bowfishing question

[skinner biscuit]

#2787

Long before I ever bowhunted,I was a avid bowfisherman.This was before the internet and all I had for a guide was a popular mechanics article and a few trips to the library.One thing I did was attach the line to the hole in the barbed point.I would coil the string around the reel and clip the line to the reel,then I would leave a little slack line and clip, forming a loop.This would allow me to draw and shoot with the string all out front.I had great results with this setup and never had any trouble.My question is this.Is there any disadvantaged to tying the line to the front of arrow? I have my old school fish arrows and see no need to buy new ones with the ams safety slide….Yes,they still have the rubber fetching and look like yesterday’s fish arrow.

[Carl Brickey]

#12956

I used to bowfish quite a bit when I lived on a shallow river, and I shot pretty much the same setup you talked about. I tied the string to the point and a couple of times my slack line would get caught and I’d have an arrow coming back my way. They never came point first though. Always cartwheeled back but they still didn’t feel good. I switched to a safety slide arrow and haven’t had that happen since.

[Stephen Graf]

#13283

When I was a kid, I bought a Bear Bowfishing Kit equipped just the way you describe. After every shot, I had to hand wrap the string back onto the spool.

The string was tied to the point, and then threaded through a hole in the back of the arrow. Not sure why. It made for a stringy mess. I never had any scary moments with it. And I took a bunch of carp and catfish.

That said, now I use an ams reel and the safety slide setup. It is more convenient and faster. I guess it is safer. I don’t know. But I can sure get ready and shoot faster than I could before. More shooting means more fun 😀

[Pop Pop]

#13687

In addition to the arrow snapback issue, attaching the string to the point may affect arrow flight. Generally, flectching is not used as the shot distance is so short, the guidance provided by fletching is unnecessary.

However, the string trailing the arrow from the end of the shaft, provides some guidance and stability to the flight of the arrow ~ something like the tail on a kite does.

Regardless, using a slide to help avoid a snapback is well worth it.

[David Fudala]

#22180

The safety slide setup also keeps the line out of the fish when the arrow does not pass thru. This protects the line from being cut by a scale which can happen even on bigger carp. It also makes for an easier retrieval of the fish by keeping things neatly in line.

[jason samkowiak]

#28468

The ams safety slides are the best way to go IMO. I use them on every arrow. Back many years ago when i started bowfishing there were no safety slides. What I did to get good arrow flight and still keep the line out front was this and it might work for you if you dont want to use safety slides.

We bought leader wire for fishing. Stuff you use to make your own wire leaders. some metal crimps and a swivel. run the leader wire thru the front arrow hole and crimp it to its self. then feed a swivel over the leader and run the other end thru the back hole and crimp it to it self. This way you have a leader wire running the length of the arrow with a swivel on the leader. connect your string to the swivel and now the line can be out front but when you shoot the drag will pull the swivel to the back of the arrow. it worked just like the ams slides do now.

But again I think the ams slides are the best option now.

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