PEORIA — While many bow hunters travel to rural areas of Peoria County to hunt deer, wild turkey and other wild animals, Capt. Nathan Wallick is attracting a new breed of bow hunters to Peoria County — Asian carp hunters.

“Most of my clients are not avid outdoorsmen,” said Wallick. “For many of them, the last time they shot a bow was at summer camp.
“People are always looking for something exciting, new and fresh to do. Not many people can say they shot a fish with an arrow, let alone, that they shot a fish with an arrow in midair.”
Because the U.S. Coast Guard requires charter companies of any type to employ licensed captains, Wallick had to pay around $3,000 to go through the captain licensing process that involves screening and classes, and to obtain required federal and state permits, before starting his charter company called Peoria Carp Hunters that provides Asian carp bow hunting charter trips on the Illinois River.
“I’ve been an outdoorsman all my life and would do a lot of bow fishing on the river,” said Wallick. “I take friends bow fishing often. When I noticed how much fun all my friends were having, I saw a business opportunity.
“In 2011, I decided to go for it, and started shopping for a boat and all the equipment I needed. Because the river is federal waters, I went back to school to get my captain’s license, passed the test over the winter and started running charters this spring.”
For his charter company, Wallick, an EMT with the Peoria Fire Department, purchased a $10,000 deck boat with an aluminum hull.
“My boat has a great sound system, comfortable, wrap around bench seats so those who are waiting for their turn can kick back, have a beverage and enjoy the show,” said Wallick. “I have a raised deck in the back of the boat with two seats on both sides of the motor where the shooters can sit and shoot from.”
The aluminum hull, along with a two-stroke motor, creates a noise and vibration that sparks Asian carp to flip upwards 10 feet above the river.
“I’ve learned the behaviors of the fish and make sure to take my customers to the places where we get ‘popcorn’ action,” said Wallick. “That is when the fish jump so much it’s like a white cloud across the top of the water.”
Because Asian carp weigh at least 15-25 pounds, up to 40 pounds, Wallick surrounded his deck boat with a protective volleyball net to prevent the fish from hitting passengers.
“I created a unique net system that wraps around the boat,” said Wallick. “This protects the spectators from getting hit with a fish.”
After the bow hunter shoots a fish with an arrow and the fish is brought into the boat, they can have their picture taken with the fish. Then Wallick throws the fish into an on-board metal trash can. Many bow hunters don’t like to clean and eat Asian carp, so Wallick keeps the fish for personal use.
“I like to either eat them, take the fish out to my property and use them in the garden as fertilizer or feed them to wildlife,” said Wallick.
A charter trip costs $120 per hour, regardless of the number of people in a group. Wallick can take up to six passengers at a time. Anyone who wants to shoot a carp must have an Illinois fishing license.
According to Wallick, many people travel on charter trips as spectators.
“One great aspect about this sport is that it is very much a spectator sport as well,” said Wallick. “I’ve found that the people watching laugh just as much, and sometimes more, than the people shooting.”
To promote Peoria Carp Hunters, Wallick and his friends created two YouTube videos. The videos show them water skiing on the Illinois River, while wearing football helmets, garbage cans and other protective gear, and battling the Asian carp that are flying upward out of the river, with trident spears, spiked ball bats and other weird weaponry. Each video has received nearly a half-million hits.
The videos have drawn the attention of the late-night ABC television news program “Nightline” and cable television channel The Animal Planet, both of which plan on filming segments on Peoria Carp Hunters.
To learn more about Peoria Carp Hunters or to book a charter trip, visit
peoriacarphunters.com