Bowfishing pics and tips

[bofish-IL]

LB_hntr
Do your lights being above your deck attract thousands of bugs. I had my boat similar to yours when I shot on the Mississippi River at night. If there was not a little wind the bugs were in your ears, nose, and mouth if you opened it. Especially in Aug. when the may flies were out.

I had a raised aluminum deck built with my lights under it but have not used it at night yet. Everyone told me that would keep the bugs off you. I started my generator up in a camping area a few years ago and when I flipped the lights on you could see swarms of bugs coming out of the woods. Other campers started yelling to shut the dam flood lights off.

[LB_hntr]

Originally posted by bofish-IL:
LB_hntr
Do your lights being above your deck attract thousands of bugs. I had my boat similar to yours when I shot on the Mississippi River at night. If there was not a little wind the bugs were in your ears, nose, and mouth if you opened it. Especially in Aug. when the may flies were out.

I had a raised aluminum deck built with my lights under it but have not used it at night yet. Everyone told me that would keep the bugs off you. I started my generator up in a camping area a few years ago and when I flipped the lights on you could see swarms of bugs coming out of the woods. Other campers started yelling to shut the dam flood lights off.

Yep fishing at night with no wind bugs can be bad. Usually its only bad for the first hour after dark then they thin out (here anyway). Lights below the deck help but if bugs are bad they are gonna be all over you anyway you cut it. i have fished off of raised decks and like them for daytime fishing as you get higher up and can see deeper iwth less light refraction. But at night i like being on a flush deck closer to the water for a couple reasons. 1. its safer beacuse you dont have to climb up and down all the time especially when everything gets slimy. 2. walking off a flush deck with no railing is better than tripping and falling off a rased deck with a railing. this is just my opinion. but every once in a while we hit a stump, sandbar, etc that stops the boat and you end up walking off the front becasue your still moving when the boat stopped. on a flush deck without a rail its easy to walk off and then just hop right back on. agian just my opiniion on taht. many people like a knee high rail to stop them. I also would not wnat a raised deck on my 16x48 boat beacuse of its small size and being less stable with a raised deck.
  So for me the flush deck with lights on top is my prefered way to go. But again thre are just as many people that like rasied decks with lights below. beacsue my lights are right at deck level i almost never get the line caught up in the lights even though it looks like it would. I love this set up. its my 3rd boat set up this way. I have been on a bunch of different boats and loved them all. you cant set up a bowfishing boat the wrong way. and there are pros and cons to each and every set up.

[LB_hntr]

Out of respect for the original poster and to not hijack his thread im going to upload a video to youtube that goes over boat options i like. This video wont be ont eh podcast site until the bowfshing podcasts publish but i will post a new thread on tradgang so you can see it. Hoepfully others with boats will add to the thread as well.
 will make the thread as soon as the video uploads to youtube.

[BEN]

Some fun:
 
 

My "baby" brothe r:

Good day with my buddy:
 
My daughter is always there for moral support:
 

[lpcjon2]

Ben that is to cool!

[britt]

Has anybody bow fished for salmon on the Missouri River in South Dakota?

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Originally posted by britt:
Has anybody bow fished for salmon on the Missouri River in South Dakota?

You should check the regs.  Usually species like salmon are protected.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Originally posted by lpcjon2:
Charlie(cyclic) I have to look into the lakes and streams west of me, I live a mile from the beach.
 

I wonder if saltwater fish have regulations.  It would be wild to string a couple blues during a blitz.  One thing is sure, you would need all the line you could get in the reel and then some.

[lpcjon2]

Charlie, I do have some areas that are shallow and we use plugs for stripers, that would be a battle. I think Howard Hill did some salt water bow fishing back in the day with Errol Flyn

[ChuckC]

There was a recent article in a TBM or similar mag regarding shooting salmon on the Missouri River if I recall correctly.  I think (hope) that it is legal to do up there Charlie.

ChuckC

[kestimator]

Great photos (well except for the tore up finger one) guys!!!  Thanks for sharing!!

We'll be taking our bows to the river in a couple more months for some fun  

[kestimator]

lpcjon2,

Obviously check your local regulations or the ones where you'll be hunting/fishing at     I like my A-handle Fred Bear Mag riser recurve with 50# limbs for the bowfishing that I do.  I think that it really helps to test your gear out at home.  Shoot your arrows into a sand bank or target that you don't mind damaging and tune your rig for good arrow flight.  This really helps penetration of fish in my opinion.  Also, if you are going to be shooting in shallow hard bottomed rivers like I do...take several arrows, extra nocks, and extra "tips" for quick switching out of damaged parts....
I also highly recommend the AMS safety slides or their equals....
Polarized glasses can really help depending on the light and water clarity....
Also...you probably know from reading that you need to "shoot low" because of the refraction factor....unless you get some carp that are tailing and beating the weeds like redfish    
No one needs to remind you to have fun....because that just comes naturally while bowfishing  

Originally posted by Cyclic-Rivers:
 

Originally posted by lpcjon2:
Charlie(cyclic) I have to look into the lakes and streams west of me, I live a mile from the beach.
 

I wonder if saltwater fish have regulations.  It would be wild to string a couple blues during a blitz.  One thing is sure, you would need all the line you could get in the reel and then some. [/b]

Charlie, I know in Louisiana you can shoot some saltwater species, including redfish. That would be a blast, and good eating too!

Bisch

[BrianfromTulsa]

I shot stingrays in Florida while on vacation last year. Great time.
 

[BrianfromTulsa]

*sorry- double post*

[imskippy]

Tim I've been itching to get out on the water and shoot some fish. I have access to a boat just needs some paint work and some lights. Trailer needs some tires too. I've been doing some reading over on newjerseyhunter.com there's a bow fishing section. I see you're back here in the glorious state of NJ. Still down south? Let's make a plan to figure this thing out and whack em in the spring I'm way up north in Vernon, sussex county just off the ny state line.

[lpcjon2]

Jason,

  Yes I am still in SJ  outside of Atlantic City. I would love to take a trip up north over the spring. We will have to make a plan.

  I will check out the NJ hunter site today.

[KentuckyTJ]

Posted these many times. Sorry for the repeats for you long time TG'ers.

 

   

   

   


   

   

   

[lpcjon2]

Kentucky what kind of fish is the last pic

[KentuckyTJ]

Spoonbill Catfish Tim. They don't have any bones in their bodies, all cartilage. Their back bone looks like a long fishing worm. Really strange. Some of the finest eating in our waters though.

They are plankton eaters and at night swim along upstream at the surface with their mouths wide open. A very cool site when you get about 20 or so in a group.