Equipment is the hardest to write about for a bowfisherman like myself.  It varies so much with the individual and the situation that a straight recommendation would   be  impossible.  When I was researching all my information I came across an article on the Women Bowhunters Web Site written by Cindy Braun.  The article states everything I was looking for in an introduction to equipment.  Therefore I asked for permission and I have placed her article below.  I encourage you to read the entire piece because it contains information that is worthy of reading for newcomers and experienced bowfishermen as well.  If you like the article please check out the entire web site.  It can be found in my Links page.   If you have any questions concerning equipment that are not answered here please e-mail me and I will get back to you promptly.     Jerry@CarpKillerConnection.com Bowfish 101 Written By:  Cindy Braun Oneof my fondest childhood memories was going out bowfishing with my dad. We'd take out the old,  beat-up Alumacraft, toss in our bows, arrows, carp bucket, etc and we  were  out for the day. I was armed with my little Bear bow flinging arrows at everything from seaweed to the occasional carp. The day I connected with  that carp was the day I was hooked for life. It  really  doesn't take much to get started. After you're hooked you can add a few more bells and whistles, but initially all it takes is a bow, a good reel, some  bowfishing arrows, polarized sun glasses, and a  hat. BOW A "good" bow is one that has seen it's better days deer hunting and has been cast aside for the new and improved  model. A second-hand bow is all you need  for  starting out. Compounds, recurves, long bows use what your comfortable with they all work great for bowfishing. Rummage sales are great for bowfishing bows I've picked up  several for $20.00 a piece. You  can also  check the used bow section at you local archery shop or just ask a few friends if they have an old bow or if they know of someone who might you'd be surprised. The draw  weight can also be  quite low. While  growing up I was shooting a little "Bear" bow at about 25# draw and pulled in a few fish. The targets just need to be a little closer. The majority of the fish you will  encounter  will be within 15 feet  or less of the boat sometimes they are right underneath you and your almost shooting your foot. You need to remember that on a good day bowfishing you could easily take 100 shots. You   really want a light weight  bow with a draw weight set for repetitive shooting. It just depends on the person doing the shooting. REEL The reel is the most important part of  bowfishing.  It is what will make  or break a great day of bowfishing. To have the most fun and to get the most fish you want a reel that can quickly handle missed shots and when you do connect with a fish,  the reel needs to be able  to handle the  fish as well. I feel a good reel is worth the extra money. You'll be rewarded with fewer lost arrows and a lot of convenience. There are three types of reels that I am  aware of. There is the traditional  spool type  reels, the Zebco reels and the AMS Retriever Reel. The traditional spool type reels are typically made of plastic they are about 8 inches in diameter and  mounted to the front of the bow. Using one of  these  is a little bit cumbersome but they do serve the purpose. When you shoot at a fish the line pulls off the spool causing some drag and follows your arrow to  the fish. If you miss the fish you have to take that limp   fish line and hand wrap it around the spool around and around and around and around... If you hit the fish get your gloves out! The only way to get  him back in is to grab onto the line and pull him back, hand over  hand,  piling the excess line back in your boat. With a little skill I imagine you could pull the fish up, wrap the line around, pull the fish  up, wrap the line around etc... It really just depends on the fish and  how much  fight he has left in him. The Zebco reels are similar to the closed-face fishing reels. It is mounted with an adapter to  the stabilizer bar hole of your bow. Before every shot you must remember to  release the  bail by pushing the button. If you forget to release the bail hopefully all you'll loose is your arrow. Once the bail  is released the line again follows your arrow toward the target. If you miss just  crank the line back  in but remember to release the bail before the next shot. If you do hit the fish there is an adjustable  fighting drag (like regular fishing) that you can use to fight the fish, tire him and  crank him in to the boat. The AMS Retriever Bowfishing Reels are all together different and the reel of choice. There is no bail to release, no lost arrows. There is nothing to remember to do before each  shot. The Retriever reel is  mounted to the side of the bow in the bow's sight holes. If you choose to use sights, a  sight can be mounted simply over the top. The line of the Retriever is stacked in a plastic  bottle rather than wound on a spool.  