Today was my first bowfishing outing.
I’d been fly fishing for some big suckers and carp (although the carp weren’t even minimally interested in eating) over the last couple weeks and thought it’d be a fantastic place to bowfish as well. So long as the fish were still spawning in the area.
I arrived at the river around 10am, and sure enough, the suckers were still there–although not in the large numbers I’d seen in previous visits.
The sun was already baking, and the air was dead still. I had the entire stretch of water to myself, and would for the rest of the day too.
There were only three carp I saw with any regularity today, and they maintained a wide berth around me. One of the fish I saw here a couple weeks ago was a large butterfly carp (aka fantail carp).
Surprisingly, I did shoot a big sucker on my 2nd or 3rd shot (ever). I watched the largescale sucker rocket towards the surface with my arrow planted in its side.
My adrenaline was pumping!
But, after just a few seconds, my arrow came out of the fish, so I wasn’t able to land it. Since this is my first outing, I wasn’t sure if this was a common occurence.
Regardless, it was disappointing and anticlimactic. But, it was encouraging that I was experiencing success so quickly. I’d read that most people miss the first 30+ fish they shoot at when bowfishing. I was feeling good!
And then I missed on the next 50 or so shots. Yes, you read that correctly.
The suckers were all holding in 4-6 feet of water, which seems pretty deep. But, the good news is that most of them weren’t cruising, they were holding relatively still on the bottom.
Still, it was confounding that I missed so many in a row, despite their being deep.
Now, I’m guessing that the shots I was taking would be slightly lower probability for even seasoned bowfishers, but maybe I’m wrong.
So, I just need to own it and admit that I have a lot to learn about aiming and accuracy. It was almost laughable.
I spent about seven hours bowfishing today, from around 10:30am to 5:30pm, and it wasn’t until I shot at my 50th or 60th sucker that I connected for a second time.
This largescale sucker also threw my arrow, but it didn’t escape with its intestines. It’s a bit grotesque, but here’s the picture.
Bowfishing has a very steep learning curve. Learning to set up the equipment takes a lot of time, and learning to aim—well, I haven’t figured that out yet.
There are equations I’ve read about, such as “for every ten feet distance, aim four inches lower” and “for every foot in depth, aim three inches lower.”
But, on the water, especially with moving fish, you don’t have time to calculate all that math. It’s clear to me that you have to develop a sixth sense—a reflexive shot. You can’t think about it. It needs to come naturally, and I believe that comes with repetition and practice.
So, I brought some long pieces of 3/4″ Styrofoam home from work, along with three bricks. I’m going to tie the rectangular Styrofoam pieces to the bricks using thin wire, and drop them into the water at various depths.
Then, I’ll practice shooting arrows at each of them and try to develop my skills a little further.
My bowfishing bow, which I custom ordered three months ago, is an Oneida Osprey. It’s got a draw length of 27.5-29, a draw weight of 30-50#, aluminum timing wheels, and a camo riser and outboard limbs.
It’s a sweet bow.
During lulls in the bowfishing action, I caught a few trout with my fly rod.
