# What happens after the catch?



## andyh2484 (Jan 8, 2010)

I have never bowfished before, but I have seen guys on television bowfish all night and end up with a boat full of gar and carp.  What do you do with these fish afterwards?  I have always heard they aren't good to eat...


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## dadsbuckshot (Jan 8, 2010)

all depends on your taste - some folks eat carp/gar. Gar doesn't look too bad. 

Also makes great compost if you have garden or plants... 

You can make cat food, raccoon trap bait, opossum bait - LOL you name it....


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## NCHillbilly (Jan 8, 2010)

Gar is good eating. Carp is nasty and makes good fertilizer.


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## bronco611 (Feb 1, 2010)

NCHillbilly, is that a homemade bow that you bowfish with? and by the way you must have tried one of those south georgia buglemouth bass to know that they are nasty!lol,lol.


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## FERAL ONE (Feb 1, 2010)

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=305074&highlight=gar

i might try a small carp from clean water but the ones we shoot look nasty and stink !!! the gar is good , just a lot of trouble .


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## NCHillbilly (Feb 1, 2010)

Yeah, that one is an old beat-up ash selfbow I made a few years ago. Great bowfishing bow, I've shot a lot of gar with it, and a few land-dwelling critters, too. About all I hunt with anymore are primitive selfbows and flintlocks. Carp are edible if you're hungry enough, I guess- but there's too many fish out there that taste good to be eating carp. I have some respect for gar, but carp are invasive non-natives, and every carp out of the water is an improvement to the ecosystem.  F1, a hacksaw and a pair of tinsnips make short work out of cleaning gar.


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## FERAL ONE (Feb 1, 2010)

check out the hawk bill deal i made in the thread above. it works well too !!!


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## NCHillbilly (Feb 2, 2010)

Good reading, F1, and lots of good info. I hadn't seen those before. The hawkbill chopper looks like it means business. Thanks! Except after seeing those pics of that grilled and steamed gar, now my stomach is growling.  Gonna have to try that-think I have a couple more packs of gar backstraps in the freezer.


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