# Introduction to Bowfishing



## fishermayne

I noticed that we have several newbies that are just getting started with bowfishing, and I thought it might be helpful to share some advice. I just started bowfishing about 2 years ago and had to learn a lot on my own. I am in no way an expert and I don't really hit the tournament scene. I have never hired a guide and pretty much taught myself. I go about once a week and now shoot an average of 60-100 fish per night. I know that there are many other guys that are on this site, that have a lot more knowledge and experience then me, but most of them have been bowfishing for years and it is just second nature to them. Since I just started recently, I feel I have a fresh perspective on what is important when you first get started and wanted to share it, in hopes that I can help others who are looking at getting started in this awesome sport. If any one would like to add to this post, please feel free. 

To start off with I have found the best time to bowfish is during the Spring when the gar, carp and buffalo are spawning. They get up in the shallows and are easily visible and are distracted by the spawn. During the hot summer months is really good for gar, due to the decreased oxygen content in the water which causes them to breach more often. If you are just starting to bowfish right now, in the fall/winter, you are going to have a little more difficult time. The fish are still there, but they don't seem to be out in the same numbers. 

My first piece of advice is to start your research. The bowfishing section in 2coolfishing is the best place to go to get local information for hot spots and tips, but Bowfishingcountry.com is the best resource you will find for general bowfishing specific information. They also have a classifieds section on that site where you can find good deals on used bowfishing bows and other equipment. Make sure that you get a bow that is specific for bowfishing, and not a hunting bow. I started with a PSE Nova, which is a deer hunting bow that I rigged up for bowfishing, and it was a huge mistake. The hunting bows are much harder to draw (pull back) and they will wear you out. I shoot an average of 300-400 shots per night and most bow hunters won't take that many shots in an entire year. They also are not meant to be used in saltwater and the pieces will rust out on you. Most of the hunting bows are set up to have a draw weight of over 70 lbs. which is great for a deer but way too much for shooting a fish. You will end up shooting through the fish and having your arrow stick very deep into roots and branches. You will end up losing arrows or spending valuable time trying to dig the tips out . The other thing about hunting bows is they have to be pulled back all the way before you release them and you can't "snap shoot them", which is when you release at quarter of half draw. A lot of the fish you see will take off fairly quickly when they see you and you will not have long to get your shot off. I have tried several different brands/models of bow fishing bows and in my opinion the best starter bow for a woman is going to be the AMS Fish Hawk and the 2nd best is the Browning/PSE Barracuda, both have an adjustable 30-40lb draw weight. The best bowfishing bow for the money I have found for a man is the AMS Fire Eagle. It is going to have adjustable 40-50 lb. draw and lets you shoot fish that are further out. Some people swear by the Oneida Osprey, but it is over $600 and it requires a lot more service and upkeep. 

As far as reels/retrievers go, I would highly recommend using the AMS retriever over a standard reel. They are very easy to use and are virtually indestructible. They use all stainless steel and plastic parts, so if you are shooting brackish/salt water you don't have to worry about rust. AMS only makes bowfishing products and they are the leader is bowfishing equipment and have a very good warranty.

The other piece of equipment you will need to get is arrows. The white fiberglass arrows that you can get at Academy ($15) are my favorite. I have landed 200lb gar with them, and they are much more durable than the more expensive carbon and aluminum arrows on the market. They are made by Muzzy and they have wire that is shaped like a V on the tip that will flip over for removal from the fish, once the tip is loosened. There are many different options for tips, some claim to have better holding power, but they don't seem to hold up as well in saltwater. The muzzys are stainless steel and will last forever. The only thing you need to make sure of is to remove the actual tip at the end of your trip and don't leave it on the arrow. The tip itself is made of a different metal, which will rust. If you leave it on after shooting in saltwater, it will rust to the stainless steel part of the arrow and will cause the arrow to become unfunctional. 

The other piece of the arrow that is important is the slide. The Muzzy arrows from Academy come with the AMS slide, and that is the industry standard. Whatever you do, don't tie your line directly to the back of the arrow. It is very dangerous, and when your arrow gets to the end of your line it can snap back and hit you.

