Building a Better Bowfishing Boat by George Kozlansky   Here at the Carp Killer Connection we feel in most cases the best way to find and stalk fish is by means of some type of watercraft. Just like fishing it gives you the ability to cover  more  area and get into  remote spots were the fish are. In this section we are going to share with you some of the things we've learned about rigging up a boat for bowfishing. Just like with your other  equipment, you  can take it as far as you  want to go.        There are many factors to consider when you decide to buy and rig your own boat. First of all is  your budget.   How much can you or do you want to spend?  Second, How big of a boat do you need? This depends highly on what size and type waterways you plan to bowfish. If you are planning  to go all the way like  adding a shooting platform and rigging the boat for nighttime  bowfishing your vessel must be capable of carrying the platform, lights, a power source such as batteries or a generator,  your equipment, and  passengers. One thing that is commonly overlooked in figuring how much   weight your boat can handle is the fish themselves! You do plan to shoot fish don't you?  Common practice is to put your rough fish in a barrel or container of some kind and keep them   in the boat to be properly disposed of when you are finished bowfishing. There's nothing worse  than leaving a dead fish trail while bowfishing. Things like this give our sport a bad name. If you   plan to compete in bowfishing tournaments, you will have to bring your fish back to be counted or  weighed in. I've seen some boats almost sunk in   tournaments when the guys had a good day due to all the fish they were carrying! So don't  overlook this factor when deciding how big of a boat you need. Check your weight capacity   plate on your boat and do the math. Estimate how many people usually go with you,  equipment, fish, etc. Add up the weight and make sure your boat can handle it.   Third, What style boat is best for bowfishing? Most bowfishing is done in shallow, calmer  water. Flat bottomed Jon boats or modified "V" hulls are the best choices for this  application. They float in shallower water and are much  more stable especially up front than deeper "V" hull  models. Also the wider the boat is at the beam(center)  the better. This gives it what I call the "snowshoe"  effect by distributing more weight across a larger flatter  area allowing the boat to ride shallower in the water. Flat  bottomed boats are good choices for most rivers,  lakes, and calm bays of larger waterways. They are not the  best in big waves and choppy water because of their  shallow draft so be careful when navigating in rough water with this type of boat.   Fourth, Aluminum or fiberglass? Personally we prefer aluminum for the following reasons: It  is lighter, allowing it to float in shallower water. It is easier to get unstuck when hung up  on  the bottom, rocks, stumps, etc. because it is lighter. Aluminum boats can also take more  abuse from these same obstructions that you will most definitely run into while bowfishing. If   you aren't than you're probably not seeing many fish because this is the terrain they like and  you have to get in there after them to be successful. Aluminum is easy to repair and  attach to  when adding platforms and other goodies. You can weld ,bolt, and rivet things to it.  Aluminum boats are generally less expensive than fiberglass boats. If you plan to do most of your bowfishing in saltwater, fiberglass  would probably be the better choice because it won't corrode  in saltwater  like aluminum would. This pretty much covers the boat itself. Let's move on to  the good   stuff!                                                        If you plan to bowfish in the daytime and or nighttime out of your boat, it is best done from a platform of some kind.  This opens up a new line of   questioning; How big? How high?  Where in the boat? What should I use to build it? The same factors are present here as with the purchase of the boat itself. Stay within your   budget. As far as size, that will depend on the  size of your boat.  Usually platforms are built as wide as the boat so you could anchor the supports to the gunnels and ribs of the boat   where it is strong. The length is up to you. Make  it big enough but not to the point where it interferes with other functions on the boat. The best place to install a platform is in the front   of the boat. The main reason is, it's usually the  part of the boat that gets to the fish first and that's where you want to be. You can build the platform as high as you want but I don't feel it   necessary to go ridiculously high with it. You  can keep it even with the top of the boat or take it it up a foot or two. I have mine in my boat  about 16" high above the top of the boat. You must consider something. Can you see past your platform   when you are driving the boat? It would help if you could, don't you agree?  Make sure this isn't a problem when deciding how high to install the platform.  You're going to see   guys out there with platforms eight feet higher than the boat. This is good for  spotting fish in the daytime and is okay in calm water but I see no advantage at night. Also, I wouldn't   want to be up there swaying around when the wind kicks up. There is a good  chance the boat can tip over and capsize in high wind with platforms this high. Another thing is you're   putting more distance between you and the fish which in turn makes it more  difficult to hit the fish. And what about those low hanging tree limbs along the shore? Ouch! How about   trailering the boat on the road? Watch out for those low bridges! So do you get my  drift? Build your tree stand in the woods not in your boat. The question of what to use to build   your platform is again up to you. Aluminum is definitely the best choice. It is strong, light  weight, and will last forever. I   prefer aluminum tubing or pipe for the supports and railings and aluminum diamond plate for the deck. If you are using carpeting, use a smooth sheet of  aluminum and glue the carpeting   to it. Welding is the best fastening method but if you don't weld or have access to someone that does, stainless bolts and aluminum rivets will work just  fine. Use your own judgment on   where to fasten the supports as every boat is different. Aluminum is rather costly and plywood is another alternative. Plywood has it's draw backs  though. It is heavy, holds water,   and deteriorates in time. Work within your means and build it to be safe and functional. Railings are a good idea and I strongly recommend them for  obvious reasons. One thing to   consider is the height of the rail. You wouldn't want to make them as high as the railing on your front porch. Do you know why? When you lean over the  railing to shoot, your bow will   hit the railing when you release if it is too high. This will damage your bow, throw off your shot, and possibly cause injury. Keep your rail height about  knee high or so. You can rest   your knee against it for stability when shooting with little chance of whacking it with your bow after you release. Seats are a matter of preference. I  don't use any because I feel they   get in the way. They do make it easier on the legs and back though on those long slow nights.                                                        The next thing you'll need is a means of propulsion while stalking your prey. The most common is an electric trolling motor. Fan motors and air boats are widely used in the South    and larger bodies of water but are almost unheard of here in the Northeast.  