Bowfishing

[KTapper]

Looking into buying a bow for bowfishing, and I have a few questions.

1. Can you use any bow for bowfishing? (because I would like to hunt with it also)

2. What bow would you suggest? (I will use it for bowfishing, and deer/turkey hunting)

3. I would like to spend around $450

Thanks guys! 

[kenhuntin]

KTapper  You no way have to spend anything over $100.00 for a bowfishing bow. I would suggest something used. You will be shooting a really heavy arrow at very short yardage and with quite a bit of target refraction that is a learned trait. It is really unnecessary to bring a high quality bow out where it may get dropped or spilled overboard and possibly lost. the main thing you need to have in your arsenal is the arrow point. It is good to have one with the removable wire tip. They are pressed into a w shape. I would suggest using different bows (one for water and the other for field) as then you will will not transfer the two totally different types of shooting to each other.

[KTapper]

You make a very good point about loosing the bow overboard. I have seen some all in one kits that are ready to shoot comes with reel, line, and arrows. They run anywhere from 300-450. The one question I have is can pretty much any bow be made into a bowfishing bow?

[kenhuntin]

Yes as long as it has a threaded hole in front of the riser for a stabilizer or the reel to screw into.

[mathews4ever]

You can use any bow for bowfishing but I do know that a lot of bowfisherman shy away from super fast speed bows for safety reasons. If you are looking for cheap bowfishing setup you could look into the PSE kingfisher setup. It runs about $140 brand new. It is not a top of the line setup but it will get you on the water. With the cheaper bowfishing setup you could also buy another bow this summer for deer hunting.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat21424-cat600272&id=0004395416826a&navCount=2&podId=0004395&parentId=cat600272&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IK&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat600272&hasJS=true

[KTapper]

I found the bow/setup I will be purchasing. Here it is!

http://www.obsessionarchery.com/browning-barracuda-bowfishing-combo-package-p-821.html

[stevejedlenski]

when i bowfish all i have is a arrow rest my reel (which has to be attached by law) and a release. i just basically look down the arrow as my sights. and you have to aim under the fish when you shoot. how much depends on the depth of the fish. this is called refraction. as mentioned by kenhuntin. the best way to describe this it to put a long handle or stick in the water and it will look as if there is a big kink in the straight stick. so the fish will actually look farther out than it actually is. it will take practice but i love bowfishing. i cant wait to try it at night now that it is legal to use lights!! 

[Joe@deerhunters]

I just use an old recurve but with a nice side mounted spool style. I cant remember the name the line is contained in a bottle like aparatus. good arrows and good tips are worth the money.

Lights is just select lakes right?  There is bill in session now to open it up to all lakes.

It is so much fun hunting fish!

[stevejedlenski]

