Bow Mounted On Electra Townie Balloon 3 (Bicycle Bowfishing)
 

I had to share these pictures of my new bike, "Der Karpfen-Kreuzer" and the recurve bow mount I made for it. I ride the Old Erie Canal Trail http://www.trailsfromrails.com/old_erie_canal_trail.htm in central New York state and bowfish, hunting carp as I ride. No, it's not a warm, fuzzy frolick with nature, it's outright slaughter! Sorry, Peta types, I don't wanna hear it - if it makes you feel any better for the fish, I smack them on the head with a hammer after spearing them with a fishing arrow and dragging them onto the shore spewing blood and entrails.

Enjoy,

PR

Killing of any kind just to kill is a sign of severe mental illness. I doubt that you
qualify for any sort of bragging rights with this franken rig. :notamused:

Like Clockwork
 

Just what I was expecting! I'll take your own previous tagline, "I don't argue with idiots" as advice.

I thought it amusing.. Especially, seeing it got a rise out of you. :D

Hardly a rise, but relish your amusement. Invasive species writhing as they are impaled on a fiberglass rod, now that's amusing! ;)

Search the forum for caring a rifle on one's bike. I can't find it at the moment but there is a nice rig for carrying such that mounts to your handlebars.
That rig looks like it puts an undue amount of stress on the bow tip, that's a pretty recurve shame to break it.
Also, if you are going to continue to use that rig, you may want to put the arrowhead in the cup and the fletching upward. If you go over the handlebars, pulling a fishing broadhead out of your shoulder would suck.

Actually, all of the bow's weight is supported by the umbrella clamp on the handlebars, the lower cup is more of a retainer. As I ride it on a flat canal path, going over the bars would be a freak accident indeed, especially considering the frame geometry and center of gravity of a Townie. With the arrow velcroed to the string there is little chance of it being in an unsafe position, though I have considered putting a ball of some kind on the tip - putting it tip down in the cup doesn't work because the barbs get stuck in the foam - I may add a leather or vinyl pouch of some kind in the cup to retain it, and a velcro strip between the string and bow arm to keep it from jumping up and out if I were to, say, run down random wildlife and squish it with my Fat Franks. I wouldn't want to use a rifle carrier, had to mount it vertically so as to keep a slim profile - most gun racks hold a weapon horizontally across the bars. While I am out to kill carp, I'd hate to gouge out someone's eye with my bow tip on a narrow path. Also, I avoided putting a holster on a rear rack because this is quickly removable and I can use my bike unmodified at any time. I like how it looks this way as well, the shapes of the stem, forks and frame are echoed by the bow.

For anyone interested in mounting a bow to your rear rack, check out: http://www.montanascabbards.com/index.php

:thumb:Cool!:thumb: Real bows don't need training wheels. I have an old ben pearson that I bow fish with. I rode out to chase smallies the other day .
We are only one or two generations from those who had to kill to survive, not far enough to guarantee our society couldn't slip back
Roy

Ah! Carp. That explains the absence of a creel.

I don't recognize that part of the canal. I'm closest to locks 32 & 33.

Dude, that was pretty cool.

That's cool. I think I would make a quiver with a hard tip protector that I could mount to the top tube to carry my arrow and a spare.

You need a handlebar mounted crossbow as well, for shooting while riding!

Thanks! Actually the arrows would be too long and would not permit turning, as they would be sticking out into the bow's radius. I wouldn't want something I could snag my foot on during a fast, blood-lustful dismount either. It would, however, look quite amusing as I rode. I thought about carrying a spare arrow, but since the canal bottom is soft, silty and has few rocks, it's very tough to damage or lose an arrow - if I do, it's time to go home and let the carp live to see another day.

Hmmmm. Yes, you are right, I do! Until I install one I'll just have to get by with my eye lasers.

Yes, I see what you mean. I didn't measure one of my own fish arrows against the top tube of my Townie3 before posting that. I'd probably mount a quiver vertically to my Townie rear rack.

Currently when I take my Townie to go bowfishing, everything rides in my canoe.

Ahhh, I saved pictures of your setup with the canoe a while back - very cool! You are in gar territory, those are rumored to be good eatin' and are referred to as "poor man's lobster".

Thanks, I definitely agree. BUT, if I were to bowhunt deer/big game (which I don't), I would use an efficient modern compound with sights to guarantee clean, fast kills. Recurves are actually preferred for bowfishing, the draw speed is faster than a compound, nice for quick shots at moving targets. If we do slip back, I'll be the crazy guy in Bartertown selling carp jerky from a bike trailer.

