If you’re looking for the best bowfishing bow, you’ve come to the right place. A sport that is becoming increasingly popular around the world, bow fishing is both tremendously challenging and a whole lot of fun.
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What is Bowfishing?
Bowfishing is a style of fishing that utilizes special archery equipment to… you guessed it! Fish! Bowfishing isn’t just for fishermen though as bowhunters, in general, will test their archery skills extending to the sport of fishing. It also serves as an extension of the typical hunting season, as bowfishing can take place 365 days a year and has varied regulations compared to hunting games.
The Equipment of Bowfishing
Somewhat similar to spearfishing, bowfishing employs pointed weapons (arrows) instead of hooks to bait a fish. Generally, bow fishers will do their hunting while standing on a boat or in shallow water, making sure to remain extremely calm as not to scare off the fish.
Bowfishing arrows will generally have greater strength compared to a typical archery arrow. The reason is that the arrow will have to be able to travel through the denseness of water while still having the force to pierce the target. Generally, the arrows for bow fishing will be made of heavier weight fiberglass or even solid aluminum and will be quite heavy overall. You can’t expect the arrows to travel very far which is why these arrows are specific to bow fishing.
The arrow will however feature a barb which is useful for capturing the fish and keeping your catch stuck to the arrow. Also, the line from the reel is tied to the arrow with a type of slide mechanism which helps to prevent any tangling of the line or snapback. The fletching or feather characteristics of normal archery arrows will be absent as well since fletchings will actually negatively affect the arrow as it hits the water creating additional drag which will only slow the arrow down. Again, this is another reason arrows specific to bowfishing are not be used for regular archery or bow hunting.
The line used in bowfishing can be made of a variety of materials but will most often be made of braided nylon, dacron, or in some cases spectra. Line weights will range between 80 and 400 pounds while 600-pound test lines will be used by those bowhunters hunting alligators. Yes – you can hunt alligators with a bow. Pretty damn cool.
The line comes in a variety of colors although it’s typical to find neon orange, white, or lime green as visually they are easy to follow, especially after you’ve made your shot and you’re reeling it back in.
As for a reel, you have a few different choices including the retriever, spin-cast, and hand wrap reels. The simplest among the three types is the hand wrap reel which includes a circular spool around the line which is manually wrapped and secured in a slot that holds the line in place. The spin cast reel is a better choice for those who have experience bowfishing as it offers greater speed and higher precision (but of course is more expensive). And finally, a retriever line holds the line place via a ‘bottle’ which sits on the end of your reel. Again, this option is more expansive than the hand-wrap reels.
That’s about it as far as bow fishing accessories are concerned although it’s always nice to have a pair of hip waders that will allow you to stay dry when fishing in shallow water and of course a pair of gloves to protect your hands from the barb and the line as you make your shot.
Best Bowfishing Bow Reviews
1. Cajun Bowfishing Sucker Punch
It features two interchangeable draw modules, a draw-specific module and a constant draw module with a 60% let-off, providing draw length adjustments from 17 and up to 31 inches. It’s also equipped with deep grooves to prevent derailed strings while on the water. Developed by bow fishermen for bow fishermen, the Cajun Bowfishing Sucker Punch bow can handle all of the extremes of bow fishing. With an axle-to-axle length of 32.25 inches and a brace height of 7.25 inches, it’s a full-size bow for taking down some serious prey. It also features a draw weight of up to 50 pounds so I don’t recommend this bow for the young bow fisherman.
One thing I really like about this option is that you can either get the ‘bow-only’ option or a ‘ready-to-fish’ option which includes everything you’ll need to start bowfishing tomorrow. It includes a Fishing Biscuit arrow rest, Cajun Blister Buster finger pads, Cajun hybrid bowfishing reel, and two white fiberglass arrows designed for taking down your prey.
The Suck Punch is designed to takedown big fish including carp or even alligators! One of the best bowfishing bows on the market, it’s definitely a bow to consider.
2. Advanced Bowfishing Package with PSE Kingfisher
The included Sure Shot arrow is designed with penetrating fish points that enable piercing power, even though the water and tough scales of a fish. The bow also offers a safety slide to prevent annoying fish arrow snap back and to ensure perfect arrow propulsion while in flight. As for aesthetics, it certainly doesn’t lack as its camo design will give you a sense of ruggedness that only the best-hunting weapons are designed for. One of the best recurve bows on the market is paired with fantastic advanced bow fishing packages on the market. Equipped with one of our favorite bow fishing reels on the market, the RH Advanced Bowfishing Package features the legendary AMS Retriever #310 that offers unparalleled performance. The real is geared and is confidently strong, it’s a hard hitter at 50 pounds. To ensure protection for the bow fishers’ fingers, the package includes finger tabs to prevent blistered fingers so you can fish all day and night!
3. PSE Kingfisher Bowfishing Kit
The spool attached has 50 feet of 80-pound test line to accommodate both big and small fish. Included as well is the SnapShot arrow rest which is brand new from PSE and is again helpful for those novice bow fishermen and women who are perhaps a little bit on the ‘green’ side. One of my favorite options for novice bow fishers, the PSE Kingfisher comes in a kit to let you make the most out of your time on the water. Both durable and a hard-shooter, you can tell just by holding it how well-built this product is. Delivering great performance while remaining lightweight at just 2.7 pounds; this bow has a lot to offer. With an all-season camo design, you’ll be prepared to hunt like a serious bow angler.