Most of our waterways in this part of the country are heavily populated. The use of such equipment would    definitely bring up some noise issues especially at night. Fan motors and air boats are by far the best means of getting into those shallow hot spots but unfortunately are impractical for  our   area. So for this reason, I'm only going to cover trolling motors. They are a fraction of the cost and get the job done just fine. If your boat has an elevated front platform, common  practice is to   use a tiller type motor mounted to the front of the platform. You will need an extended shaft motor usually 60" or more so the motor  reaches the water. They  are usually a custom built motor  and have to be special ordered. Trolling motors of this nature are a bit costly but are a good investment. The trolling motor  will prove to be one of  the most important parts of your  bowfishing boat. Another alternative is to use a foot control model and mount it to the bow of the boat. This saves you  from having to purchase the more  costly long shaft model. Just  make sure the control pedal reaches your deck. I like and use the tiller type because you aren't doing a balancing act on  one foot while trying to shoot. It's  a matter of preference and  budget as well as what brand you choose to go   with.                                                                                                                                                                                      Well, if you plan to bowfish in the daytime only you are pretty much ready to hit the water. But if you want to explore the nighttime side of bowfishing, you're going to need a few more    things for your boat. Through our experiences and most other bowfisherman will agree; Nighttime is the right time to enjoy this great sport.  Fish are more abundant in the shallows    at night, more visible, and less "spooky". In this section we'll cover the equipment most commonly used on setting up your boat for night stalking.                                                                                                                                                       The same factors apply here again. How much do you want to spend and how far do you want to go? You can go the basic route and use hand held or fixed mounted battery operated    spotlights but this method has it's draw backs. First of all you need a hell of a lot of 12 volt batteries which are heavy and don't last long. Second, your range of vision is limited. The  only   advantage to this is that it is quiet and for some areas that we bowfish, quiet is necessary. The most widely used and effective method is to use  halogen lights mounted to  the boat  along with a gas powered generator for the power source. I use a generator on my boat along with (6) 500 watt halogen lights. The advantage here is  definitely visibility.  You're lighting  up the entire area around your boat rather than just one little spot. You're hands are free to shoot at all times and you'll see a lot more fish. You can  use a standard  portable generator  with extension cords to your lights and keep it simple. One major drawback to this is once again the noise factor. It is somewhat annoying to both  you and  others especially at 3:00 in  the morning on a heavily populated lake. I have a solution to this problem but it involves more work and extra cost. I built my generator into  the back of my  boat and enclosed it into  a sound deadening compartment. To do this you must install blower fans to keep the  generator from overheating. Your standard portable generator is not the best choice for this application, for it was never designed to operate in an enclosed  area. It will work for a   while but you more than likely will have problems like I did. My suggestion if you want to go the extra mile is to use an RV generator or better yet a  marine generator. They are designed to operate in an enclosed   compartment and have less chance of overheating. The main draw back here is that they are very costly even when purchased used. These  generators are also very heavy.   They range from 200-300lbs. depending on  what wattage they put out. This goes back to the part about weight capacity of your boat. If your boat can  handle it and you can handle it , this  is the way to go. I've decreased the noise  level 75% in my boat by doing this. I'm able to go places I never could before because of a noisy  generator. It also makes the night more  enjoyable to you and your fellow    bowfishermen.                                                                                                                                                                         Another advantage of having a generator on board is that you could charge your batteries for your trolling motor while bowfishing. You burn through batteries very quickly while    bowfishing so unless you bring a bunch, this a nice luxury to have. Of course I took this a step further. I thought to myself; Why charge batteries and carry all that weight when I  could   just run the trolling motor directly off the generator? All you have to do is turn the AC power that your generator puts out to DC power that your trolling motor uses. Are you  scratching   your head yet? It's actually very easy and is done by using a device called a DC converter.  You must get the proper voltage model to handle whatever your trolling motor  draws.   Usually 12 or 24 volts. I use a 55lb.thrust motor that runs on 12 volts and my converter in turn is 12 volts. The nice thing about all this is you have full power to your  trolling motor as   long as your generator is running. There is no slowing down or changing out dead batteries which cuts into your bowfishing time. Did you ever notice your batteries  always seem to die   at the most opportune time? Converters must be kept dry and ventilated which can be tough at times in a bowfishing boat. One thing you must do is run  your trolling motor through a   battery and then through the converter. This "cleans up" the electric waves so the motor runs smoothly without shaking. A capacitor can be used instead  of a battery but costs more   and complicates things unnecessarily. Converters draw quite a bit of power from your generator when your trolling motor is running so make sure your  generator has enough extra   available to run it before you consider installing one. Converters are available at electronics supply stores and web sites. They usually cost  around $250.00.                                                                                          There are many ways to set up your boat for bowfishing. I've been bowfishing for quite some time now and have learned through  trial and error about what works and what  doesn't. A lot of my mistakes were costly,  time consuming, and very frustrating along the way. What works for me may not necessarily be what works for you so be  creative and do what best suits your needs  and your bowfishing boat. I hope some of  this information will help you rig your boat for bowfishing.     If anyone has any questions on this subject, please write to us. We'd be happy to help in any  way we can. As always we are open to any suggestions or tips you would like to share   concerning bowfishing. My name is George and you could write to me at this  E-mail address:   Bowfishing101@aol.com       Hope to here from you soon! [Home Page] [Links] [Species] [Tourneys] [Boat Rigs] [Photos] [Equipment] [Contact Us]  [The Store]