I just limit my shots to 20 yards or less and shoot a bare bow, did the compound bow thing when I was younger, It is more about being out, than killing something for me so I shoot old school bows, I have a like new 69 Bear kodiak mag. the slip back comment was for other posters for us to live something must die plants are living too
If it does go south, deer would not be hard to catch with a snare and I have fed myself with a cast net before in hard times
Roy

UPDATE! I added some safety features to this rig. Instead of securing it with a tie wrap that can pop easily, I switched to strong velcro. You can see the back of the cup in a few shots, it is a marker tube (which press fits onto the wheel bolt) reinforced with a grommet and a tie wrap. The grommet is rubber cemented to a tire patch, which protects the paint on the forks and reduces vibrations. A velcro strap is also run through the bowstring and across the arrow barbs, which are now in a plastic reinforced pocket in the cup. If the cup should come loose it will now be attached to the bow and the arrow and nothing will go into the spokes, which would not be fun. When I was a kid living in Montana, I learned about this the hard way. People talk about going over the bars, well, I have done it in a grand way. I rode my Pfletscher 10speed from Troy, MT to Savage Lake and was carrying a 6' Eagle Claw spinning rod in a canvas bag, the straps of which I was holding in my left hand on the bars. A semi hauling a load of cars came up behind me just as I was gaining speed on the hill back into town. I leaned a bit and steered toward the shoulder, getting off of the asphalt entirely. As I did this, the rod butt, still in the bag, got caught in my front spokes. I flew in a pefect arc and belly flopped in the dirt and the bike flipped twice in the air before crashing down. Lucky for me I was young and flexible, I can't imagine that happening to me now. After recovering my wind and nursing my (surprisingly minimal) road rash, I yanked the broken spokes out and was able to ride home, albeit with a slightly warped front wheel. A bit of hammering and the rod butt straightened up nicely, dad took care of the spokes and mom handled the bactine. Obligatory fish gore included at no extra charge.

Another Update!
 

Another update! The umbrella clamp recently broke while I was installing it so I ordered a heavy duty moped mirror and am now using it as the handlebar bow mount. This is what I ordered: http://www.bikeworldusa.us/Mirrors-H...B000NJPE5E.htm It works beautifully and also doubles as a bag holder for small grocery runs or trips to the minimart.

I also added a horn, Electra Bullet Headlight (Dim, going to modifiy it with a brighter LED) http://www.electrabike.com/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=EP&Product_Code=388412&Category_Code=CLT and a Bell wireless speedometer/odometer/cycle computer thingy. I have read negative reports on the Bell speedometer but mine works just fine! (Though I did have to move the sensor up high for reliable reception as opposed to mounting it by the hub as I did at first).

The shot of the Yellow Brick Road is from Chittenango, NY, birthplace of L. Frank Baum, author of The Wizard Of Oz. I rode the Yellow Brick Road! Follow the Yellow Brick Road! Follow The Yellow Brick Road!

Nice set up:thumb:
Sorry if you mentioned it previously,but how do you get all the fish home?
I'd think basket or rack setup with a small cooler would let you ride/fish a lot longer.

JM

He probably doesn't keep them. Most natural resource authorities encourage the removal of carp as they are invasive to native species and they reproduce like crazy. When I catch one, I throw it in the woods for the coyotes and other scavengers.

Nice setup.

I use to bowfish when ever the nearby town got a good rain, The creeks would overflow and the bufflo and carp would be swiming/crawling everywhere. Used an old fiberglass Bear. One year they stopped us from bow fishing. After the water dried up, the dead fish rotted and gave off an awlful stank! We was allowed to bow fish again after that.

Jerry

Thanks!

The victims are either buried in shallow graves, thrown in corn fields or dumped in the water. I do not eat them. Even if I did feel brave enough to prepare them as food, in NY state the maximum recommended carp dosage is 1/2 lb. per week - I'm not going to eat anything with that kind of warning! No baskets or racks for me, thanks, but I will be adding an Electra Townie frame bag when they are finished redesigning them, perhaps a saddle bag of some sort for longer trips.

Paul, That would be highly illegal here in Wisconsin.

I rigged up my Xtracycle to carry all of my spearfishing gear and bought a cooler that fits into the side bag. I mainly shoot crappie, perch, and bluegill so a smaller cooler is all that's needed. On occasion we do put the hurt on the local carp population and it's during those times that a buddy brings his pick-up so that we can drag them away to his farm. I've eaten smoked carp, but our lakes are so full of them we could never eat them all and they have the same contamination issues that you have.

Here's a couple of pics.

Jon

Here's some more bike specific photos.

First is my original ice box set up for my xtracycle and then shots of my new cooler. I can carry much more, and keep them cooler, with this new set up.

Last shot was from a good day diving last winter.

Jon

Nice setup Paul. One thing though don't put them back in the water! Just make a pile and let the scavengers take care of them. My buddy and I used to make huge piles of carp when we were growing up in Upstate NY. They were taking over all the local creeks and rivers Ugh.

Thanks! Yes, in some states it is illegal to put them in the water, however I have not seen that as law in NY (if anyone knows of such, please link it). Any fish I have put in or lost in the water (pulled off the arrow in the brush) was gone the next day - the canal is full of aquatic scavengers as well. I do prefer to throw them in the bushes or corn fields, though. Those are gone quickly too - many hungry things lurk about in the night.

Very nice! You like to get far more intimate with the fish, I see. Is it legal to spear anything besides carp when diving? If so, cool! Nice string of crappies! And thats a beautiful pile of carp - that has to be a blast!