9 Things to Consider Before You Get Started with Bowfishing

Bowfishing is an exciting sport as it’s enthusiasts will tell you how rewarding and exciting it is to spend the summer bowfishing. As you observe how passionate your bowhunter friends are about this sport, you might think to consider giving it a shot yourself. If you’re worried that you won’t get the hang of it easily, don’t fear. It is not really rocket science. All you are going to need is a good bowfishing kit, a boat, and a good spot for hunting. 

If you are getting ready for your very first bowhunting trip, or want to compete in a bowfishing tournament, here are a few tips to take into consideration:

Tune your bow

Tuning your bow is important if you want to avoid missing the fish and if you want your aim to be true. You have several options like paper tuning, although it might be an unpleasant experience at first, it will prove useful at enhancing your aim. You can also do water tuning. Instead of using paper, you can aim at a leaf or anything floating on the water. If you arrow splashes or doesn’t go in a straight line, you can adjust the rest. If the problem persists, consider that the quality of the arrows you’re using is what may be causing the error. In this case, you’ll have to acquire better ones. This practice will bring you one step closer to perfecting bowfishing. 

Polarized glasses

If you have already been bowfishing, then you already know that having a pair of polarized glasses is essential. When the sunlight is very distracting or even blinding, these glasses will help reflect a great part of sun rays to help you see better. Make sure you acquire a good pair to avoid missed opportunities. Polarized glasses vary in their quality so pay attention as you buy them. They should also have straps to prevent them from falling into the water.

Reels

If you’re a beginner, then it is okay to use line spools or an inexpensive reel, but as you start getting better at catching fish, you will need to up your game and buy some top-shelf reels. Heavy catches will require a strong, durable reel that can hold heavyweights. They need to be strong enough to not break as you reel in your fish. You’ll definitely be able to learn more if you do some research online as well. There are really helpful tutorials and guidelines available. If you want some advice on how to reel in your catch successfully, Archery Edge offers comprehensive guides for beginners on the correct ways for reeling and everything bowfishing related. It’s important to get the angling for the reeling right, and also to be well informed on what the best spots are.

Lights

Since most bowfishing tournaments take place at night, competitors need to install several lights in order to see shallow fish. You can find different types of fishing lights, including halogen lights, LED lights, and High-Pressure Sodium lights. Consider installing one of these to improve your bowfishing experience.

Two-barbed and three-barbed tips

If you don’t want your catch to slip away, a three-barbed tip will make sure it’s secured and the fish won’t be able to work itself free. Two-barbed tips, on the other hand, will have a looser grip and can easily slip from the body of the target, especially if your bowfishing in deep waters. However, this is unlikely to occur if you’re bowfishing in shallow water. So, the best option here is to use three-barbed tips in deep water for their durable hold and two-barbed tips in shallow water since there won’t be much resistance.

Scouting

If you’re going to go bowfishing regularly, you will have to find new bowfishing areas for different types of fish. Don’t hesitate to consult the internet on the nearest spot for bowfishing or the best riverbank side location to catch a certain type of fish. Explore the maps of your area and even check your location on the DNR website where there is a list of bodies of water around you with the different types of fish you can find. You can also explore the environment around you to find out different local species and which waters they prefer to inhabit. This way, you will know where to go fishing for certain species.

GPS

If you don’t already have one by now, you should go to the nearest store and buy one! A GPS will help you come back to your favorite spots and determine where your favorite species of fish lurk. In addition to being a great aid in area scouting, a GPS will help you explore untapped waters where the number of fish is large. It will also help you if you’re a competitor in a tournament.

Practice shooting submerged targets

Practicing in the comfort of your backyard with paper is great, but as you start shooting targets under water, you will find the situation is quite different in the ‘battlefield’. As we all know, light refracts in water; thus, submerged objects appear shallower than they seem. Your first missed shot of a submerged object is likely to have taught you that. This relays how important it is to train your hands to shoot for a deeper target than the water actually shows you, with your muscle memory, you will be able to master shooting submerged fish in no time. 

Coves and creeks 

It is nice to always have the boat to go back to when bowfishing, but why don’t you try bowfishing someplace else? Explore the area around you and discover coves and creeks that cannot be accessed by boat. You are likely to find these places rich with different types of fish and you will find yourself going back for that designated place for more catch. The same goes for bank fishing. If you go bowfishing primarily from riverbanks, then you are missing out on a lot. You also don’t have to have an expensive boat, you can go bowfishing on a canoe, kayak, or rowboat.

Many people will find this sport to be agreeable and satisfying because even beginners can have multiple successes their first time around. Just pick the right gear and scout for the best body of water near you and start bowfishing because every arrow you shoot will help you in perfecting your aim at fish and getting a bigger catch.

Fishing in the Open Ocean

Every fisherman dreams of deep sea fishing! The rush to get out past the continental shelf into the deep ocean water where pelagic fish swim. Catching giant meals like marlin, dorado, and wahoo!

We are way beyond where they dream of going, so we do take up the opportunity to catch something amazing.

We fished from Florida to Bermuda, and from Bermuda to the Azores, and hooked a whopping two small fish! Thanks to viewers on our YouTube channel, we were able to get the fish identified as Almoco Jacks. They were delicious, but provided nowhere near the satisfaction and meal capacity of a large game fish.

Obviously, we suck at fishing1 While in the Azores, I spoke with local fishermen and talked with other cruisers who have made successful catches while out at sea to figure out how I could do this better. 

When we left the Azores, we were equipped with new gear and new tactics, but so far, 700 miles later, we still have not hooked a single fish. 

Bait for Fishing

If you plan on fishing while out at sea, you don't need to worry about taking bait along for the voyage. Flying fish live a sad life, as everyone wants to eat them. When they are in the water, predatory fish will pick them off and eat them. To escape this fate of certain death, flying fish will take to the sky and fly above the water where they are safe from predatory fish, but fall prey to birds that also love to eat them. 

By day, these little fish will take flight and skim over the surface of the ocean as they escape their inevitable fate. By night, these little fish won't see your yacht and will smack right into it. The force of the impact will knock them out and stun them as they lay on your deck to dry out and die. Every morning, we would find multiple flying fish scattered around the deck which we would then use as bait. 

Preparing the flying fish with hooks turns the flying fish into a "real fish" lure. Unlike plastic lures that merely look like a real fish, you have something that looks like a real fish and smells like a real fish as well! Best of all, you won't have bait smelling up your fridge.

Catching Fish

Let's face it, sailors and fishermen are two different breeds of people; but we both wish we could be each other. Fishermen get places quickly while catching many fish along the way while the wish they could get further out to sea. Sailors wish they could get places quicker and wish they could catch many fish while far out to sea.

Catching fish is a great way to add fresh meat to your diet while on a long voyage. The problem is, if you are not good at fishing, it is not safe to count on caught fish as food source. We voyaged over a thousand miles, trolling the fishing line for most of the journey before we caught this little fish. I have no idea what kind of fish it was, but it was delicious!  

This did make for a very fresh meal, as it was caught, filleted, and on the grill in under an hour! This fish was rather odd as it looks like a reef fish, but we caught it in water that was 15,000 feet deep (3 miles deep). It had no teeth, and was rather small. 

When we sailed from Bermuda to the Azores, we caught this exact same type of fish again, this time in water that was 16,000 feet deep! This was the only fish we caught in a 2,200 nautical mile voyage while our friends were catching large mahi mahi every other day.  

Your skill as a fisherman will pay off when out in the ocean as you will have plenty of time to troll a line behind your yacht. Fishing will also give you a way to pass the time as you wait and see what is biting from deep down in the sea.