![\"Bowfishing](\"https:\/\/www.3riversarchery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/dsc4014-1024x683.jpg\")
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By Jason D. Mills<\/em><\/p>\n You know what bowfishing is, and you\u2019re interested in trying, but you\u2019re still not quite sure how or where to start. Bowfishing is unique in the world of archery in that it can be practiced day or night, on land, while wading in the water, or on a boat.<\/p>\n To get started you\u2019ll need a bow, a recurve is best simply because smaller bows are a bit easier to manage while bowfishing. There is no need for sites because of refraction and because they can\u2019t account for depth. You\u2019ll probably want a bow that shoots 45 pounds or greater in order to have sufficient force.<\/p>\n You will also need a reel and special bowfishing arrows; typically, bowfishing arrows are heavier, use barbed broadhead, don\u2019t have fletchings, and are longer than traditional arrows. They are also attached to a fishing line. On that note, never tie a line to the back of an arrow, it should always be attached to the slide near the front of the arrow. If tied to the back, the line could get tangled in the bowstring, causing the arrow to snap back at you, resulting in facial injuries and even death.<\/p>\n You might also want to bring a pair of hip waders, some gloves, sunglasses (if you\u2019re fishing during the day), sunblock, and a hat. If you\u2019re fishing at night you\u2019ll probably want to bring a decent flashlight or spotlight.<\/p>\n If you have the option, and if you\u2019re shooting from a boat, you\u2019ll probably want to use a flat-bottom vessel, so you can take it into shallower water. Like sport fishing and hunting, individual states regulate bowfishing, so you will probably have to pickup a fishing license.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re bowfishing on fresh water you\u2019ll be looking for fish like carp, eels, suckers, perch, catfish, gars, or even alligators. If you\u2019re saltwater bowfishing you\u2019ll probably target fish like dogfish, sharks, and stingrays. The exact type of fish that you\u2019re allowed to bowhunt legally is regulated by the state, so check on your local regulations.<\/p>\n Something that seems obvious, but should also be mentioned about bowfishing. there is no catch-and-release in this sport. Bowfishing kills the fish.<\/p>\n If you decide to give bowfishing a try, but you don\u2019t have access to a boat, then you\u2019ll be limited to wading or bank bowfishing. You\u2019ll want to do this kind of bowfishing in the spring, while the fish are spawning, before and after the spawn the fish can be harder to find. If you\u2019ll be bowfishing from a bank, you\u2019ll want to target lakes, rivers, and ponds with shore access. If you\u2019ll be wading, you have the option of heading to a marsh with tall grass, where the fish feel safe.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re having trouble narrowing down a good spot for your first bowfishing trip, just give your local DNR fisheries biologist a call and tell them you are looking for heavy concentrations of carp, eels, suckers, perch, catfish, or gars.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got a few places in mind, but you\u2019re still not sure about the perfect spot, the most important thing you should consider is the consistency of water depth and overall water clarity \u2013 clear water that is between 3-4\u2019 deep is ideal for bowfishing.<\/p>\n Now, if you\u2019re like me you don\u2019t hunt what you won\u2019t eat. That said, many of the fish that you\u2019ll be after (such as carp) can contain contaminants, so it\u2019s a smart idea to contact your local DNR office and ask about fish advisories before heading out.<\/p>\n When you finally do get to your fishing spot, the main difficulty that most new bowfishers have is refraction. When light waves pass through water they are deflected, which makes things look like they are where they are not. This is most easily demonstrated using a straw and a glass of water.<\/p>\n To compensate for this, you\u2019ll want to aim about 10\u201d below the fish you\u2019re aiming at; keep in mind this is just a general rule of thumb and you should be prepare to miss quite a bit your first time out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Jason D. Mills You know what bowfishing is, and you\u2019re interested in trying, but you\u2019re still not quite sure how or where to start. Bowfishing is unique in the world of archery in that it can be practiced day or night, on land, while wading in the water, or on a boat. To get […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":385,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[63,5,15],"tags":[18,47,68,62,9,69,64,19,21,6,39,22,23],"class_list":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Bowfishing](\"https:\/\/www.3riversarchery.com\/mm5\/graphics\/00000001\/8950x.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n![\"Refraction\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/negative_refraction-640x369.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Refraction\"](\"https:\/\/blogdot3riversarcherydotcom2.files.wordpress.com\/2015\/04\/refraction.jpg?w=640\")
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