Put more rough fish in your boat by shooting the best bowfishing bows, arrows and equipment.

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Getting into bowfishing isn’t difficult. You can purchase a bowfishing kit, pick up a garage sale bow and be ready for the water with less than $150 out of pocket. But after you spend a summer or two on the water, you might realize you want to take your passion for bowfishing to the next level. To do that, you will need some better gear.

Bows and Arrows
Robin Parks from Aim Low Productions has spent a fair amount of time on the water competing in bowfishing tournaments. Parks concentrates on filming bowfishing these days, but not long ago, he focused on winning tournaments. According to Parks, a pro staff member for Cajun Archery, if you want to increase the number of fish you put in the boat and possibly compete in tournaments, you need a bow that is properly tuned and a top-notch arrow.
Most bowhunters are aware that if they want to shoot tight groups, they need to tune their bow or have it tuned by a pro shop. But this step is often overlooked by bowfishermen.
“When I get a new bow, one of the first things I do is tune it on the water,” Parks says. “Instead of paper tuning it like I would a hunting bow, I use the water as my paper. I shoot at a leaf or something on the water and if my arrow is flying sideways or splashing a lot when it hits the water, I adjust my rest or nocking point until my arrow shoots straight into the water without much splashing. A splash is like a tear in the paper. You want an arrow that flies straight into the water. If it flies sideways and causes a big splash, you lose accuracy and kinetic energy.
Parks says another way to increase your bowfishing accuracy is by shooting a top-shelf arrow. “Most people who get into bowfishing use an inexpensive fiberglass arrow and an inexpensive bow,” Parks says. But today’s bowfishermen have the option of super-straight, premium bowfishing arrows, such as the Cajun Archery Yellow Jacket, which is made of carbon and fiberglass, and the Muzzy Carbon Classic Fish Arrow.
Mark Land is in charge of Muzzy Bowfishing products. It is safe to say that he spends more time on the water flinging arrows at fish than most, and he knows what it takes to bring bowfishing skills to the next level. Like Parks, Land says bringing your success to the next level hinges on having the right gear.

“Having the right equipment is often what separates the men from the boys, so to speak. Most people who are serious about bowfishing have a bow that is built for bowfishing or can easily be used for bowfishing,” Land says. “One of the most popular models is the C.P. Oneida Osprey. Many people shoot that bow because it is easy to tune, draw and can be shot at full draw or anytime during the draw cycle without a problem.” Other popular bowfishing bows include the PSE Barracuda and the AMS Fish Hawk.
“Regardless of what a person bowfishes with, if they are serious about bowfishing, they need a bow that is easy to draw quickly and shoot because every minute counts when bowfishing,” Land adds.

Reels and Lights
Most bowfishing starter kits come with an old-fashioned line spool or inexpensive reel, which is fine when starting in bowfishing. But when you get serious, you need a serious, durable reel designed for handling heavy bowfishing line.
Higher end reels don’t break down easily, can be reeled in quickly and the line flies out of the reel easily upon shooting. A few great reels include the AMS Retriever Pro, the Muzzy HD and the Cajun Archery Zebco 808 Bowfisher Reel.

Most bowfishing tournaments take place after dark. Therefore, tournament shooters often have a boat rigged for bowfishing complete with an elevated platform and several lights. In recent years, halogen lighting was the most popular, but it requires a large generator to operate. Better lighting is now available.
“Metal halide lights and high-pressure sodium lights have come on strong because they are brighter than halogen lights and can be run with a smaller, quieter generator because they don’t require as much energy to light up as old fashioned lighting,” Land explains. Generators, lights and boat platforms can be expensive, but to reach the level of success required to fish nighttime tournaments, you need to be able to light up the murky water around you.