Lake Tapps Bowfishing

[birdshooter1189]

Planning to go bowfishing for carp at Lake Tapps this weekend.  Any tips from people who have bowfished here?

[Mfowl]

Never bowfished it but do musky fish it. Get in to the shallow backwaters, especially the weedy areas. Be careful of stumps and logs, not sure  what the water level is right now but it can be hazardous. The backwaters will be warmer than the main lake. I've seen a lot more suckers in the shallows than carp but there are carp in there. Not sure if there are grass carp  in there but I believe they are protected on the Westside so worth being conscious of.

[birdshooter1189]

Bowfished some shallows for about 4 hours on sunday.  Missed one good shot.  Missed quite a few other not so good shots as well.  Had fun.  The carp were starting to get active, but not spawning yet.  They spooked easy.  Saw probably 40 carp jump while I was there.  Maybe another week or two until they start spawning.  Conditions weren't ideal and I was having a very tough time spotting them yesterday.

[AL WORRELLS KID]

Back in the 60's, Mom and Dad would pack up all us Kids, the fishing gear and head for Lake Tapps.
Like fishing in a barrel, when the water was at it's lowest level. Now it seems to close about that time.
 What fun for the Family, with no limits on Pan-fish we kept Dad busy filleting and our freezer stocked up. We used to freeze the fillets (in milk cartons) of solid ice, to keep them from getting freezer burned (before the invention of Seal a Meal Bags.) They would stay good for like 10 years.
Doug

[tlbradford]

We would shoot them just before they filled it back up.  They weren't spawning but were trapped in shallow water.  I want to say it was always in January for the lowest water levels, because us kids would choose to shoot carp or fish the flume for steelhead and dolly varden.  I'm getting old so I might be off on the dates.

[Netminder01]

Don't laugh but what options exist to bowfish without a boat?

I sold my duck boat a few years ago which would've been ideal but I'd like to take a buddy this year at least once. Typical guide/Outfitter thing or are there 'open seat' opportunities?

Sorry for the thread hijack - feel free to PM me any deets.

[tlbradford]

We just walked the shallows.  You didn't have access to all the lake, but plenty enough to get some shots.  Again this was late 80's early 90's so I don't know what has changed.

[Shaqdiesel]

Now that cascade water alliance bought the lake walking in the lake bed is “trespassing” 

[tlbradford]

Now that cascade water alliance bought the lake walking in the lake bed is “trespassing” 

Wow!  What a load of crap.

[elkrack]

My uncle arrowed a sturgeon in Tapps back in the day. I will check with him on what decade it was. I  Grew up on that lake bed good times👍🏻