Bowfishing streams

Been away from the sport for some time now but want to stalk some streams for some carp this spring and summer. Anyone have some good areas to start looking around that would be ideal for shooting carp in western Allegheny, Beaver, Washington counties? Chartiers creek, Montour Run? Used to do some around Canonsburg many years ago in Chartiers around Southpoint. 
 
Thanks.

What do you do with the fish after you kill them? Bow fishing seems horribly wasteful.

Plum Crick

I agree but, should make one wonder why, the PSFBC waste so much money stocking fish that doesn't survive the wilds and very few people consume when they harvest them.  However, that being said, Carp do survive the wilds and are consumed as table fare, although, they sure don't taste like chicken!!
 
Tight Lines, I gotta get................ fishin!!

FishinGuy
What do you do with the fish after you kill them? Bow fishing seems horribly wasteful.

That's what I've seen so far. Shooting and tossing Redhorse and Buffalo is an ethical crime in itself, although somehow still legal. What's more appalling is when I see people in PIB shooting Northern Pike and endangered Spotted Gar, neither of which, especially the latter, is legal to shoot. I can possibly see if you wanted to shoot A carp or TWO to eat for dinner, but to kill the massive quantities that I've seen take place is simply, as you stated, wasteful.

Legal to shoot them(carp). Not to dump them on the bank to rot. This is a fishing forum, maybe the op should try fishing for them.

FishinGuy
Legal to shoot them(carp). Not to dump them on the bank to rot. This is a fishing forum, maybe the op should try fishing for them.

I don't do much fishing in places where carp are real thick.  Have never seen anybody bow hunting carp and don't recall ever seeing carp dumped on a bank somewhere, so I assumed that dumping them on the bank isn't really much of a problem, but maybe I'm wrong.  Suckers and catfish are legal as well.  
 
Would hope that sportsmen who see wanton waste happening like that would report it to the PFBC.  Or shooting of species not included in the regs.  
 
While I don't care much for the idea of bow hunting fish, and despite my joke, dpms has proven on here and on another PA outdoor forum to be a very upstanding sportsman who has high regard for hunting and fishing regulations.  I don't think he's a guy you'd have to worry about dumping carp on a bank.  

rsquared
dpms has proven on here and on another PA outdoor forum to be a very upstanding sportsman who has high regard for hunting and fishing regulations.  I don't think he's a guy you'd have to worry about dumping carp on a bank.  

which is why I asked him what he does with the fish. I always ask this question of the bow fishers that come on here. They never answer. I've also seen dead carp on the bank in an area popular with bow fishers.

FishinGuy
Legal to shoot them(carp). Not to dump them on the bank to rot. This is a fishing forum, maybe the op should try fishing for them.

Sheesh. Tough crowd here. I do fish and I also like to bowfish. Carp are invasive species. Since most people don't target them fishing to keep and remove from the population, bowfishing for them helps to remove some.
 
To answer your previous question, it is illegal to shoot them and throw them up on the bank to rot. If I am working streams I have a plastic tote that I take all of the fish back with me. I bury a few in my garden. Some are disposed of properly. A trapper friend of mine takes some for bait. 
 
Most hunters and fisherman have no issues with folks shooting groundhogs, crows, coyotes etc... with no intention of eating them. As long as they are disposed of properly, all is good. 

Big Steve
Please list these streams that cannot hold stocked trout over the summer.

Mingo creek cant, in the summer it barely holds water. Places i dont even have to jump over the creek and they stock it. But I could name more waters that hold trout all summer.

dpms

pheasant tail 2
Chartiers Creek in the Houston area is an excellent choice

 
Thanks for the tip. I bowfished Chartiers Creek around Canonsburg many years ago. We used to do well down there. I may have to head a little further down 79 and take a peek around the Houston area. 

Just make sure you dont fish the creeks that are approved trout waters now they are closed to everyone till opening day.

solitario lupo

dpms

pheasant tail 2Chartiers Creek in the Houston area is an excellent choice

 Thanks for the tip. I bowfished Chartiers Creek around Canonsburg many years ago. We used to do well down there. I may have to head a little further down 79 and take a peek around the Houston area. 

Just make sure you dont fish the creeks that are approved trout waters now they are closed to everyone till opening day.

I don't think you're allowed to have a bow on approved trout waters at all, even during regular season. PFBC values those stockers too much haha.

solitario lupo
you know i thought they would have stricter rules for bow. They can fish trout waters. http://fishandboat.com/fi...summary/equipment.html

Once again the fish commission shows complete disregard for the less targeted gamefish. You can shoot (NATIVE) suckers and catfish in the the back and kill 50 per person each day, but you can only kill 5 (NON-NATIVE) rainbow and brown trout each day that have to be over 7". I love Trout as much as the next guy and would be among the first people to strongly oppose anything bad happening to native Brookies and Lakers, but our other natives simply don't get their due attention and popularity. If bowfishing is going to be continued in PA, it should only be allowed for invasives like Common Carp (hopefully we never see Asian or Grass Carp in the wild), Round Gobies, etc. In fact, I think that if we allowed bowfishermen to hunt Sea Lamprey in Erie tribs when they made their spawning runs, we could really reduce the population of a very harmful invasive! Just my two cents.

ShenangoSteel
F that rw adds zjto up a xwoods xdxwoodselieftried we

my thoughts exactly, shenango. LOL, wire

Divemaster

solitario lupo
you know i thought they would have stricter rules for bow. They can fish trout waters. http://fishandboat.com/fi...summary/equipment.html

Once again the fish commission shows complete disregard for the less targeted gamefish. You can shoot (NATIVE) suckers and catfish in the the back and kill 50 per person each day, but you can only kill 5 (NON-NATIVE) rainbow and brown trout each day that have to be over 7". I love Trout as much as the next guy and would be among the first people to strongly oppose anything bad happening to native Brookies and Lakers, but our other natives simply don't get their due attention and popularity. If bowfishing is going to be continued in PA, it should only be allowed for invasives like Common Carp (hopefully we never see Asian or Grass Carp in the wild), Round Gobies, etc. In fact, I think that if we allowed bowfishermen to hunt Sea Lamprey in Erie tribs when they made their spawning runs, we could really reduce the population of a very harmful invasive! Just my two cents.

And the funny thing is they put a lot of money into stocking catfish as well.