here are the lakes that are currently able to use lights for, i dont know if they are opening all lakes but i hope they do as my favorites are not allowed so far
D. The following described water bodies are open to
night bowfishing from June 1 to the last day in August.
   County
   Lake name (DOW number)              Location
(1) Becker County:
    Big Cormorant (3-576)     T.138, R.42, S.7,18,19,30;
                    T.138, R.43, S.1,11-14,22-25
    Dahlberg (3-577)       T.138, R.42, S.6;
                    T.138, R.43, S.1;
                    T.139, R.42, S.31;
                    T.139, R.43, S.36
    Leif (3-575)        T.138, R.42, S.5,6;
                    T.138, R.43, S.1;
                    T.139, R.42, S.31
    Larson (3-596)        T.138, R.43, S.10
    Middle Cormorant (3-602) T.138, R.43, S.15,21,22
    Nelson (3-595)        T.138, R.43, S.9,10,15,16
    Rossman (Erickson)       T.138, R.43, S.3,4,9,10
    (3-587)
    Upper Cormorant (3-588) T.138, R.43, S.4,5,8,9,15,16,17
(2) Benton County:
    Little Rock (5-13)
    (upstream of the new     T.37, R.31, S.2,3,10,11,14;
    Gordon Bridge)         T.38, R.31, S.34,35
(3) Big Stone County:
    Big Stone (6-152)      T.121-124, R.46-49, S.Various
(4) Blue Earth County:
    Loon Lake (7-96)       T.107, R.28, S.2-4,10,11
    Crystal Lake (7-98)    T.107, R.28, S.4,5;
                    T.108, R.28, S.32,33
(5) Carver County:
   Waconia (10-59)        T.116, R.24, S.6,7,18;
                   T.116, R.25, S.1,2,10-15
(6) Chisago County:
   South Center Lake       T.33, R.20, S.2,3,4,9,10;
   (13-27)            T.34, R.20, S.34,35
   Green Lake, including    T.33, R.20, S.6,7,18,19;
   Little Green (13-41)   T.33, R.21, S.12,13,23,24,25,26
(7) Cottonwood County:
   North Oaks Lake (17-44) T.105, R.38, S.5,8;
                   T.106, R.38, S.32
(8) Crow Wing County:
   Borden Lake (18-20)      T.44, R.28, S.2,9,10,11,
                   14,15,16,22
(9) Douglas County:
   Mary Lake (21-92)       T.126,127, R.38, S.Various
   Maple Lake (21-79)      T.127, R.37, S.19,20,29-32;
                   T.127, R.38, S.25-36
(10) Goodhue County:
   Byllesby (19-6)       T.112, R.18, S.8,9,10,11,
                   14,15,16,17
(11) Grant County:
   Pomme de Terre (26-97) T.129, R.41, S.5-7,29-32;
                   T.130, R.42, S.12,25,36
(12) Hubbard County:
   Upper Twin Lake (29-157) T.138,139, R.34, S.6,31
(13) Jackson County:
   Loon Lake (32-20)       T.101, R.35, S.18,19;
                   T.101, R.36, S.13,24,25
(14) Kandiyohi County:
   Big Kandiyohi (34-86)
   Bowfishing is not
   allowed within 330      T.117, R.34, S.3;
   feet of the island.   T.118, R.34, S.20-23,26-29,31
   Long Lake (34-192)       T.120, R.35, S.11-15,22,23
   East Solomon Lake         T.120, R.35, S.20,21,28-30;
   (34-246)            T.120, R.36, S.25
(15) Lincoln County:
   Hendricks (41-110)       T.112, R.46, S.18,19;
                    T.112, R.47, S.13,24
(16) Le Sueur County:
   Dora Lake (40-10)       T.110, R.23, S.3,4,9,10
   Sabre Lake (40-14)       T.110, R.23, S.29,30
   Gorman Lake (40-32)        T.110, R.23, S.7;
                    T.110, R.24, S.11-14
   German Lake (40-63)        T.109, R.24, S.4,5,8,9
   East, Middle, and West
   Jefferson Lake (40-92) T.109-110, R.24-25, S.Various
(17) Martin County:
                           T.101, R.29, S.7,18,19;
   East Chain (46-10)
                    T.101, R.30, S.13,24
   Cedar Lake (46-121)       T.103, R.32, S.19,30;
                    T.104, R.33, S.1,24,25,26
   Bright Lake (46-52)     T.101, R.31, S.8,9,16,17
(18) Meeker County:
   Jennie Lake (47-15)      T.118, R.29, S.20,21,27-29,32,33
   Washington (47-46)       T.118,119, R.29,30, S.Various
(19) Murray County:
   Currant Lake (51-82)     T.108, R.42, S.7,18;
                    T.108, R.43, S.12,13
   Bloody Lake (51-40)      T.108, R.40, S.20,28,29
   Fox Lake (51-43)        T.108, R.40, S.21,22,27,28
   First Fulda
   (South Fulda Lake)       T.105, R.40, S.35,36
   (51-21)
(20) Nobles County:
   West Graham Lake         T.104, R.39, S.15,16,21,22
   (53-21)
(21) Olmsted County:
   Zumbro Lake (55-414)      T.108, T.109, R.14, S.Various
   Shady Lake (55-5)       T.108, R.14, S.7,8,17,18;
                   T.108, R.15, S.12
(22) Ottertail County:
   Big Pine (56-130)      T.136,137, R.38, S.Various
   Eagle (56-253)        T.131, R.40, S.10,11,14,15
   Jolly Ann (56-370)     T.131, R.40, S.13,24;
                   T.131, R.41, S.13,24
   Pickerel (56-475)     T.134, R.41, S.10-15
   North Ten Mile (56-604) T.131, R.42, S.16,17,20,21
   Ten Mile (South
   Ten Mile) (56-613)     T.131, R.42, S.21,27-29,32-34
(23) Pine County:
   Pokegama (58-142)
   between the Pine County
   Highway 11 bridge on
   the north end of the
   lake and the Pine
   County Highway 53
   bridge and Pine County
   Highway 7 on the south T.39, R.22, S.13,14,23,24,
   end of the lake      25,26,35,36
(24) Polk County:
   Union (60-217)        T.147,148, R.42,43, S.Various
   Maple (60-305)        T.148,149, R.43,44, S.Various
(25) Pope County:
   Reno (61-78)         T.126,127, R.37,38, S.Various
   Minnewaska (61-130)       T.125, R.38,39, S.Various
(26) Rice County:
   Circle Lake (66-27)    T.111, R.21, S.15-17,21,22
   Fox Lake (66-29)       T.111, R.21, S.26,27
   Union Lake (66-320)      T.136,137, R.38, S.Various
   Rice Lake (66-48)      T.110, R.22, S.16,17,20,21
(27) Scott County:
   Cedar (70-91)        T.113, R.22, S.7,18,19;
                   T.113, R.23, S.12,13,24
(28) Swift County:
   Monson Lake (76-33)       T.121, R.37, S.3;
                   T.122, R.37, S.35,36
   Camp Lake (76-72)        T.122, R.38, S.1;
                   T.123, R.38, S.36
   Oliver Lake (76-146)    T.121, R.43, S.1;
                   T.122, R.43, S.26,27,35,36
(29) Traverse County:
   Traverse (78-25)       T.125,127, R.47-49, S.Various
   Mud Lake (78-222)       T.136, R.39, S.3,4;
                   T.137, R.39, S.34,35
(30) Wadena County:
   Blueberry Lake (80-34) T.138, R.35, S.2,3,10,11
   Lower Twin Lake (80-30) T.138, R.34,35, S.6,31
(31) Waseca County:
   Elysian (81-95)      T.108,109, R.24, S.Various
(32) Wright County:
   Buffalo (86-90)      T.119, R.25, S.30,31;
                   T.120, R.26, S.1,25,35,36
   Clearwater (86-252)     T.121,122, R.27,28, S.Various

