Bow fishing

[M]

#4644

I would like to try bowfishing but need some help getting started. I Live near Cincinnati,Ohio and if there are any experienced bow fishermen or women out there I will take you hunting either deer or turkey on my 200 acres in exchange for taking me bowfishing.

[Fletcher]

#32808

40-50 lb bow is plenty. Get a good pair of polarized sunglasses. Be ready to have a bunch of fun.

[William Warren]

#35233

My favorite bow fishing rig is a Bear Grizzly 50# recurve.

[Danny Klee]

#35835

M,
I would like to try bowfishing too but I’m not sure what gear to buy or even how to “aim” at the fish under the water where it is distorted. Any pointers from the experienced out there?

Dan

[Stephen Graf]

#36977

Aim low. If you miss, aim lower next time. 8)

For a retriever, get the one with a small jug that holds the line, AMS retriever reel.

For an arrow, make sure you have an AMS “safety slide” on it which secures the line in a collar.

Get a rubber Gadget adapter to allow you to mount the reel to the bow.

All items available from 3Rivers or Sulleys bow fishing supplies.

I went this weekend and had a Blast. Shot 5 times, got 3 carp. Still a bit early here…

[Stephen Graf]

#38618

Here’s a carp from last weekend using the gear specified in the last post… Still a bit early for lots of action, but I got 3 for 5 shots…:lol:

[M]

#41346

Nice carp. I hope to give it a try this year. I need to find some reference material to get stearted. The equipment part is easy the where when how to part is the trick.

[Stephen Graf]

#46618

Where – mucky end of a lake, river, anywhere you see fish. Drive around in the morning and glass the lake fingers you can drive over or streams. Look for swirls and fins sticking up…

When – when you have time 😆 For me the best times have been hot summer mornings before the wind picks up.

How – I’ve gone in a 12 foot canoe with a friend, big flat bottom boats designed for bowfishing, and on foot. Doesn’t matter how.

The thing to realize about bow fishing is that it is basically a slimy stinky hot mucky way to enjoy some hunting in the off season. Bring sunscreen, water, hat, polarized sunglasses.

OK, you are an expert now. 8)

The most important detail of bow fishing is to figure out what to do with the fish you shoot. Can’t leave em in the water. I put them in the compost pile. I have a friend that grinds them up in his blender and pours it into his raised garden beds. Yes, he is still married somehow.

[bkyrdshooter]

#46856

If you want to learn anything about bowfishing in Ohio you need to talk with Clarence Cremeans. The last i knew he was living in Pataskala Ohio. He is a state rep for Ohio for Bowfishing Assn. of America. He has done a great deal of work in Ohio to get laws and regulations for bowfishing noticed by state for records and whatnot. I talked with him once and this guy eats breaths and sleeps bowfishing. He goes by Desperado on OhioSportsman.com. I’m sure he will let you know anything you want to know about bowfishing.
I live in Newark and there is plenty of carp to aim around here. I have very simple set up and use it very often. Lots of fun I just throw on old clothes and go hit little rivers and streams as much as i can.

[Fletcher]

#47291

Steve covered it pretty well. Aiming is a learned technique. The further from vertical and the deeper the fish, the lower you have to aim. If the fish’s back or dorsal is breaking the surface, aim at bottom of the fish. Other than that, aim lower. Early in the spawn, look for warmer water in the shallows on the downwind side of the lake, but try to get there before the wind ripples the surface. The bottle style AMS Retriever, big spincast reels and the plain drum style reel all work fine, but nothing shoots as nice as a Retriever. Have fun!

[Author]

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