Bow-Fishing!

      A great way to have fun with traditional archery equipment is to go bowfishing. Bowfishing is exactly what it sounds like, it is using a bow to basically harpoon a fish. Bowfishing is extremely fun for the beginning archer or even the seasoned veteran. In this discussion about bowfishing I will talk a little about the equipment needed for bowfishing.
     The great thing about bowfishing is that very little equipment is needed. The first thing you need is a bow. I prefer to use a bow that I do not mind getting a little banged up. Sometimes in all the excitement and action of bowfishing we will sometimes forget about how we are treating our bows. For this reason I have several cheaper bows that I prefer to take bowfishing rather than my more expensive custom bows.
     You'll also need a bowfishing reel. There are several different types of bow fishing reels, however the drum style reel is the simplest and cheapest reel to buy. These reels screw into the stabilizer bushing of your traditional bow, if your bow does not have a stabilizer bushing you can purchase an adapter from Great Northern Archery, or purchase a drum style reel that tapes onto your bow.
     You'll also need to buy some line. The fish you will be chasing with your bow will be rough fish, most fishing laws prohibit the shooting of game-fish. Rough fish include gar, carp, and bowfin. These rough fish are often quite large, it is for this reason that you will need to purchase some heavy line, I recommend 80# or more. You will also need to buy some of the safety attachments for attaching your line to your bowfishing arrows.
   The last thing you need are some bowfishing arrows, and points. There are arrows designed specifically for bowfishing. These arrows are solid fiberglass and are very heavy and durable. These fiberglass arrows also come with rubber fletching for better flight. Purchase a few of these arrows and some of the fishing points and you are ready to go!