Anybody bowfish?

[Locator79]

I new to the whole archery thing, but me and my son are getting ready to start bowfishing. What can I do to prevent this?? Different stance, grip, aim?????

[gabowman]

Ouch! Now that hurts. I shortened the string where I wasnt fully extended at full draw and I loosened the bow to it's minimum which was about 45 lbs. You can also get a guard to protect your inner arm. When bowfishing you dont want to be shooting a strong bow. I'd say anything over 50#'s is too much IMO so make sure to reduce the poundage. You could try using a different method of how you grip the bow since it's at a much lighter draw weight than a hunting bow.Thumbs Up

[Locator79]

I'm shooting a PSE Kingfisher recurve 50lb. made for bowfishing, and the bowstring that came with it. What would you suggest for grip?

[gabowman]

he he he....sorry! I cant even START to shoot a recurve. When shooting my compound bow when I bowfished I'd hold the grip with my wrist turned in a little so the string wouldnt hit me until I shortened the string. I'd suggest you get a string guard for your arm.

[filletfetish]

Most of the time it's poor shooting technique, especially with a new archer. It's not uncommon for someone to be shooting a bow that has a draw length longer than it should be. The addition of string loops and releases also need to be taken into account if you're using them. If none of that is the case, then change your grip a little...

Make sure your forehand isn't griping the handle too tight. I like to open my hand totally just after full draw, insuring myself that I have a very loose grip. Check to make sure your arm isn't locked, too. It's ok to have a noticable bend. Once at full draw, try pulling your shoulder blades together, this will give you a little better posture.

I know it's heating up, but putting on a heavy coat will work wonders, too. Obviously it won't hurt as much when you're shooting wrong, but it makes you over compensate to keep from hitting it all together.

Good luck, I look forward to seeing the boy's first stick!

[Locator79]

Thanks for the tips guys, I'm taking it all in.

[SpeckBuster]

I agree on the shooting technique being the number one cause. If you can not shorten the draw length then you might want to try a new anchor point closer to your mouth if possible. I open my hand up and only use my thumb and first finger. This helps to rotate my forearm muscle (many years of weight lifting) out of the way of the string. We took a group of youth bow fishers out to a gravel pit near Bloomfield Indiana this summer. Guy that owns it has a pontoon boat on it and it is full of those asin jumping carp. They are hard to hit in the air but they tend to land in the boat anyway Took a twenty pounder in the shoulder and it left a bruise. Kids had a blast. Hope you had a good summer looking for carp this year. Got any good stories?

[Locator79]

We switched about middle of the year, and put "no gloves" on our bowstrings, and it made a world of difference. We both got pretty good at it, tons of stuck fish to show for it. Its loads of fun, we enjoyed wading creeks and bowfishing the most vs. in a boat.

[Hoosier Hog Daddy]

Had a teacher in high school that kept a bow in his closet. (couldn't do that now a days..lol). There is a small creek that runs behind the school, and in April each year there would be lots of suckers sitting on the bottom of little pot holes, getting ready to or in the process of pro creating on the riffles. The teacher would talk some of the jocks into putting on their gym trunks during lunch hour, wading into the pot holes to scare the suckers up into the shallow water so he could shoot them. Those were the good ole days. I had a bear recurve when I was a teenager, and wanted to try sticking a few, but just never got onto it. Sounds like a good way to spend a hot day...wading in the creek.

HHD