[KTapper]

Good my lakes are on there! 

[Jdrummer]

Tapper if that bow is that blue color that looks like a bad  looking set up . kinda cheap price for what it lookd like , nice find! that bow is a little pull weight for hunting . I would double check the pull lenght also , I was at 30 then went to a comfortable 29 " remember im taller than you so I would start praticing asap! I took my carp bow and added alot of stuff to it so now its set up and fine tuned to hit bottle caps at 20 ,30 , and 40 yards!

[kgauker7]

Tapper if that bow is that blue color that looks like a bad  looking set up . kinda cheap price for what it lookd like , nice find! that bow is a little pull weight for hunting . I would double check the pull lenght also , I was at 30 then went to a comfortable 29 " remember im taller than you so I would start praticing asap! I took my carp bow and added alot of stuff to it so now its set up and fine tuned to hit bottle caps at 20 ,30 , and 40 yards!

i wanna see you hit a bottle cap at anyone of those ranges

[KTapper]

Yeah I doubt it Drummer.

[snow]

KT,

Good info here,and yes ditto on a low cost bow,look at the "quick retrieve" bottle to attach to your bow,comes with 200lb braided line that never kinks up and it also has a brake for slowing down big fish,helps with the rope burn.

As far as the arrows go,solid fiberglass nothing fancy,just make sure you remove the fletching if they with them on,they make the arrow plain out on horizonal shots.As far as arrowheads,it depends on two things,are shooting Big fish in lakes or river fish with a rock bottom? arrowheads with the wire barb and a more blunt tip are more durable for rock river and creek bottoms,its a pain to unscrew the arrowhead to release the fish but it works and they are easy to re-sharpen

For BiG carp and buffalo fish (over 20lbs and up)we use the "stingeree" arrowheads because they have longer steel barbs (not wire)that will hold the fish better even in a belly shot and you don't have to pass the arrow thru the fish to release the arrow.

Just a few thoughts...

Oh,you might be better off shooting instinctive w/o a release,in mirky water or fast water you need to snap shoot,

And don't forget your polorized glasses,they're a must...

[Jdrummer]

Heading to the range at the dog park now!

[Jdrummer]

snow , y shoot instinctive? a release would be alot easier and gives you a beter shot every time.

[KTapper]

I have heard that a few places its better to shoot with out a release because it can get in the way?

[snow]

Shooting fish can be very fast action,shooting w/o a release allows you to make snap shots when needed,even w/o a full draw,not always will you get the time to come to full draw and wait for the right shot.

Years ago,way before we had sights and pins we would practice for bow hunting through out the year by throwing darts and shooting sling shots (wrist rockets),great fun.

[Jdrummer]

I have heard that a few places its better to shoot with out a release because it can get in the way?

possibily? I do not know what the hand motions would be after sticking a fish , if I knew that I would be able to say more about the release vs. no release.

Tapper you are gunna shoot a bow for hunting and that wil be a release shot so just pratice both ways!