Bowfisher Nabs Massachusetts State Record-Breaking Carp
OutdoorHub Reporters 05.07.12
A Massachusetts crossbow-fisher went home this week with a validated state record for a carp he harvested on April 18. Massachusetts Department of Fish and Wildlife (MDFW) workers were taken aback by its size when they inspected the fish.
The monster carp weighed in at 46 pounds, 5 ounces; it was caught by Shane Felch of Shrewsbury in Lake Quinsigamond in the same county. Felch and his friend Devon DuBois were grinning from ear to ear when MDFW Outreach Coordinator Marion Larson came down to view the fish. Felch’s catch broke the 1993 record of 44 pounds, 2 ounces set by Roger Pyzocha, who caught his carp from the Connecticut River.
There are three types of carp found in Massachusetts, the “typical” variety which is fully scaled, the “mirror carp” which has various numbers of large, scattered scales among unscaled skin, and the “leather carp” with bare, leathery skin and barely any scales. Felch caught a mirror carp, reported to be the most common variety caught in Lake Quinsigamond.
Felch caught the fish late at night with a crossbow, for which he had a special hunting and fishing permit. The catch was a team effort between Felch and his buddy DuBois who operated the little 14-foot john boat. Both men are new to the sport of bowfishing as they have only been doing so for the past year.
Filled with excitement and vigor, Felch said he’d like to come back to the office soon with another record-setting fish in hand.
