My eyes scanned the water in front of me, the sunlight glinting off the ripples and making me squint my eyes behind my polarized sunglasses. To the inexperienced eye, there was nothing to see. But years of bowfishing had helped me know exactly what to look for. The murky depths in front of me were marbled with shadows — or so it seemed. The shadows were in fact carp, slowly fanning their tails just below the surface of the water. Occasionally, I would see one float to the top and its mouth would appear, gaping upwards, before slowly sinking back down to the murky depths.
I have to be quick if I want to get my shot before I lose sight of it. I quickly draw my bow, not even making it to full draw before releasing the arrow. The heavy fiberglass shaft cuts through the water and then dances on the surface as the fish tries to swim away, orange tail splashing muddy water up onto the bank.
Bowfishing never gets old to me, and is easily my favorite thing to do in that time period in between spring turkey and fall deer season. Bowfishing in itself is hunting, particularly if you prefer to spot and stalk fish from the banks of a river like I do. It is not only incredibly fun but keeps you in the hunting mindset all summer.
There are many different ways to bowfish, and you can simply choose which one adapts best to your lifestyle. Especially during the spawn, you’re going to find fish no matter what time of day you go — as long as there are fish there. Most people prefer to go at night and use boats. It’s definitely cooler at night, and it is a little easier to shoot fish at night using spotlights. As I’m not often bothered by the heat, I prefer bowfishing during the day. Give me a bottle of water and my bow and I’ll be set for the afternoon. … Well, maybe throw in a few extra arrows too.
Know Your Gear
No matter what type of bow and setup you have for bowfishing, one thing is for certain: you want to know exactly how it works. I have had gear break many times while out on the water, and knowing how it operates and how to fix it yourself is key.
Many times I have knelt at the sandy edge of a creek, or on the slippery rocks along the river to take apart my reel or replace a broken arrow. Be good to your gear and it will be good to you.
Target Species
Blood and fish slime slowly trailed down my arm and dripped off my elbow as I held the fish aloft out of the water. Nearly 5 feet of thick scales, a mouth of razorblades and a tail that was as colorful as the rainbow. There is nothing quite like a gar fish.
Targeting longnose gar is one of my favorite things in the summer. They are extremely plentiful here in southern Ohio and look like a prehistoric creature that will rip your arm off. Although you do have to beware of the sharp teeth, they aren’t an aggressive fish if you’re wading in the water with them. During the spawn they can be found by the dozens, clusters of them up against the banks. The fight they put up when caught or shot is amazing, and they tend to jump completely out of the water. Unlike carp, they are a bit more easy to spook and don’t always return to the same spot once they swim away. Gar keep me on my toes, and push me to make quicker shots and be ready at all times. Although taking snap shots isn’t exactly realistic in most hunting scenarios, being able to think quickly on your feet can make all the difference!
Kill It, Grill It
The most popular recipe for carp is as follows:
Filet your carp and place on a cedar plank. Season well, and smoke on low for 8 hours. Remove from the heat, discard the carp and eat the plank.
Let’s be honest, not many people eat carp. They make great fish bait, coyote bait or fertilizer. However, I haven’t personally found them to be great table fare. That being said, not all “trash fish” are actually trash. Catfish, gar, drum, suckers and sting ray all make a great meal if prepared correctly. Although I haven’t tried anything complicated, I can attest that all of these fish are delicious when cut into chunks, battered and deep fried.
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Hone Your Skills
You can be as lazy or as motivated as you want when it comes to bowfishing and still enjoy it either way. However, you’re going to hone some of your skills no matter how you choose to do it. You probably won’t realize these things as you are doing them, but training your eyes to pick up small movements, standing still for long periods of time, and shooting without overthinking, all start to become a habit after a while. After several weeks of bowfishing before hunting season, I’ll often find myself in the treestand come fall, scanning the woods for deer with the same intent I scanned the water for fish.
Know Your Quarry
The sun beat down on my shoulders and the cold creek water ran over my bare feet into the Great Miami river in front of me. I had been standing in the same spot for a good 20 minutes, waiting. I didn’t often wait for a specific fish unless it was massive, and seeing a grass carp up in the river wasn’t something I saw every day.
Grass carp are often found in ponds and lakes, rarely in the river. However, when they do come to the river they are extremely territorial and inhabit the same area for long periods of time. As soon as you see one, you’ll know. It resembled a pale colored submarine, unlike the small dark shadows of buffalo suckers that were huddled up along the banks. Not only was this grass carp massive, but the fight they put up is unlike that of other fish.
And so I waited.
And then I saw the pale shadow slowly swim into the current, and I drew quickly. My arrow met its mark, and immediately the fish took off. In this instance, barbed arrow tips are key — you want something that will stay in the soft body of the carp and not rip out.
I let my line go slack and let the carp run. All I could see was the tip of my arrow over the surface of the water, and heard the quiet whir of my line coming out of my reel.
The arrow slowed and I started reeling. Immediately the fish started fighting again, and I had to give it some slack.
It was tug of war. Too much fight and you’ll lose the fish … not enough and you’ll lose the fish. It was about finding balance.
It took me awhile to get the fish in. It was bigger than I had thought, and I still have scars on my arm from that day from the line getting tangled. Getting that massive fish in had me feeling like I had just shot a Pope and Young buck.
Hunting, bowfishing … it all is the same.
How to Get Started Bowfishing
Bowfishing does not have to be an expensive sport, and despite what some may think, it’s not that difficult to get started. You’ll want to start by getting a bow. I know some people simply use their hunting setup but that’s something I never recommend, especially if you own high-dollar hunting equipment. Bowfishing is a dirty, muddy sport and can quickly ruin an expensive bow. Most bowfishing bows are designed to withstand the elements, as well as equipped with waterproof and stainless steel hardware. Compounds are often equipped with deeper grooves on the cams to help prevent strings and cables from blowing up. If you can’t afford a brand new bowfishing bow, I would recommend finding a cheap compound off Craigslist or Marketplace. Anything that has a draw weight of 35–50 pounds is perfect.
Next, you’ll want to get equipped with a rest. A simple shoot through rest is always best, as there is less for your string to get tangled on.
The reel you choose will come down to personal choice. A hand reel is the most affordable, as well as the simplest. It is very easy for kids and beginners as it’s literally a spool which the bowfishing line is wrapped around. There is also a spinning type reel, which is ultimately a large fishing reel spooled with bowfishing line. The bottle reel fully encloses your line in a plastic bottle, and has a hand crank to reel your line in. There is no right or wrong answer as to what you choose, as they all work.
Bowfishing arrows are one of the most important things, and are also very different from hunting arrows. The arrows are made of fiberglass, and are much heavier than carbon arrows, which is crucial to be able to shoot into the water.
If you are planning on shooting fish during the day, the last thing you’ll need is a pair of polarized sunglasses. Without them, you won’t be able to see most of the fish that are right in front of your face.
Check your local DNR website if you are unsure of where you can bowfish, and what type of license you will need. Some states require a fishing license, some require a hunting license. Not all bodies of water are open to bowfishing either, so be aware of laws and regulations.
As with many things, you will improve over time. Don’t get frustrated if you keep missing fish — stick with it. Once you hit a few, you’ll get the hang of it. Remember to aim low!
