Bowfishing
Bowfishing
Bowfishing
Equipment
Bows
Bows are usually very simple. Most do not have any sights and aiming is by line-of-sight judgment down the arrow. There are a couple of types of rests including the hook and roller rest. Most bows have little to no let off and not much draw weight. This differs with what one has available and personal preference. There are two main types of bows. Traditional bows are like long bows and recurve bows. In more modern times compound bows came into use. They use a system of pulleys to help the archer. Modern bows can have as much as 120 pounds (50kg) draw weight.
The crossbow is also sometimes used in this manner and has its own advantages including the use of a reel. See Recreational fishing.
Arrows
Arrow with three prongs carrying three barbed points. For catching fish in rivers. From Guyana. Photographed at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter, Devon.
Bowfishing arrows are considerably heavier and stronger than arrows used in other types of archery and are most commonly constructed of five-sixteenth inch fiberglass, but solid aluminum, carbon fiber, and carbon fiber reinforced fiberglass are also used. Bowfishing arrows generally lack fletching, as it can cause the arrow to flare to one side or another underwater and they are not required at the relatively short ranges associated with bowfishing. Line is attached to the arrow by tying to a hole in the arrow shaft or through the use of a slide system.
Line
Bowfishing line is often made from braided nylon, Dacron, or Spectra. Commonly used line weights range from eighty to four-hundred pound test, with six-hundred being used when bowhunting for alligators. Line color is normally either lime green, white, or neon orange.
Reels
Three types of reels are commonly used in bowfishing: Hand-wrap, spincast, and retriever. Hand-wrap reels are the simplest reels; they consist of a circular spool that line is wrapped onto by hand and then secured in a line holding slot. When the arrow is shot the line comes free from the line holder and feeds off the spool. Fish are fought by pulling the line in hand over hand; hand-wrap reels are the least effective at fighting arrowed fish, but they can be used in conjunction with a float system to shoot and fight large trophy fish. Retriever reels have a "bottle" which holds the line in place. When shot the line comes out either until the shot goes too far and the line runs out or the hunter pushes down a stopping device which can be used to keep a fish from traveling out too far. Some retriever reels have slots cut in them and are known as slotted retriever reels. They are more commonly used for alligator, alligator gar, shark and other big game that will take more time to chase down than smaller game fish.
Glasses
One of the keys to bowfishing is having a good visual of the target. In order to see the fish in the water on a sunny day, polarized sun glasses are helpful. They cut the glare on top of the water so it makes it easier to see what is below the waters surface. Different tints and lens color make a difference in the color of water the hunter is fishing in from darker brown to clearer blue and green. At night glasses are unnecessary in that a light is used to see through the water.
Boats
Although bowfishing can be done from the shore, bowfishers most often shoot from boats. Flat bottom "john boats" and canoes are used in areas of low water, as they have less draw, but are unsuitable for open water. Larger boats can accommodate multiple hunters. Many of these boats are highly customized specifically for bowfishing, with raised shooting platforms, and generators to provide electrical power to multiple lights for bowfishing at night. Many also incorporate some type of fan propulsion for operating in very shallow waters. The fan and motor are generally mounted on a raised platform at the stern.
Techniques
Along with fishing from boats and off the shore, wading and shooting is also effective as long as the hunter doesn't mind getting soaked. Wading in rivers allows the shooter to get up close to the fish if the hunter is skillful. When keeping fish while wading, the hunter may utilize a stringer tied to a belt loop.
Standing on large rocks in shallower parts of a river is another technique. This provides a better view higher out of the water. Going from rock to rock in a river with two hunters gets the fish moving if they are inactive. It is similar to herding the fish to the another hunter; while one hunter is wading the other is stationary on a rock.
Shooting from a tree stand close to a river's edge is a technique that allows the hunter to get a better visual of the whole river and a better view of the fish.
All of these river techniques typically work best for carp or catfish, depending on the location.
Aiming
Knowing where to aim on a fish can be one of the most difficult skills to master in bowfishing. Due to the refraction of the water and how it optically distorts the location of objects in the water, aiming straight at the target usually results in a miss. Aiming well below the target compensates for the optical illusion. Depth and distance of the target also impact how far below the fish to aim. Aiming four inches (102mm) low for every ten feet of water is a good rule to follow.
Targeted species
Freshwater
Common carp
Bighead carp
Silver carp
Grass carp
River Carpsucker
Longnose gar
Shortnose gar
Spotted Gar
Alligator gar
Paddlefish
Threadfin Shad
Frog
Freshwater
Bigmouth buffalo
Smallmouth buffalo
Freshwater drum
Catfish
American alligator
Tilapia
Bowfin
Asian snakehead
Saltwater
Southern stingray
Cownose ray
Bull shark
Barracuda
Redfish
Flounder
Sheepshead
Notes
^ March, Alden (1899) The history and conquest of the Philippines and our other island possessions; embracing our war with the Filipinos in 1899 Page 39.
References
Bear, Fred (1980). "Underwater Bowhunting". The Archer's Bible (revised edition). Doubleday; New York.. pp.123129. ISBN 0-385-15155-1.
External links
BowfishingCountry.com Leading Bowfishing Community
Archery Fishing Reel Fishing Reports
Bow Fishing California Fishing Guide
Official bowhunting safety course for Michigan bowhunters Today's Bowhunter
Bow Fishing Tucson Archery
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Archery
Overview
Archer's paradox Archery Bow Bow draw Bow shape History of archery History of crossbows Mounted archery Paralympic archery
Bows
Cable-backed bow Composite bow Compound bow Crossbow English longbow Flatbow Laminated bow Longbow Recurve bow Self bow
Equipment
Arrow Arrowhead Bow string Bracer Finger tab Fletching Flu-Flu Arrow Quarrel Quiver Thumb ring
Archery activities
Archery games Bowfishing Bowhunting Clout archery Field archery Popinjay Target archery Target World Championship Archery at the Summer Olympics
Glossary of archery terms
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Fishing techniques
Gathering
Gathering seafood by hand Clam digging Pearl diving Ama divers Abalone Scallops Noodling Trout tickling Trout binning Flounder tramping
Spears
Spearfishing Speargun Polespear Bowfishing Harpoon Gigging Trident Hawaiian sling
Lines
Hand-line fishing Longline fishing Trolling Dropline Trotline Jigging Jiggerpole Category:Fishing knots
Nets
Fishing net Hand net Cast net Lave net Gill net Drift net Surrounding net Seine net Trawl net Chinese fishing net Lampuki net Glass floats Ghost nets Turtle excluder device
Traps
Fishing traps Fish wheel Fishing weir Fishing basket Eel buck Putcher fishing Corf Lobster trap Almadraba Double-Heart of Stacked Stones
Other
Fishfinder Fishing light attractor Fish aggregating device Payaos Basnig Flossing Ice fishing Cormorant fishing Electrofishing Shrimp baiting Dredging Muroami Explosives Cyanide fishing Fish toxins
Categories: Archery | Recreational fishing | Fishing techniques and methods
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