School me about bow fishing

[MnFn]

What draw weight of a bow is a needed for bow fishing?  I have never done it but my Dad used to.  It seemed like the fiberglass  arrow was quite heavy- but that was fifty years ago.

A farmer friend of mine called me last spring  when he was seeing carp in the ditches but I was not ready.  Thought I'd order a bow reel and line and a few arrows and be ready this year.

I'd appreciate any suggestions or help you experienced guys or gals would care to share.

Thanks, Gary

[Doug_K]

Not sure what the minimum would be, but my 50lb recurve does just fine.

[ChuckC]

I used to do it with a 35# fiberglass bow back when I was a kid.  If you keep the shots relatively close and most of all, shallow, that should do fine.   More is better.

For close shots, nearly any kind of line holder will do fine.

Shoot under the fish.  The deeper the fish, the under'er you shoot.
ChuckC

[finkm1]

I use a 45# 1971 K-Mag with a AMS Retriever. I also have used my mid 70's green future wood K-Mag (with front insert) and a Cajun Drum screwed in the insert. You will have a blast  

[macbow]

I like the push button type reels.
A 40 to 50 pound bow works well.
If you go much higher it can be real hard to pull arrows out of the bottom in shallow areas.

I like to put a set of the rubber "no gloves" on the string.
The fiberglass arrows are,the cheapest way to go.

[Possumjon]

I use an ams, used Strap ons but don't work nearly as well. Don't forget your polarized glasses either, definitely a necessity. I use a 45 pound bow and often take shots in waist deep water, the reason for a heavy fiberglass arrow. Hope this helps, it's a blast!

[sheepdogreno]

I use a 50# recurve and it works well. I am also a big fan of the retriever reels however I have killed plenty of fish with a drum spool. it just depends how into it you get and how much you will shoot in one outing. having an ams or a push button reel make retrieval fast for follow up shots. interlock grapple points are the best. when shooting from a moving boat when there is current playing a role a grapple point hardly ever loses a fish. its like everything tho, shot placement helps from losing fish. carp are soft scale fish so they get pretty torn up if you hit them low in the guts. my advise to you is to try it! you will be instantly hooked. its a great way to keep shooting your bow all spring and summer

[shag08]

I prefer 45 to 50 pounds. Bowfishing is the most fun I've ever had with a bow in hand.

[MnFn]

Thanks, that was helpful.  Anyone else?

I expect to shoot from  shoreline or ditch shoulder as the case may be.  Just carp.
Thanks for the responses,
Gary

I shoot a 50# recurve and have both an AMS retriever reel, and an old zebco 808 spincast reel. I think going at it from the shore I would use the 808.

Bisch

[bretto]

I like the spinners more myself. Any bow 35 # and up will be sufficient.

We used to shoot from the bank quite often. My friend had a retriever and every once in awhile he would get his line hung up in the weeds and empty his bottle out while stalking fish. LOL

The retrievers are a great reel. It just comes down to what You like.

bretto

[LB_hntr]

here is a podcast i did that covers it all.

 http://tbwpodcast.com/episode-62-bowfishing-a-to-z/

here is a video that goes along with the podcast.
 http://tbwpodcast.com/video-26-bowfishing-equipment-overview/

[Pine]

One thing that can help you is to take a paper cup or something that you can shoot . Put some sand in it and set it on the bottom in about 2 foot of water . That can help you learn how to aim to compensate for refraction .

[Ryan Sanpei]

Here's a quick video on the set up that I'm currently using.

 

[MnFn]

Thanks very much everyone !