any one bowfish??????

[squirrel hunter9292]

well me and my dad are thinkin bout gettin a bigger boat and i thot i would try out bowfishin. we go catfishin a lot durin the summer so i thot i would be able to bowhunt at night with my dad. is bowfishin worth gettin into, iv only shot a bow once or twice. do u recomend a recurve or compound, and also wat is the minimum pullback for bowfishin. thanks alot.

[skeeter@ccia.com]

Yes, we have been doing it for years now and is like spring turkey hunting, if you don't want to get hooked on it...better not try it..anyhow, I have found my recurve works best rather than my compound bow because I can control the shots better..such as for those close shots..no need to drive the arrow to the bottom..where the fish are as to where they look like they are on the surface is a trick to master...if his fins aren't sticking out of the water, depth etc all come into play..I suggest getting the proper setup like reel, line, arrows at a local sports shop and don't bother with something like a string on a plastic jug, many a time we have had return arrows in this setup..an arrow with the wire slide so to keep the line in front of bow at all times works well and is important. Other than this, I have put rubber bands around the tip of the arrow (arrows with string only connected to the rear)..then return the string along the shaft and pinch a loop and tuck under the rubber band..this also keeps the line in front when full draw..most important thing to remember..free line or will get return arrow or broken line..we have taken hundreds of pounds of carp, the best local fish to play with for bow fishing..have fun. As for compound or recurve, depends on you I guess..

[squirrel hunter9292]

thanks for the info...... i think i might get a recurve. so u think carp is the funnest........ wat about gar cause there is booocooodles of em were i catfish and bassfish.

[skeeter@ccia.com]

I would check your local laws..a fishing license is all that is needed here in pa and the rule book tells ya what is legal to shoot. Gar is one here also but I have not found any where I go..Erie Pa also has a contest and the most # of fish wins a bass boat and big money..ya have to pay an entry fee and team up with someone...I have never had the time for this but can be interesting....oh...and in respect to where the fish are and where they look like they are on the surface...they are deeper so if you shoot at one that don't have the fins on the surface and you shoot right at it, you will over shoot it by quite a bit...now try to figure out just how deep...that is where some of the fun comes in.

[Mil Dot]

Refraction is what you deal with.

I go out and shoot carp at the local state park, both off the bank and off the boat. they allow me to shoot on weekdays but not the weekends. I was out a couple of days ago to check and see if they had run any water into the reservoir which generally brings the bigger fish into the canals. Saw a bunch of 2-3 lb fish so the season is on, I'll probably go out the next warm, sunny day. After shooting the little guys the big ones are like shooting 5 gal buckets. I use a compound bow I picked up real cheap so mud, etc doesn't cause me any sweat. Just make sure your string is clear or carry extra arrows. They disappear fast if you don't and after walking half way around a lake in waders, going back to the truck just plain stinks. Been there, done it ... once.

Have fun.

MD