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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: ericmerg on May 10, 2012, 10:25:00 AM

Title: bowfishing overkill
Post by: ericmerg on May 10, 2012, 10:25:00 AM
what poundage would you consider overkill for bow fishing?
Title: Re: bowfishing overkill
Post by: robtattoo on May 10, 2012, 10:39:00 AM
Bank or boat?

From a boat, pretty much anything over 50# is going to get you a few pass throughs.
From the bank, you can get away with a bit more.
Title: Re: bowfishing overkill
Post by: KentuckyTJ on May 10, 2012, 11:05:00 AM
I think a 50lb bow is ideal for most bowfishing around here. We shoot a lot of rocky banks and anything much heavier than that is heck on arrows and points.
Title: Re: bowfishing overkill
Post by: KOOK68 on May 10, 2012, 01:21:00 PM
I shoot 40lbs with no problems.
Title: Re: bowfishing overkill
Post by: The Vanilla Gorilla on May 10, 2012, 01:30:00 PM
I'll put overkill at around 60lbs for soft skinned fish.  I shot thru way too many fish with 60lbs...carp, gar, buffalo, paddlefish..

Shooting thru soft skinned fish is an inconvenience at most, but shooting thru gar often times results in a severed line and lost arrows because of the sharpness of their scales.

I do gotta say though, that 60lbs probably won't pass thru a larger gar.
Title: Re: bowfishing overkill
Post by: Big Ed on May 10, 2012, 01:43:00 PM
50 pounds is what I use on carp to Stingrays!
Title: Re: bowfishing overkill
Post by: Cyclic-Rivers on May 10, 2012, 06:56:00 PM
I use 50 lbs. Its ideal for me.
Title: Re: bowfishing overkill
Post by: flippnsticks on May 10, 2012, 06:58:00 PM
50lbs is they way to go
Title: Re: bowfishing overkill
Post by: Skipmaster1 on May 10, 2012, 11:50:00 PM
I shoot 55#'s and still feel a little light on lots of the water we fish. Our season starts after the spawn and we are often shooting carp that are 3' down. Sometimes on deep ones I just get a scale on my arrow tip. I used to shoot an 80# wheel bow when chasing deep fish! In shallow water 50# is more than enough
Title: Re: bowfishing overkill
Post by: rjackson on May 10, 2012, 11:53:00 PM
50lbs is the way to go.

Good luck,
RJ
Title: Re: bowfishing overkill
Post by: mncarphntr on May 11, 2012, 11:02:00 AM
Its hard to have too much weight for big fish down deep, but you have to realize that a good day means A LOT of shots. I shoot 45-50 recurve and have to just let a lot of shots go by. If I need more weight I have the c@#*&!!d in the box.
Title: Re: bowfishing overkill
Post by: oxnam on May 11, 2012, 12:46:00 PM
75# + would seem like overkill.  60-65# have a large advantage over 45-50# bows, if the fish are very shallow and close, lighter weight bows do just fine.
Title: Re: bowfishing overkill
Post by: oxnam on May 11, 2012, 12:49:00 PM
Keep in mind that too much poundage in shallow rocky water will cost extra $$$ in unnecessarily damaged tips and arrows.  Overkill can get expensive.
Title: Re: bowfishing overkill
Post by: finkm1 on May 11, 2012, 02:50:00 PM
I shoot 45#s for carp. Works great.
Title: Re: bowfishing overkill
Post by: Night Wing on May 12, 2012, 11:36:00 AM
In the middle to late 60's when I was a teenager , lots of bowfishing bows were 45# bows.