to get the bow out that has been in storage in many cases since last October. Secondly, I do not have to get as close to the fish as I would normally if I were using a gig.

Nothing is different about the bow you use, but the arrow is completely different than it is when hunting or target practicing. The vanes, if there are any, on your fishing arrow will be plastic, as feathers would become matted after getting in the water. The arrow will be attached to your bow by string attached to the back of the arrow.

The point itself will be similar to a very pointed target point, but behind this point will be a wire that is bent back toward the bow. It holds the fish on; otherwise, the arrow would more than likely be pulled out once you have brought the fish in, or in this case landed it. If the arrow has gone through both sides of the fish, you loosen the point and the wire can be reversed to allow the arrow to slide back out.

The arrow shaft will be made of heavy fiberglass for a couple reasons. The first is to withstand the abuse of hitting the fish, or in some cases, if you miss, hitting things like rocks beneath the surface of the water. But perhaps even more importantly, the heavy arrow carries enough energy and momentum to drive under the water’s surface and still be able to penetrate the tough scales of a fish. That momentum also means it is easier to aim, as the arrow will be less likely to be deflected from its flight path. This would not be possible in the case of using aluminum arrows or especially wooden arrows.

I was gone last week visiting family in South Carolina, and while I was gone, we — and especially those people upstream — had more rain than they needed or wanted, causing the rivers to swell and get out onto fields. During this time, friend Ken Garkie was busy gigging along the river when conditions were perfect during the middle of the week.

So what are those perfect conditions? Carp spawn when the water temperatures reach a consistent temperature around 70 degrees. That will be when spawning activity reaches its peak. It’s then that the fish move into the shallow, weedy and calm water to lay eggs. This temperature is quickly reached when the sun is hitting the surface of shallow water over a dark bottom. Unfortunately, it can end just as quickly as it started if a cold front comes through, which is exactly what happened later last week.

Buffalo do not wait until the water is 70 degrees, as their spawn will begin as soon as the water reaches 60 degrees. This is important to know, as it’s a lot easier to pursue spawning fish than just randomly swimming fish, which could be anywhere.

Gear will be simple as well, as you are nearly a caveman wading out into the water with a gig. But you will need a pair of waders or hip boots. If you don’t mind the water, an old pair of sneakers and shorts will suffice. You will also need a way to keep the fish once you have taken them. A stringer works very well, and you can simply snap it to a belt loop. I have always preferred one of those floating fish baskets that does not need to be attached to you. A hat with a bill to shade your eyes when looking at the water and a pair of sunglasses will help in seeing those fish below the surface.

There is a saying that experience is the best teacher, and this is especially true when shooting a bow at fish below the surface of the water. The term “light refraction” is used when aiming at fish beneath the surface of the water. The best explanation is that light travels slower through water than air. When light travels from the fish in the water to your eyes in the air, it bends, or refracts, at the surface. This causes our brain to perceive that the fish is higher in the water than it actually is.

To be successful with either a gig or a bow, you must actually aim below the fish’s apparent position. The general rule of thumb is to aim three to six inches below the fish for every foot of depth there actually is. But it is something that you can do naturally if you have done it enough times.

Now, I have no idea what the conditions will be when you are reading this, just as I have no idea what the conditions will be tomorrow, as it’s spring in the Midwest. But if it warms up and stays that way while the water is out, there will be plenty of time to dig that bow or gig out and get some action, as well as some buffalo or carp fillets.