As far as where to shoot, most bowfisherman will not give up there honey holes. I have found the best way to find out where the gar/carp/buffalo are in your area is to talk to the guys that are coming in from fishing and trot lining (not bowfishing) at the boat ramp. Most of the fisherman don't target gar/carp and view them as a nuisance and thus don't view you as a threat. They spend hours trolling around looking for game fish and inevitably run across spots where the gar and carp are. Just make sure that you bring a garbage can along and keep every fish that you shoot. These fisherman will get very upset if they tell you where the gar/carp are and see a bunch of dead ones floating around and stinking up there fishing spots the next time they are out there. It looks very bad on our sport and makes others have a negative view on it.

When you first start, you will probably not have a light set up, so you will have to shoot during the day. For this you just need a boat with a deck and a trolling motor. A lot of people use fans, but this is not necessary. If you are bow fishing areas where people usually fish, the fish are use to the trolling motors and some of the gar will even hear the motor and come up to the service. There have been many occasions where I have drifted an area and not seen any gar, and as soon as i turn my trolling motor on to leave they start appearing out of no where. Gar are predators and are at the top of the food chain, so they are not as skittish as other species. They will let you get close to them and some of them seem to be curious of your boat and will come right to you. You will need to learn the difference in the types of gar that are common in your area. You can shoot as many long nose, short nose, and spotted as you want but can only shoot one alligator gar per/person per day. Most of your really big (4ft and Up) will be alligator gar. If you go out for a night shoot, each person can shoot one before midnight and one after midnight. Another tip for alligator gar, or any big gar, is to have your partner back you up. That means the first person will shoot the gar and bring them to the surface with your line. The second person will then shoot the fish with their arrow, before trying to pull the fish into the boat. These big fish are very heavy and can use their weight to pull the arrow out or sometimes even break the tip off. 

Shooting Carp and Buffalo requires a different strategy because they are considered prey for larger fish/gators thus they are very skittish and will freak out when they see a boat or trolling motor. These fish typically hold up on the sides of the rivers where there is a grassy area. The best way to get close to them is to drift the area without your trolling motor on, by going upwind or by letting the current move you across the area. The gar tend to be in spots where there are trees and branches hanging into the water, and you can usually use your trolling motor to get pretty close to them. 

As far as general locations go, if you are on the coast I would recommend finding a river or an area where freshwater runs into saltwater. If you can ever get up into an area where there is a freshwater creek that runs into brackish water you should have no problem finding fish. If you live inland, I have found that the shore line tends to be better than open water. Find areas where there are creeks that run into/off the main part of the lake and you should have some luck. Rivers also tend to hold more fish than open lakes when it comes to finding gar. You will want to go out on days when the wind is less than 10mph and when the cloud cover is not blocking the sun. When it is too windy, the chop will hurt your visibility and make it a lot harder to see the fish. If you are going to shoot during the day, I recommend wearing a hat or visor to block the direct sunlight, and investing in a pair of good polarized sunglasses. Costa Del Mar makes the best ones I have found, and they make different color lenses for different depths of water. The ones that I use the most, have a brown/amber colored lens and it makes a huge difference. You can expect to pay $100-$150 for a good pair of polarized glasses, but it is well worth it. 

You will also need a deck on your boat, so that you can stand up to look for the fish. A huge raised deck is not necessary, and I prefer a deck that is flush with the top of your boat The decks that some guys have, that are three feet above their boat, make spotting fish easier, but make shooting the fish harder. Shooting a fish in the side is much easier that shooting a fish from above. Your carp and buffalo may only be 4 inches wide, but they are 36 inches long X 10 inches tall. Your biggest target area is going to be shooting them when they are turned side ways.

