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An invasion of Asian carp in the Illinois River is setting the stage for a whole new type of fishing - extreme aerial bowfishing.

An invasive species of Asian carp, also called silver carp, have become so prolific in the Illinois River that they've pushed out the bass and are strangling other native species. The carp have spread throughout the river's tributaries and are even threatening the Great Lakes.

Silver carp are notoriously hard to catch because they eat plankton and ignore worms and lures. Traditional fishing methods just don't work. But they do jump high out of the water (up to 10 feet) when startled by a boat motor, so some people have taken to shooting them with bows and arrows.


Chris Brackett, a guide on the Illinois River, coined the term "extreme aerial bowfishing." For $1,000, he leads groups of four on carp hunts. Bowfishers simply wait for a fish to jump, take aim with a compound bow and arrow rigged with colored fishing line and release.

Fish and wildlife officials are encouraging the practice because of the destruction silver carp are causing to the river. The carp's jumping habits are also dangerous to fishermen and boaters, who've been injured by the flying fish.

“For the foreseeable future, there is still an opportunity for virtually unlimited shooting and harvest of Asian carps by bowfishers, in many parts of the invaded range,” said Duane Chapman, a research fisheries biologist for the United States Geological Survey. “Recreational fishers and bowfishers should not feel bad about killing all the Asian carp they want to kill. Every little bit helps.”

What do you think? Does extreme aerial bowfishing look like fun to you?

Via Get Outdoors