BigHead’n with Team Pokaho
By Bruce Bauer
Bighead and Silver Carp (commonly referred to as Asian or jumping carp) have become a
favorite quarry of many bowfishers. Team Pokaho has chased these fish in different states with
various results. The fish act and behave differently in other regions of the country. Without a
doubt the tri-state area of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky produces some of the best Bighead
fishing in the country. The Cumberland, Tennessee, Wabash, and Ohio rivers are capable of
producing great numbers of these fish. The Ohio River often produces very large bigheads.
This article is directed towards Bigheads but Silvers are commonly taken the same way. My
immediate advice for a beginner after this quarry is to seek out a knowledgeable guide for at
least a night or two to get you pointed in the right direction.
Getting started requires very little equipment changes if any. Lighting, arrow tips and bow
poundage are typically the areas that need a little adjustment. I will give a few examples of
recommended equipment to use. (I know some people are going to say that so and so shot
theirs using a fan, or under a generator and deck mounted lights. These are rare occurrences.)
Boat:
A trolling motor is considered a must. Stealth and hunting bigheads goes hand in hand.
Lighting:
A hand held spotlight is the cheapest, easiest and most common used light source. A tight
beam of about 500,000 candle power works really well.
Bow:
I have to recommend no less than #40 pound pull. Bigheads are very large, powerful fish.
Their bodies are fairly soft for the most part, but their heads are enormous (roughly 1/4 of their
body size) and hard. These fish are commonly shot shallow but at times are shot 2-4 feet
deep. Penetration energy is a must.
Reel:
The AMS Retriever the only choice, in my opinion, for these fish. On medium to large fish there
is a great degree of finesse required to land these fish. Hand over hand fighting is the only way
to go in my opinion. Moderate size Bigheads can easily spool a spin cast reel taking all the line
at any given time. I have no problem referring to bigheads as a big game fish, these fish fight
above their weight range.
Arrows and points:
I highly recommend a stiffer than normal arrow shaft for better flight characteristics at higher
poundage. AMS Bowfishing’s Carbon Spined Shafts are a great shaft for this. Points should be
of superior holding power; these fish can easily disengage some quick release points. The
Piranha, Piranha Long Barb, and Whaler are good choices.
Landing equipment:
A good floating gaff, as available from AMS Bowfishing, and a simple, quick method to subdue
or dispatch the fish are highly suggested.
Let’s go fishing!
Regardless of any advice or wisdom you may pick up from me or others, I often equate hunting
bigheads to run and gun turkey hunting. If you know they are there, go to them, get set up and
score some fish! Sometimes you have to get outside the box. Bigheads have a pattern a lot of
times, but they have a few different patterns they run and can change up often. If you find a
pattern to use and it stops working, don’t hesitate to change. Naturally we will assume: We are
on the water, after dark! This would be prime place and time for our hunt.
The Approach:
Stealth: is of the utmost importance with these fish, quiet speech, keep general noise in the
boat at a minimum, and no unnecessary light. I can’t say absolutely no lights because you are
legally required to display an anchor light while on the water at night.
Approach: Generally speaking the best approach is to go slowly downstream. Bigheads and
silvers usually feed upstream. Bigheads can be found anywhere from the deepest part of the
channel to running the banks with their backs out of the water. Commonly look behind partially
submerged logs, bridge pilings, barges or any other obstacle that may have a collection of
algae growing on it. Look at the main channel.
Locating fish: The ideal condition is with the fish up feeding at the top. When this is happening, try to get some ambient light (from barge terminals, bridges, houses, etc.) behind the area
you are going into. This will allow you to see rings or V shaped lines on the water surface.
These irregularities in the surface are great indicators of an exact location of the fish or school
of fish.
Listen for the fish, on a quiet night sometimes you can hear the fish breaking or rolling on the
surface. You can hear the fish gulping water on the surface as well. When Bigheads are
alarmed they will roll with a sudden explosion of force that sounds similar to a beaver slapping
the water with its tail. This sometimes sets off a chain reaction with other fish that will trail off
up to a hundred yards or more.
Light’em up: Once you locate some fish usually a hand held spotlight is used in a sweeping
motion to cast light on the fish for shooting. A moderate tempo should be used in an area that
will allow for shooting. Try to refrain from sweeping to far out due to the Bigheads tendency to
shy away from sudden burst of bright light. Once a fish is lighted, try to maintain on the same
fish. If you try to sweep further and then come back to the fish there is probably a 95% or
larger chance that fish will be gone. You will generally have a 2-3 second window once a fish
is lighted in which to shoot. When possible have the shooters at ready when the lights
come on.
Landing the fish: Once a Bighead is shot the general tendency is to make a deep run.
A usual fight can be anything from swimming to the boat, to making runs that will nearly pull
the shooter from the boat. On moderate or large sized fish, get a back up arrow in the fish
A.S.A.P. When Bigheads near to about 5-10 feet from the boat, the fight is usually back on
again. (Oh yeah be prepared to get wet at this point.) A gaff at the boat side is the best
insurance against loosing a nice fish. Once in the boat or on the gaff take a moment to
subdue or dispatch the fish. This serves 3 purposes:
1. Safety: This prevents someone from accidentally getting injured by an arrow or other
object. 40-50 lb fish flopping about can have some serious repercussions.
2. Stealth: This keeps the fish from flopping about causing un-necessary noise that WILL
prevent you from seeing other fish in the area.
3. Conservation: This ensures that one more of these invasive species is permanently
removed from the eco system.
The last tip I can give is wear old clothing. If you care anything about your truck or home you
need to change clothes when you come off the water. Your clothes may get washed but the
next time you get sweaty or damp you will experience vivid olfactory memories of your Bighead
trip. These fish are very slimy, bloody, and they have an odor that is obvious and distinctive
from the moment you remove them from the water.
I hope this information helps anybody going after Bigheads; nobody’s trip should be a bust!
Some nights they just aren’t there even when the conditions seem perfect and that’s something nobody can help. Did I tell you all my secrets, Hmmm!, of course not. But if you follow
these tips you will soon get to savor the aroma of Bighead success!
About the Author
Team Pokaho calls the Tri-State area of Kentucky, Indiana, and
Illinois home and competes in multiple states throughout the
Mid-South area. Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, Hovey Lake, Ohio
River, Cumberland River, and Tennessee River are some of the
water bodies this team is fortunate enough to call home waters.
Several sub species of Carp, Gar, Drum, Suckers, Catfish,
Paddlefish and others are abundant on their local waters.
When not competing the team takes part in activities that help
promote the sport of bowfishing whether it be sport shows, youth
events, guided trips, or just answering questions for the general
public as well as dealers and shop owners.
Bauer, a registered nurse, and Pyle, a construction supervisor, have competed together for
about 15 years through national level 3D archery and bowfishing events. The team is
seasoned and well versed in the mental and
physical demands associated with competition.