Dustin Schlegel shoots while Cody Schlegel watches while bow fishing at the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Gull Lake Recreation Area several years ago. Photo by Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch
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40 | 2022 Love of the Lakes
increasingly popular in lakes area
By Dan Determan It should be a surprise to no one that in the Brainerd lakes area, fishing is a popular pastime for many lake goers - both those here on vacation and full-time residents. Whether in a boat, on a dock or on the ice, anglers come in droves to catch some fish from one of hundreds of lakes. However, one does not always need a fishing rod to enjoy the hobby, as bowfishing has gained something of a foothold in the area. Bowfishing, as the name suggests, sees the use of archery equipment to shoot and retrieve fish. Anglers will shoot fish with an arrow that is attached to a special line, with the reel mounted on the bow. “I think it’s just being able to shoot a bow and arrow from a vehicle like a watercraft, and then also the vision that you have in the evening with watercraft that are aided with lights,” local Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Jim Guida said. “It kind of creates an environment like an aquarium … it creates that feeling that you’re seeing something that you don’t normally see from the surface of the water. You can actually see under the water quite a ways.”
Longtime local bow fisherman Bruce Edberg, of Nisswa, said the activity actually serves as a combination of many hobbies outdoorsmen and women tend to enjoy. “You’re hunting, fishing and stalking at the same time, and there seems to be a whole bunch of stuff to shoot,” he said. “It really is a challenge … Once you hit it, the fight is on.” Only rough fish - less desirable, rarely eaten species - are allowed to be taken by bow in the state. In Minnesota, these species include bullheads, suckers, carp, redhorse, freshwater drum, bowfin and gar. White suckers and redhorse are by far the most prominent in the lakes area, Guida said. For Edberg, if given the choice of which rough fish to pursue, his preference is the buffalofish. “They consider buffalofish a rough fish, but it is such clean meat - it’s so white, you can’t believe it,” he said. “It does taste pretty good, and you can prepare it a lot of different ways.” Though bowfishing is a niche in the fishing community, Guida said the sport has seen more and more people taking part in the area. “It is increasing in popularity,” Guida said.
