Back in the 80s, I could still get around decently and loved to bowfish. I didn't have close access to any big waters nor the boat to do it from. So I hit the creeks and one river near me. I shot an old 500# Indian recurve that I drilled and installed a brass insert into for my bowfishing "reel". At first I used an old pot to wrap my line around with a feeler gauge pop riveted on to hold the end of the line. I chased German or common carp with some big grass carp thrown in. Gar were hard to find here in this area but were in the river. Anyways, a friend was with me one day bowfishing. I worked with this guy and had taught him how to shoot a recurve which I gave him along with many accessories. At this one spot on a river, I had missed several large Buffaloe and was getting mad at myself. I had waded out and was turning to say something to my friend. That's when I saw the cottonmouth about fifteen feet from me and facing me. In a flash I had pegged it though the face with my heavy fish arrow. My friend laughed at me and said, "You miss three big fish but drill a snake's head!" Then I realized that I had just been shooting "at" the fish and not focusing on a specific shot, something many do on deer. I told my friend, "It is because I just shot at the fish, the snake I was actually focused on." This prompted me to begin practicing on tiny targets to get my mind used to shooting tiny targets or spots. I also began to quit fighting my brain and let it do it's thing as I just picked my spot and let loose. My bowfishing abilities really got better, as did my snap shooting on fish. Most of my friends that shot trad weren't willing to put in the practice on tiny targets and it showed in very close in shots in 3D tournaments.
Topic: A lesson learned while bowfishing (Read 390 times)
