Ideal Conditions

[Ralph Wiggum]

I'm curious as to what your favorite conditions are for shooting carp? Are there days that they are more likely to be up shallow?

I've mostly shot on calm, sunny days. Is it worth my time to head out if it's cloudy?

[ec30_06]

Fish will be up shallow when it is cloudy. It is tougher to see them. I usually only go on cloudy days if it is calm so that I'm not battling waves on the suface and clouds while trying to spot fish.

[chillincarp870]

When bowfishing cloudy lakes do you usally spot their fins above water or what do you look for? also in shallow bays surrounded by cattails do you look near the cattails and edges or more in the middle?

[Neighbor_guy]

Personaly I like a high hazzy sun over a bright blue bird day. Calm winds is helpfull as well. When shooting from the boat weather conditions dont seem to effect me much, but when wadding I like them hazzy calm days.

My favorite thing to do is what I call "wake hunting". Stalking / wadding in flooded timber or grass when the carp are cruising prespawn. It usually happens a day or two before the spawn. The fish are cruising just under the water creating a wake. Trying to position for a shot and predict were the fish is going is just as much fun as connecting on the shot.

Spawning, boiling, sex crazzed, stupid carp are always fun too. For one of the smartest of the fish species they sure get rut dumb. Nothing like quietly wadding into a group of spawning carp.

[Neighbor_guy]

A tie died sky blue shirt seams to keep the spooking down too.