Once you get addicted to bowfishing, like most people who try it, you will want to start fishing at night. That is the best time to find the fish and in the hot summer months, it is also the most pleasant time to be on the water. In order to shoot at night you will want a decent lights set up. I started with a set of cheap lights, and quickly upgraded to 400 Watt HPS lights with digital ballast. The lights will determine your success at night and the brighter the lights the more fish you will see. The hps lights, and all decent light set ups will require you to use a generator, and the best one out right now is the Honda EU2000. You can find them on craigslist for around $600 and they are super quiet and fuel efficient. You can get one of the cheap harbor freight ones, but it will be three times as loud and you will end up having to try to yell over it to talk to your bowfishing partner and will probably end up wanting to buy a Honda down the road anyway. The lights that seem to be the industry standard right now are the 150 watt hps lights, and the pros are running the 400 watt hps (high pressure sodium). The 400 Watt seem to be more expensive but end up costing the about the same in the long run. You will only need four of the 400 watt hps lights to cover the same area that you would need 10-12 of the 150 watt lights. You can expect to pay upwards of $1000 for a decent lights set up, which is why most people start with the day time shooting. You can start bowfishing at night by having your partner take out a spot light, like a Q-Beam and taking turns spot lighting the fish. However, you will only be able to spot about 20% of the fish that are actually around your boat with a spotlight and if you really want to shoot some numbers, you will need to get a HPS set Up. 

Other than that, you just need to have patience and try bowfishing different areas. When I first started I would troll an average of 10-20 miles of shore line per day, so make sure that you have plenty of 12 volt batteries for your trolling motors. Now that I know what to look for I don't have to troll nearly as far, and can run my gas engine from spot to spot. 

As far as shooting the fish go, I don't use any bow sights. I "instinct shoot" which is pretty much just shooting where you think the fish is. As a general rule of bowfishing, make sure you Aim Low. Light refracts off the surface of the water, and the fish are generally deeper than they appear. If the fish are on the surface, you can just shoot where you see them. However, if you think they are deeper, then you will need to adjust your aim accordingly. Once you shoot a fish, just make sure that if you very careful when landing it, especially if it is a gar. The carp and buffallo are very soft and will pull off the arrow if you are not careful The gar on the otherhand are a little more dangerous. They have sharp teeth that you want to stay away from. They don't generally try to bite you, but most gar freak out when you bring them into the boat and start flipping around and there teeth will cut you. 

That brings me to my last point. Now that I have explained how to shoot the gar, what do you do after you shoot it. You will need to be careful with all gar, because not only do they have wicked teeth but there scales are very sharp and hard. The Indians used the scales as arrow heads, and if they run across your skin they can cut you. Make sure that you have a pair of leather gloves for handling them. For the smaller ones, I try as much as possible not to touch them at all. I have found the best way to get them off your arrow, is to slide them to the middle of your arrow. Then lay your arrow across the top of your trash can, with the fish in the middle, so the sides of the trash can block it from getting to you. You can then unscrew the tip and shake him off directly into the trash can. This is something that I learned through trial and error and seems to be the safest way to get it off your arrow without getting cut.

I hope that gives you a good base to get started and I hope that you enjoy the sport of bowfishing as much as I do. Getting started is pretty simple, you really just need a bowfishing bow ($150-$300) and a couple of $15 arrows. However, once you get hooked you will inevitably spend thousands of dollars trying to improve your advantage. It is the biggest adrenaline rush you can get legally, and combines the skills of a sniper, the knowledge of a fisherman, the stalking abilities of a hunter with the instinct of man to be a primal killer. Good luck with your journey and feel free to pm me if you have any questions.


----------



## texas two guns

Good read. On the one alligator gar per day rule, yes you can shoot one before and one after midnight, but you have to bring it back to the boat ramp before midnight then you can go back out. You can't have two limits in your boat and any given time.


----------



## richg99

Thanks for sharing. Sounds like it might be fun. I'd have to go out with somebody a time or two before I could decide if I wanted to continue. WHAT do you do with the dead fish??? 
regards, Rich


----------



## fishermayne

We usually donate the gar to people who eat them. Once you start bowfishing you will meet people who will be more than happy to come pick up free fish. They are difficult to clean but some people really like the way gar taste. 

