Bow fishing rig

[sheepdogreno]

Originally posted by awbowman:
Bob, I'd go with about 35#s.  Ever sink an arrow in a submerged stump with 50# limbs?  Not good.  Not that I think you will miss any shots, but just saying        

Also as an added benefit, at that poundage even the wife can get in on the action.  We shoot redfish with 35#s and you certainly don't need any more than 40#s

35#??!! All of our guys use 45-50#....ones that show up with a lightweight bow get frustrated quick due to poor penetration thru fish and the water. We smack rocks all night long in 8in of water as well as blow downs and stumps and never hardly have any issues with broken tips or anything. Throw a tough scaled gar a foot deep in the mix and you'll want more than 35# bow. Fiberglass arrows with big grapple points tied to a string are heavy. IMO 35# won't cut the mustard if your serious about bowfishing.

[rbcorbitt]

You should have seen the look on Irv's (of True South Adventures) face when I pulled out my bow fishing rigged Centaur Dark Matter T/D last year in Florida!  Hey, it was my back-up hunting bow!!

Worked very well, but what if it had been pulled into the water???     :eek:    

I think that i would have been diving with the gators and gar to retrieve it       !

Leaning towards a Sage T/D (50# @ 28") with my AMS Retriever Pro reel attached and an AMS Tidal Wave rest!

Thanks for all the input!  

[BEN]

I picked up a used Browning Wasp a couple yrs ago for $100. Added a AMS PRO  rig too it for $65 and it has worked great!
 

[Stone Knife]

I just use an old bear grizzly with an AMS on it 45#

[sheepdogreno]

 
 

These are some ransoms from past cpl years. Some of us like the PSE recurves and as you can see in background others like the PSE compounds for bowfishing. The PSE recurve is about as utilitarian as you can get!

[sheepdogreno]

I gave mine a camo rattle job after the factory camo had almost warn off.

Originally posted by sheepdogreno:
The PSE kingfisher is quite a terrible bow.but works great for snap shooting fish! I plan to paint my sage for a little added water protection this year

Well, I would not even think to hunt with mine, but it works great for bowfishing.

Bisch

[sheepdogreno]

Bisch-i hear ya there! If the sage wasn't so cheap I'd feel terrible replacing the kingfisher and taking it on the river. I've killed a lot of fish with my kingfisher. Its kinda heartbreaking after 3 years it developed a bad limb twist...that bow and I have some slimy history

[Jerry Russell]

I have bowfished for over 40 years and I like dedicated bows for the occasion.  Hot and heavy action on big fish and gators is brutal on our bows.  While guiding bow fishermen, I have used every conceivable type of bow out there and we have come to this conclusion, go with a light weight (carry weight), short bow.  The short bow is particularly important if you ever shoot from a boat with a shooting rail and when you are shoulder to shoulder in a boat.  The draw back to a heavy bow becomes apparent after holding the bow for several hours.
If I had bow building skills, I think I would opt for a 50" bow that pulled 45 pounds at my draw.  I would include both front and side bushings for both types of reels.