When you shoot a fish the line flows out of the bottle after your arrow with  literally no drag. If you miss the fish, just pull the trigger to crank the line in. If you hit a  smaller fish apply pressure to the trigger  and crank him in. If he's a real fighter or a larger fish there is  no adjustable fighting drag, but with a little practice you can get him in by pumping your bow. Pull  the trigger to pinch the line, pull the fish in  toward you, and crank up the slack line. A couple more  times and you've got your fish. ARROWS For the beginning bowfisher and most  veterans fiberglass arrows work great. They are very  strong, take lots of abuse from hitting  rocks to bending with a flopping fish and they spring back in shape for more abuse. For the serious bowfisherman there  are also aluminum clad arrows for extra weight and strength  but they are quite a bit  more expensive. SAFETY DEVICE FOR ARROWS A cable system or similar device is necessary to  increase the safety of bowfishing. Anytime you tie your line to the  tail of the  arrow and shoot it from a bow, you're asking for trouble. Arrow snap back can result. Upon release, there is a trailing loop of line  that can tangle with the bowstring, the bows' cabling, the arrow rest, or   the archers wrist watch etc. If the line should tangle with any of these objects serious injury could result. Using cable system or  AMS's ring sets are the solution to this problem. Please refer to   www.amsretriever.com for photos of this trailing loop of line, as well as photos of the line actually tangling with the bowstring and tying itself  to the bow's cabling. The cable system consists of a metal  or  plastic cable with swivel that runs from the tip to the tail of the arrow. It is assembled by drilling holes, feeding the cable through, pulling  it tight and crimping the end clamps,. The line is attached  to the swivel  and slides down the cable when in flight. The swivel allows the archer to control the position of the line while drawing the bow. By  keeping the swivel and bowfishing line in front of the bow,  there is no longer a  trailing loop of line nor any obstacle for it to tangle with. AMS has recently found a more simple solution. A simple  stainless steel ring with stop screw. The ring slides up and  down the shaft of the arrow  similar to that of the swivel and is stopped by a stop screw that is installed in tail of the arrow. The function is the  same. You tie the line directly to the ring and it is able  to freely slide up and down the arrow  shaft. Before drawing just make sure the line and ring is in front of the bow no trailing loop of line and no  obstacles. BOWFISHING POINTS Bowfishing requires the use of special  bowfishing tips. Think of a broadhead. They are designed to go through the target – and cause lethal damage,  but you don't have to crank that deer back in.  Bowfishing points have barbs that go through the fish on the  shot – but when retrieving they also need to hang on to the fish so that you can get him into your boat. There are too many bowfishing arrow  tips to describe in detail but I'll mention a few that I am accustomed  to. The Muzzy points are very tough and work great for big, hard-sided fish. They have a  removable tip that can be replaced when  necessary. The barbs are fixed with a holding area of about one inch. To remove a  fish with the Muzzy points, you need to release the barbs before you can release your fish  from the arrow. Just twist the tip  a couple times to release the barbs, turn them back, and pull the arrow back through the fish. Shure Shot points are another tough point. They are another compact design also  with fixed barbs, but the tip  is not removable. They offer a little more holding area than the Muzzy points, but probably less  penetration. The great thing about these tips is that a couple twists of the arrow  shaft will release the  barbs and the fish without having to touch the tip of the arrow. The other type of point are the  Sting-A-Ree points by Cajun Archery. The point is quite long and they are great for  smaller fish. The  barbs are collapsed as the arrow passes through the fish. As you pull the arrow back, the barbs catch on the side of  the fish, open up and hold tight to the fish. The holding diameter of these  points is  nearly two inches. As with the Shure shots, a couple twists of the arrow shaft will allow the barbs to collapse and the fish to be  easily removed. POLARIZED SUNGLASSES  The  importance of wearing polarized sunglasses while bowfishing cannot be emphasized enough. Polarized sunglasses dramatically reduce the glare of  the sun on the water when bowfishing. By reducing the glare, you   can see deeper and further out into the water. By seeing deeper and further, you can obviously see more fish. Clip on's work, but we've found that  polarized glasses with side shields seem to work better. The  best  view of the fish when bowfishing is with the sun to your back when your scanning the water for fish, the side shields offer additional protection for  your eyes. Selecting lens color can be a  little  confusing. Dark Gray lenses block the most sunlight and are used for bright and sunny days. Medium Amber lenses are typically used more for overcast and hazy days.  Light Gray lenses are for used for  the first and  last light of the day. A HAT Any old hat with a visor will do. A hat also helps with cutting some of the glare of the sun on the water  and on your face.  SUNSCREEN A good sunscreen on the body and especially the face is very important to protect you while bowfishing. When on the water you're in contact with the sun's  rays as  it shines on your body  but it is also reflected back up from the water. I learned the hard way about the importance of sunscreen as at age 28 I found myself with Basal Cell Skin Cancer (not deadly-just ugly)  on  my nose probably from not  protecting myself from the sun when bowfishing all those years.   BOAT/SHORELINE Bowfishing from a boat any boat - is the preferred  method, but fishing  shorelines and  wading is also very common especially when your knee deep in spawning carp - the boat just allows a bit more mobility. Jon Boats with flat bottoms are typically more stable  for standing and allow you to  access the  shallow water that would be off limits with a v-hull boat. A bowfishing boat must not be anything fancy. Bowfishing is a bit of a messy sport and that should be  considered when choosing between a old beat up  Jon  boat and a brand new bass boat- I'd choose the old on hand's down. EXTRAS To make the day more efficient and clean, a  fish bopper to put the fish out of his misery and a barrel,  to  contain the fish would also be recommended. [Home Page] [Links] [Species] [Tourneys] [Boat Rigs] [Photos] [Equipment] [Contact Us]  [The Store]