The carp and buffalo are also edible, but there are fewer people in this part of the country who are interested in eating them. We generally save them to use as bait for trotlines and jugging. You can also chop them up and use them as chum for offshore fishing.


----------



## SpecTakleLure

Thanks for sharing. I did quite a bit of bowfishing many years ago and reading your write up sparks up an old interest. I really don't why I stopped, I guess my family kept growing. I still have everything it takes to go stick a fish and I shoot my bow daily, heck I will give this a try again. Thanks again for taking the time to write this, I really enjoyed the read.


----------



## letsgofishin

*Thanks*



fishermayne said:


> I noticed that we have several newbies that are just getting started with bowfishing, and I thought it might be helpful to share some advice. I just started bowfishing about 2 years ago and had to learn a lot on my own. I am in no way an expert and I don't really hit the tournament scene. I have never hired a guide and pretty much taught myself. I go about once a week and now shoot an average of 60-100 fish per night. I know that there are many other guys that are on this site, that have a lot more knowledge and experience then me, but most of them have been bowfishing for years and it is just second nature to them. Since I just started recently, I feel I have a fresh perspective on what is important when you first get started and wanted to share it, in hopes that I can help others who are looking at getting started in this awesome sport. If any one would like to add to this post, please feel free.
> 
> To start off with I have found the best time to bowfish is during the Spring when the gar, carp and buffalo are spawning. They get up in the shallows and are easily visible and are distracted by the spawn. During the hot summer months is really good for gar, due to the decreased oxygen content in the water which causes them to breach more often. If you are just starting to bowfish right now, in the fall/winter, you are going to have a little more difficult time. The fish are still there, but they don't seem to be out in the same numbers.
> 
> My first piece of advice is to start your research. The bowfishing section in 2coolfishing is the best place to go to get local information for hot spots and tips, but Bowfishingcountry.com is the best resource you will find for general bowfishing specific information. They also have a classifieds section on that site where you can find good deals on used bowfishing bows and other equipment. Make sure that you get a bow that is specific for bowfishing, and not a hunting bow. I started with a PSE Nova, which is a deer hunting bow that I rigged up for bowfishing, and it was a huge mistake. The hunting bows are much harder to draw (pull back) and they will wear you out. I shoot an average of 300-400 shots per night and most bow hunters won't take that many shots in an entire year. They also are not meant to be used in saltwater and the pieces will rust out on you. Most of the hunting bows are set up to have a draw weight of over 70 lbs. which is great for a deer but way too much for shooting a fish. You will end up shooting through the fish and having your arrow stick very deep into roots and branches. You will end up losing arrows or spending valuable time trying to dig the tips out . The other thing about hunting bows is they have to be pulled back all the way before you release them and you can't "snap shoot them", which is when you release at quarter of half draw. A lot of the fish you see will take off fairly quickly when they see you and you will not have long to get your shot off. I have tried several different brands/models of bow fishing bows and in my opinion the best starter bow for a woman is going to be the AMS Fish Hawk and the 2nd best is the Browning/PSE Barracuda, both have an adjustable 30-40lb draw weight. The best bowfishing bow for the money I have found for a man is the AMS Fire Eagle. It is going to have adjustable 40-50 lb. draw and lets you shoot fish that are further out. Some people swear by the Oneida Osprey, but it is over $600 and it requires a lot more service and upkeep.
> 
> As far as reels/retrievers go, I would highly recommend using the AMS retriever over a standard reel. They are very easy to use and are virtually indestructible. They use all stainless steel and plastic parts, so if you are shooting brackish/salt water you don't have to worry about rust. AMS only makes bowfishing products and they are the leader is bowfishing equipment and have a very good warranty.
> 
> The other piece of equipment you will need to get is arrows. The white fiberglass arrows that you can get at Academy ($15) are my favorite. I have landed 200lb gar with them, and they are much more durable than the more expensive carbon and aluminum arrows on the market. They are made by Muzzy and they have wire that is shaped like a V on the tip that will flip over for removal from the fish, once the tip is loosened. There are many different options for tips, some claim to have better holding power, but they don't seem to hold up as well in saltwater. The muzzys are stainless steel and will last forever. The only thing you need to make sure of is to remove the actual tip at the end of your trip and don't leave it on the arrow. The tip itself is made of a different metal, which will rust. If you leave it on after shooting in saltwater, it will rust to the stainless steel part of the arrow and will cause the arrow to become unfunctional.
