It’s a popular time of year for bowfishing and other projectiles. If you’re headed out to give it a shot, there are rules you should know about bows, gigs, spears, and spear guns.
You CAN hunt:
- blue catfish
- Chesapeake Channa (northern snakehead)
- flathead catfish
- channel catfish
- common carp
- gizzard shad
- goldfish
- longnose gar
- sunfish
Projectile gear may not be used to fish:
- trout
- walleye
- striped bass
- striped bass hybrids
- northern pike
- muskellunge, or muskellunge hybrids, including tiger musky
- largemouth
- smallmouth bass
- snapping turtles
- any threatened or endangered species
At night, do not shine lights into homes. Please obey noise ordinances.
Bows, spears, and spear guns may not be used within 100 yards of any person or vessel, other than the vessel occupied by the individual using the projectile gear, or if the individual gives permission
Projectile gear may not be used in any:
- trout management area
- Fishery Management Area
- State-controlled community pond or lake
Gear must have a retrieval line attached (except a gig, which must be propelled by hand and have only 3 prongs)
