Whatever the season may be, your next bowfishing adventure will be here before you know it. Make sure you have the right bowfishing gear to have a great time.

It pays to be organized. Whether that means budgeting your money, knowing how to do your own taxes, or keeping your t's crossed and your i's dotted in whatever life throws at you, being organized and ready is a plus. Bowfishing is no different. If you want to have the right bowfishing gear for your summer escapades it is time to start looking right away. Here are a few pieces of gear you will need when the summer sun finally shines and carp glisten just beneath the surface water.

Bow

[caption id="attachment_5974" align="alignright" width="250"] PSE Mud Dog[/caption] Obviously a bow is an essential piece of bowfishing gear. There are many different makes and models of bows for the diehard bowfisher. One bow especially made for bowfishing is the PSE Mud Dog Bowfishing Bow. This bow comes in right and left handed models and uses a light 40 pound draw weight. This bow is specially designed to reduce finger pinch when drawing the bow, and is made to withstand the rigors of the water. If a new bow really isn't in the cards for bowfishing you might consider using your hunting gear as your bowfishing gear. I shoot both a traditional recurve bow and a modern compound bow. A traditional bow requires an enormous amount of practice to become proficient with, and I can get some extra practice by bowfishing in the summer. Using your hunting gear in the water requires a bit of extra care, but might be worth taking a look at.

Reel

Whatever bow you choose to use, you will need to include a reel system in your bowfishing gear setup. One popular choice is the AMS Retriever Reel Kit. This setup uses a bottle to retain the string and a handy reel system similar to a fishing rod. One great benefit of a system like this is the convenience of having your string tucked away. [caption id="attachment_5975" align="alignright" width="116"] Cajun Bowfishing Reel[/caption] Another different reel system is a simple Cajun Reel system. This is a simple disc that mounts on the front of your bow and must be manually wound when retrieving the string. It takes a little practice to keep the string on the disc, but once you get the hang of it you won't have many problems.

Arrow

Arrows for bowfishing must be more sturdy than arrows used for regular hunting conditions. For a variety of reasons manufacturers use heavy duty fiberglass shafts for bowfishing arrows. One example is the PSE Piranha Bowfishing arrow. Whatever arrow you use make sure it is a bona fide bowfishing arrow. I have personally tried to use carbon arrows in the past, and it just doesn't work as well.

Bowfishing Point

The final piece of bowfishing gear you will need is a barbed arrow point. These little devils come in a variety of designs but all have one thing in common; they can pierce the fish, but won't let him come off. I personally have had good luck with the Cajun Sting-A-Ree point. Make sure your point is heavy duty and won't crumble when you hit a hidden chunk of cement under the water. There you have it, the basic bowfishing gear you will need to hammer carp the first chance you get. Bowfishing is a great way to stay sharp in the offseason, and by perusing gear on the market year round you can ensure you buy the equipment that best suits your needs. NEXT: ARROW TUNING; THE BASICS