> 
> The other piece of the arrow that is important is the slide. The Muzzy arrows from Academy come with the AMS slide, and that is the industry standard. Whatever you do, don't tie your line directly to the back of the arrow. It is very dangerous, and when your arrow gets to the end of your line it can snap back and hit you.
> 
> As far as where to shoot, most bowfisherman will not give up there honey holes. I have found the best way to find out where the gar/carp/buffalo are in your area is to talk to the guys that are coming in from fishing and trot lining (not bowfishing) at the boat ramp. Most of the fisherman don't target gar/carp and view them as a nuisance and thus don't view you as a threat. They spend hours trolling around looking for game fish and inevitably run across spots where the gar and carp are. Just make sure that you bring a garbage can along and keep every fish that you shoot. These fisherman will get very upset if they tell you where the gar/carp are and see a bunch of dead ones floating around and stinking up there fishing spots the next time they are out there. It looks very bad on our sport and makes others have a negative view on it.
> 
> When you first start, you will probably not have a light set up, so you will have to shoot during the day. For this you just need a boat with a deck and a trolling motor. A lot of people use fans, but this is not necessary. If you are bow fishing areas where people usually fish, the fish are use to the trolling motors and some of the gar will even hear the motor and come up to the service. There have been many occasions where I have drifted an area and not seen any gar, and as soon as i turn my trolling motor on to leave they start appearing out of no where. Gar are predators and are at the top of the food chain, so they are not as skittish as other species. They will let you get close to them and some of them seem to be curious of your boat and will come right to you. You will need to learn the difference in the types of gar that are common in your area. You can shoot as many long nose, short nose, and spotted as you want but can only shoot one alligator gar per/person per day. Most of your really big (4ft and Up) will be alligator gar. If you go out for a night shoot, each person can shoot one before midnight and one after midnight. Another tip for alligator gar, or any big gar, is to have your partner back you up. That means the first person will shoot the gar and bring them to the surface with your line. The second person will then shoot the fish with their arrow, before trying to pull the fish into the boat. These big fish are very heavy and can use their weight to pull the arrow out or sometimes even break the tip off.
> 
> Shooting Carp and Buffalo requires a different strategy because they are considered prey for larger fish/gators thus they are very skittish and will freak out when they see a boat or trolling motor. These fish typically hold up on the sides of the rivers where there is a grassy area. The best way to get close to them is to drift the area without your trolling motor on, by going upwind or by letting the current move you across the area. The gar tend to be in spots where there are trees and branches hanging into the water, and you can usually use your trolling motor to get pretty close to them.
> 
> As far as general locations go, if you are on the coast I would recommend finding a river or an area where freshwater runs into saltwater. If you can ever get up into an area where there is a freshwater creek that runs into brackish water you should have no problem finding fish. If you live inland, I have found that the shore line tends to be better than open water. Find areas where there are creeks that run into/off the main part of the lake and you should have some luck. Rivers also tend to hold more fish than open lakes when it comes to finding gar. You will want to go out on days when the wind is less than 10mph and when the cloud cover is not blocking the sun. When it is too windy, the chop will hurt your visibility and make it a lot harder to see the fish. If you are going to shoot during the day, I recommend wearing a hat or visor to block the direct sunlight, and investing in a pair of good polarized sunglasses. Costa Del Mar makes the best ones I have found, and they make different color lenses for different depths of water. The ones that I use the most, have a brown/amber colored lens and it makes a huge difference. You can expect to pay $100-$150 for a good pair of polarized glasses, but it is well worth it.
> 
