Waiting for fish to bite can be the most frustrating part about fishing, but what if you didn't need the fish to bite?  You'd grab a bow and arrow and fish with Tom Pfister on the the St. Louis River.  Pfister has caught over 200 carp this season alone after taking up the sport last year.  His largest carp was nearly fourty-four pounds. "You can use your regular bow for bow hunting, which we end up just putting a reel on it, and a release, and put a spool on it and carp arrow, head out on the water and chase the carp around in the shallows," said Pfister.

The shallows are filled with all different kinds of species of fishing, sunning themselves on a hot afternoon. "If you like to bow hunt and you like to see fish and good numbers of fish of all species, this is a good way to do it," said Pfister.

Some tips to follow.  Identify the species before pulling the trigger because only certain types of fish can be caught while bow fishing.  Routine hunt and search abilities, a quick steady hand, and decent aim are the keys to success.  Ideal weather doesn't hurt either.  "The best bow fishing is the hotter the day and no wind, so it's flat calm. They'll be sitting right up top eating all the reeds and the root," said Pfister.

Similar to tradtional fishing, sometimes bow fishing and patience go hand in hand.  Pfister, an avid outdoorsman, knows this all to well.  "It was seven times before I hit my first carp, and when I hit my first carp I was so excited my leg was shaking, it was like I had buck fever, this is incredible, I was tickled pink, and then I was hooked," he said.

Bowfishers actually do a service to the environment.  They aid in the eradication of certain species that are invasive and can actually rid lake and rivers of native species, including game fish.  "It's fun to shoot a few and have a good time out on the water, but it's not always about killing something every time you're going out, it's just a fun sport," said Pfister.