Greetings , all . My boy and i have wanted to get into Bowfishing for quite some time . Was just wondering what draw weight do I need to start , what's TOO MUCH , and what are other things , besides the obvious , that we may need ? Thanks a ton.
A compound really only needs to be about 30lbs to shoot most any fish in IL. Mine are set in the 28-35lb range. A compound that is somewhere from 25-50lbs will work fine. I've seen kids bowfishing bows at less than that still get fish, but you're going to lose some due to a lack of penetration with a sub 20lb bow. A recurve, ideally, should be at least 35lbs. but less will do too. It doesn't take a lot to shoot through fish, particularly in shallow water. You can bowfish with a very high poundage bow.. but you'll spend more time fighting to get your arrow back out of the mud and roots than anything. And in areas where there's lots of carp to shoot at, you'll wear yourself out in a hurry. Good polarized glass and a hat are a must for daytime bowfishing. Get at least two good bowfishing arrows. You don't need the fancy carbon shafts or tricky bowfishing heads but don't get the cheapest things either. I recommend a cajun piranha point on a standard white fiberglass shaft. Use safety slides. I also recommend a retriever reel over a spincast. Spincasts are good if you're shooting tons and want to have a fast retrieve but they don't last as long as a retriever and you'll lose more arrows with one because of the thinner diameter line. Unless you have ultimate patience, the drum reels will annoy you the first day out. Where in N. Illinois are you?
