bowfishing tips?

[Lordswarrior]

a friend and i are looking forward to trying some bowfishing this year and would appreciate any advice on the following questions:
using a recurve, which is better for mounting the reel; a stabalizer mounted style or a strap to the handle style?
is a shorter bow really needed? i really don't like less then a 56" bow, but i know guys like k-mags and super mag style bows.
has anyone tried it from a standup paddleboard or kayak?
if you don't eat the fish, what do you do with them?
thanks for any help

[Sean B]

My first word of advice is to AIM LOW....just when you think you're low enough, AIM LOWER!!!  I just use my hunting bow with an AMS reel. I much prefer that as opposed to a drum style reel. It makes for a quicker retrieve of your arrow when I miss. And I miss a lot!!!

Oh, and also make sure that your arrow is equipped with a safety slide. That way your line is attached to the front of the arrow. It's safer and you won't lose as many arrows

[highlow]

I shoot carp and I used to bury them in my garden. No garden anymore. Throw them on the bank for the coons and other nighttime critters. And definitely shoot low. The sharper the angle, the lower you have to aim. As for the bow I use, it's an old Browning Explorer 1 with no stabilizer insert so I have to use the old drum style line holder. Cumbersome but no other choice. And last but not least, get used to missing. As Sean said, you'll miss a lot. But it's a hoot.

[Snow Crow]

I bowfish carp exclusively from a kayak.

1.  Aim low (practice on submerged targets if at all possible).

2.  Seated in kayak, bow will be canted near horizontal; the shorter the bow, the more flexibility you have with cant angle and shooting cone- 9 to 10 o'clock is prime, 7 to 11 o'clock is doable for a righty with short recurve.

3.  Shots wil be close, 10-15', due to sighting angle sitting so low in water.

4.  Soundproof everything:  even the thought of farting should be suppressed.

5.  Kayak bowfishing is a combo of stealth ambush and run and gun stalking.

6.  The wind will wreak havoc on boat control and shot prep (see #2 and shooting cone).

7.  More than 6 average carp on a stringer turns a racing kayak into a barge.

8.  No 12 step program can cure my addiction to it.

9.  Garden plants love the carp.

[Littlejake]

Get a pair of amber polarized sun glasses. They really cut down the glare on the water. And get ready to have a lot of fun.

[Lordswarrior]

takin it all in guys,
polarized sunglasses-check- been wearing them fishing for years.
snow crow- i will most likely be standing, one of my yaks is very wide and stable and made specifically for standing, hence it paddles like a barge already! but i'm sure i wouldn't mind a little extra drag from a few carp. i definately hear ya about the wind, good point.
seems like everyone agrees about the refraction issue, tough to practice on dry land but i guess you learn as you go; another time when experience eventually turns into instinct.
thanks for all the input so far; greatly appreciated

[Snow Crow]

Ugh, should have been more specific!  My kayak use is limited to a sit-in, not sit on top or stand up.  

Besides the polarized lenses, the bright sun at your back and not in the eyes will greatly increase the range and depth at which you can spot fish.

Be ready to shoot quickly and smoothly at a very fast moving target.

A hit in the front third of the carp decreases the odds of a tear-through:  hit only soft tissue in the back two thirds of the carp you're asking for a lost fish.

No shame in top shooting a fish broaching the surface-those are called "volunteers".


(Edit):  Forgot to mention, a bonk stick and a gaff help immensely in landing and handling the fish once boatside.  I've had more than a few stalks blown by a stringered fish waking up and thrashing about.  Re-bonk and carry on.

[tim roberts]

I have a friend who hunts carp from a stand up kayak, he does really well with it, and has had his kids doing the same. As for the reel mount, if your bow has a gadget hole in it use it, there will be a small bit of weight reduction, it also depends on the type of reel you are using. A drum, bait reel is better with a gadget hole in the riser, the Retreival reel, I like with a strap on side plate.
As for what to do with em after you shoot em, we take a filet knife stick it in m and pop, "cut" the air bladder, this will allow them to sink and become fish food. Just my opinion, but leaving them on the shore for the coons and foxes, is just another form of littering, and tends to further a negative bias towards bowhunters, to others that use the waterways.
Thanks,

[Lordswarrior]

tim,
thanks for the tips, i'll probably start with a side mounted, strap on style reel.
on a separate note, are you all set up in the new shop? if so i would really like to pick up one of those armguard/ knife combos. p.m. me with any info.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

You do not need a  short bow,

I second what Sean said about shooting low.

Its a lot of fun.  I use some for the garden but there are a lot of things you can do with them.

I am sure there are people who would love to eat them, you can do as Tim suggests and i agree, do not leave them on the bank unless its a  remote area and people do not go there.

I use a retriever reel by AMS and have enjoyed it for 15  years. I use the strap on adapter from 3 rivers but also had a  bow with holes in it where I installed inserts and mounted it directly to the bow.  Both work well.

[tim roberts]

PM sent John!
Forgot to mention, as Charlie said, no you don't need a short bow, and I shoot one of the heaviest bows I have.  It'll mean some "pain in the butt" pass throughs, but if you get in to deep water fish, you'll be glad for the pounds pushin the arrow.
Thanks,

Since nobody mentioned the most important thing in bowfishing, I will:

AIM LOW!!!

       

[stack]

Also wear a good hat to help break the glare. It also helps to keep your head from turning beet red!!!