About
Call Me Captain Nate
I am an aerial bowfishing guide and run out of Lacon Marina, at Marina Drive, Lacon, IL 61540. It's about 25 miles north of Peoria. This area has some off the highest concentrations of Asian Carp. Its also more scenic, less boat traffic, a lot of wildlife and bald eagles. There are plenty of accommodations close by; camping, hotels and food. There's even a burger joint right on the marina.
Feel free to call or email if you have any questions about logistics and I'll steer you in the right direction.
I am a family man. I have a beautiful wife, three crazy kids and a coon dog named Choppa. My kids love this sport and so will yours. I love seeing families making memories. If they can't operate the bows they will have a blast with the dip nets.
I grew up hunting and fishing and from my experience, I can assure you that a trip with me is one you will never forget. The easiest way to explain this sport is by combining your best hunting and fishing experience and then throwing in a bunch of steroids. The hardest decision you will ever face is which fish to shoot at first!
The boat
Asian carp jump because of vibration and water turbulance. This is why aluminum boats with two stroke motors work the best. With that said, my mainline boat is a custom all aluminum triton pontoon boat that has been overhauled and customized specifically for this sport. This boat gets the asian carp popping like popcorn. I also have a custom 22ft SeaArk Mod-V Jon boat. I use this boat as a back up as well as my traditional bowfishing boat. I modified my boats to allow five people and possibly 6 shoot at the same time. The rest may comfortably hang out on padded bench seats, enjoying refreshments, blasting their choice of music over the sound system and watching their buddies slay carp. It truly does not get any better than that! Even if bowfishing isn't your thing, or you have kids that want to join in the fun, I also have nets they can use to catch the fish as they jump.
Gear
I use compound bows with AMS retrievers. They are set up to snap shoot as well as hold back and wait for the perfect shot. I also have some recurve bows for those that like it old school. I have both adult and child bowfishing rigs set up for right and left handers. I also have a spear I call Poseidon if you want to impale some asian carp. I carry dip nets for the kids. If they are to young to operate the bows they will have just as much fun scooping these slimy flying fish out of the air with the nets. Adults love the dip nets too.
Safety
As a FF and certified EMT there is nothing more important to me than personal safety. A bowfishing trip with the Carp Hunters is an extreme experience, and some of these foreign invaders can grow to be over 40 pounds and jump up to 10 feet in the air. This is why I designed a custom net system that wraps around the boat to keep everyone safe and slime free from asian carp. We also have safety straps on the seats to ensure that during the excitement of the hunt no one can fall out. Even with these safety features I can not guarantee you will not get hit by a flying fish.