> You will also need a deck on your boat, so that you can stand up to look for the fish. A huge raised deck is not necessary, and I prefer a deck that is flush with the top of your boat The decks that some guys have, that are three feet above their boat, make spotting fish easier, but make shooting the fish harder. Shooting a fish in the side is much easier that shooting a fish from above. Your carp and buffalo may only be 4 inches wide, but they are 36 inches long X 10 inches tall. Your biggest target area is going to be shooting them when they are turned side ways.
> 
> Once you get addicted to bowfishing, like most people who try it, you will want to start fishing at night. That is the best time to find the fish and in the hot summer months, it is also the most pleasant time to be on the water. In order to shoot at night you will want a decent lights set up. I started with a set of cheap lights, and quickly upgraded to 400 Watt HPS lights with digital ballast. The lights will determine your success at night and the brighter the lights the more fish you will see. The hps lights, and all decent light set ups will require you to use a generator, and the best one out right now is the Honda EU2000. You can find them on craigslist for around $600 and they are super quiet and fuel efficient. You can get one of the cheap harbor freight ones, but it will be three times as loud and you will end up having to try to yell over it to talk to your bowfishing partner and will probably end up wanting to buy a Honda down the road anyway. The lights that seem to be the industry standard right now are the 150 watt hps lights, and the pros are running the 400 watt hps (high pressure sodium). The 400 Watt seem to be more expensive but end up costing the about the same in the long run. You will only need four of the 400 watt hps lights to cover the same area that you would need 10-12 of the 150 watt lights. You can expect to pay upwards of $1000 for a decent lights set up, which is why most people start with the day time shooting. You can start bowfishing at night by having your partner take out a spot light, like a Q-Beam and taking turns spot lighting the fish. However, you will only be able to spot about 20% of the fish that are actually around your boat with a spotlight and if you really want to shoot some numbers, you will need to get a HPS set Up.
> 
> Other than that, you just need to have patience and try bowfishing different areas. When I first started I would troll an average of 10-20 miles of shore line per day, so make sure that you have plenty of 12 volt batteries for your trolling motors. Now that I know what to look for I don't have to troll nearly as far, and can run my gas engine from spot to spot.
> 
> As far as shooting the fish go, I don't use any bow sights. I "instinct shoot" which is pretty much just shooting where you think the fish is. As a general rule of bowfishing, make sure you Aim Low. Light refracts off the surface of the water, and the fish are generally deeper than they appear. If the fish are on the surface, you can just shoot where you see them. However, if you think they are deeper, then you will need to adjust your aim accordingly. Once you shoot a fish, just make sure that if you very careful when landing it, especially if it is a gar. The carp and buffallo are very soft and will pull off the arrow if you are not careful The gar on the otherhand are a little more dangerous. They have sharp teeth that you want to stay away from. They don't generally try to bite you, but most gar freak out when you bring them into the boat and start flipping around and there teeth will cut you.
> 
> That brings me to my last point. Now that I have explained how to shoot the gar, what do you do after you shoot it. You will need to be careful with all gar, because not only do they have wicked teeth but there scales are very sharp and hard. The Indians used the scales as arrow heads, and if they run across your skin they can cut you. Make sure that you have a pair of leather gloves for handling them. For the smaller ones, I try as much as possible not to touch them at all. I have found the best way to get them off your arrow, is to slide them to the middle of your arrow. Then lay your arrow across the top of your trash can, with the fish in the middle, so the sides of the trash can block it from getting to you. You can then unscrew the tip and shake him off directly into the trash can. This is something that I learned through trial and error and seems to be the safest way to get it off your arrow without getting cut.
> 
> I hope that gives you a good base to get started and I hope that you enjoy the sport of bowfishing as much as I do. Getting started is pretty simple, you really just need a bowfishing bow ($150-$300) and a couple of $15 arrows. However, once you get hooked you will inevitably spend thousands of dollars trying to improve your advantage. It is the biggest adrenaline rush you can get legally, and combines the skills of a sniper, the knowledge of a fisherman, the stalking abilities of a hunter with the instinct of man to be a primal killer. Good luck with your journey and feel free to pm me if you have any questions.


Looks like you packed a lot of good ifo into this post. I appreciate it.:texasflag


----------

