1. (a) General. Except as otherwise provided in this part, snakehead, carp, suckers and catfish may be taken with long bows and arrow, including compound bows, crossbows, spears or gigs any hour of the day or night aided by a light at night if so desired, in Commonwealth waters and waters bounding and adjacent thereto.
2. (b) Lake Erie. Scuba divers, who possess a valid fishing license and Lake Erie stamp, shall be permitted to take burbot at a depth of at least 60 feet.
3. (c) Restrictions. Spears or gigs may not be mechanically propelled, may not have more than five barbed points, and may not be used in stocked trout waters.

4. (d) Exceptions:

   1. (1) It is unlawful to use bow and arrow (including compound bows and crossbows), spears and gigs in any special regulation trout waters.
   2. (2) It is unlawful to cast direct rays of a spotlight, mounted headlight or any other artificial light of any kind from any watercraft upon any occupied building or another watercraft.
   3. (3) It is unlawful to use generators on board a watercraft engaged in bowfishing with a noise level that exceeds 90 dB(a). The noise emission test measurement will be made with the sound level meter at a distance of at least 4 feet above the water at a point where the transom gunwale and the port or starboard gunwale intersects.

Authority

The provisions of this § 63.8 amended under 30 Pa.C.S. § 2102.

Source

The provisions of this § 63.8 adopted January 23, 1981, effective January 24, 1981, 11 Pa.B. 422; reserved March 5, 1982, effective March 6, 1982, 12 Pa.B. 870; amended January 6, 1984, effective January 7, 1984, 14 Pa.B. 46; amended December 22, 1995, effective December 23, 1995, 25 Pa.B. 5970; amended April 12, 1996, effective April 13, 1996, 26 Pa.B. 1706; amended October 31, 1997, effective November 1, 1997, 27 Pa.B. 5605; amended November 7, 1997, effective November 8, 1997, 27 Pa.B. 5779; amended February 18, 2000, effective February 19, 2000, 30 Pa.B. 870; amended November 21, 2003, effective November 22, 2003, 33 Pa.B. 5704; amended February 27, 2004, effective February 28, 2004, 34 Pa.B. 1232; amended March 10, 2006, effective March 11, 2006, 36 Pa.B. 1124; amended September 5, 2008, effective September 6, 2008, 38 Pa.B. 4900; amended September 25, 2015, effective January 1, 2016, 45 Pa.B. 5788; amended September 16, 2022, effective September 17, 2022, 52 Pa.B. 5948; amended December 2, 2022, effective December 3, 2022, 52 Pa.B. 7383. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (411144) to (411145).

Cross References

This section cited in 58 Pa. Code § 63.9 (relating to snatch fishing, foul hooking and snag fishing); and 58 Pa. Code § 65.24 (relating to miscellaneous special regulations).