How to Set Up Your Bow for Bowfishing

Did you know that you can easily set up your archery bow for bowfishing? There are just a few things that you will need to hit the water. It does not matter whether you are shooting a recurve or a compound, you can set either of them up to hunt fish. The only thing that you need to be certain of, is that the bow that you have has the correct prefabricated holes to mount the accessories that you will need. Once you have these items, you will just need to set them up, and then you will be good to go. So what exactly is it that you need to get going?

A High Quality Bowfishing Reel

Before you get anything else, you need to make sure that you get a reel. When it comes to reels, you will want to get the best that you can afford. There are bowfishing reels that will do the job, but some will make your life easier than others. There are many that are out there, but you should try to get one that has one handed operation. It will make your life a heck of a lot easier. You will also want to get something that is aluminum and stainless steel is possible. Make sure that you ask to what strength the bowfishing line is tested. 250 is durable enough to meet most shooters needs. The lighter the better. Make sure that the mounting holes for the reel should attach in the location where your sight and quiver would usually attach.

Heavy Duty Arrows Are A Must

For a long while, there were only fiberglass arrows as an option for hunters that wanted to go bowfishing. Now there are carbon fiber and fiberglass blends that give you the ability to use bows with higher draw weights. This is because they are stiffer than the traditional fiberglass, but there is a reason that these bowfishing accessories are still in use. Regular fiberglass should work just fine for most shooters that are just starting out in this sport. Keep in mind that that these arrows are not like the ones that you use during hunting season. They are typically about 1000 grains. This is so they can help penetrate the water.

Purchase the Bowfishing Points You Need

You want to ensure that the points that you get are going to be effective for the style of shooting that you are doing. You also want to make sure that they will penetrate and hold onto the fish. If you have a soft fleshed fish, then you want something that has additional holding power, like a long barbed point. Stinger points will give you better penetration and are the most standard. There are also options out there that are spring loaded to deploy once they have penetrated the fish.

What are you waiting for? Get to bowfishing and hit the water!

Once you figure out exactly what you are going to need, all that is left if actually going out onto the water. You’ll have to figure out the boating situation yourself. Just make sure that you set your bow up properly, and then focus on practice. Practice, practice, practice; noone is an expert bowfisher their first time on the water. Keep in mind that water refracts. What most shooters do to compensate for this is they aim about 6’’ off from their target.