Hey, I am wondering what you guys do when you are aiming for a fish? I am using an old bow with a peep sight that I have shot fish with but it obviously isn't the most efficient and I find myself taking awhile to aim in the dark as it is hard to pick out the peep and the pin and the fish. I would like to go off instinct but I do not have enough time to practice with that or even where to begin. So I guess I am just curious on what you guys do?
I use a peep and have never really had a problem I guess. I fish 95% of the time during the day however so I don't have the problem of not seeing the peep/pin. As far as shooting, a rule of thumb I like to use is for every foot it is below the surface, I like to aim about 6 inches lower than the fish.
Instinct is definitely the quickest way to get on a fish but like you said, it takes a lot of practice to keep good at it. Id maybe consider a larger peep on your bow for in the dark..... that should make it easier to find your pin in the dark.
Ditch the peep. Find a place with lots of fish and miss a bunch. Eventually you'll get the knack for it
Imo it's gonna depend where you go to some extreme. I fish small rivers n streams, the shots are close. I did straight stykbows got years n a close shot is fairly easy. I still use the recurve n shoot instinctive. Suits my areas. If lots of shots were a little further a compound might work better, but you almost need a bowfishing rig. Lots of guys are shooting rests not capable of heavy arrows bowfishing requires. Besides I hated shooting through a fish n into rocks popping heads off, logs n losing arrows. Wouldnt take long to perfect close shots instinctively
I have used a bowfishing laser sight. It works well.... when they work. I have been through four lasers. They just go bad from the shock of the bow I think. You can take deeper shots with laser in clear water. They teach you were to aim. I have used one all year. Took it off. It was like training wheels came off and I was shooting great without it. I think it just speeds up the learning curve some. You don't have to miss 100 times to understand refraction and how to compensate. I think after summer of using the laser sights we were up to about 50% of our shots connected with fish.
