Youthful archers angle for fishy action in tournament

By Cathy Spaulding

TOPPERS — Who said fishing had to be limited to rods and reels?

Kids and teens who aimed to win the Youth World Bowfishing Tournament, held Saturday at the Toppers area near Wagoner, simply needed a standard bow and arrow, a steady hand — and a good set of polarized sunglasses.

More than 174 youths from Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas and other states participated in the tournament, which included a midday feast featuring chicken, hot dogs and — of course — fresh fried fish. Participants were to catch one fish each of four species: Carp, gar, drum and buffalo fish.

Kansas youngsters Trey and Grant Richey snagged a pair of chubby green carp before heading in for their lunch break.

“We were way down there, where all the carp are,” Trey, 7, said, pointing toward an open spot in the water. “We tried to get as close to them as we can.”

“I shot my arrow right over him,” said Grant, 9.

“He was swimming right toward you, Grant,” said the boys’ father, Aaron Richey of Caney, Kan. “You saw the back side swimming around a little bit.”

“They fight real hard,” Trey said.

Mychael and Patrick Holford of Tecumseh have a little more bowfishing experience — and a couple of awards.

“Mychael won the first bowfishing contest for girls in 2005. She was 11 then,” said her father, Mike Holford. “We have been doing this since the first tournament and it has grown a bit since then, to 200, maybe 300 kids.”

Randy Woodward, a contest organizer, said last year’s Youth World Bowfishing Tournament attracted about 280 kids.

Holford said his son, Patrick, is in his final tournament before joining the National Guard.

The Holfords went in their trawler to show how a watchful eye and steady aim help them catch with a bow.

“We work along in the shallow water, using polarized glasses to spot the fish,” Mike Holford said. “With the polarized glasses you can see things in the water pretty well.”

The teens managed to catch two gar Saturday morning near Fort Gibson dam, Holford said.

“There were gar everywhere in the flowing waters by the dam,” Holford said, opening a cooler to show one of the pencil-nosed fish they had caught that morning.

The other fish species were more of a challenge. The Holford’s boat trolled along a murky, brushy, rocky shore in one cove.

Patrick stood, scanning the water, pointing his arrow down toward the water. He took aim, but the two buffalo fish swam away before he could shoot.

He scanned again, lifted his bow to his cheek and shot. The arrow pierced near the back side of a buffalo fish, who tried to swim under the boat. While Patrick held his bow steady, Mike Holford grabbed the line and negotiated the bloody fish out of the water.

“It’s an inexpensive hobby to get started in, but all you need is a standard lightweight compound or recurve bow,” Holford said. A recurve bow has ends that point away from the archer. A compound bow is stiffer and uses pulleys.



Reach Cathy Spaulding at 918-684-2928 or Click Here to Send Email

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