I picked up a bow, today. One of my landowners had a PSE Kudu.....and wanted to sell it. She bought it and never shot it (or, very little). It has inserts, where a quiver would go. It has a riser insert (where a stabilizer would go). 58".....50#.... I need to know everything I need to get it fish-ready. Do you guys have back-up arrows? Points? Anything else???? Thanks
Stay away from the wind up spool reels, been there done that they suck :D I have never tried the spin cast kind but bought the AMS retriever last summer and IMO its the only way to go. They are so smooth after the shot the line just keeps comming out, and you have to grab the brake trigger. I have had noda trouble with this reel, and it mounts where your quiver/ sights go. I have the AMS pro that has a built in quiver for 1 arrow. I have 1 back arrow and have never had to use it yet. I learned the hard way on points. I arrowed three different BIG grass carp last summer and all three pulled off I had the barb point, it rips a hole on entrance so there is room for pull off on bigger fish. I went to a grapple style point from advise hare and love it. Its kinda like a mechanical as it is folded when shot, and opens up grapple style when pulling back. Im using a recurve with my set up 45# and am having a blast
I only recommend the AMS retriever. If you are set on a spincast reel, I would suggest a Muzzy spooled with either 200# fast flight or 250# Power Pro line. As far as tips, for most fishing the muzzy carp point, Innerloc pro point or the Cajun piranha. Innerloc makes a 2 or 3 barb grapple point that hold really well in softer fleshed fish like grassies, buffs or bigheads. Always have a spare arrow. If you don't, you will lose an arrow when the fishing is awesome.
So....which arrow? Thanks for the advice, so far. I'll pick up an AMS, soon. I suppose the 310 model is OK? I don't see me shooting at anything really big. Also...what's a safety slide? Do I need it? Will the flipper rest work OK? Do people shoot off the shelf? The flipper doesn't seem very durable.
I'm gonna be the odd ball and vote against the AMS retriever. The one I had was junk and turned me against them and onto the Zebco 808, which I like okay. My AMS reel bottle kept falling off while trying to fish and you can imagine all the line that would get tangled. I didn't like having to hold the trigger either. I haven't had any problems with my Zebco 808 and I feel it reels in the line a lot faster than the AMS because you WILL miss occasionally...LOL. :D I do hear a lot of ppl rave about the AMS reels though....maybe I just had a fluke. Yes, you should use a slide. It keeps the line at the front of your arrow so it can't get wrapped around any bow accessories during a shot. Prevents a snap back from occurring which could bring the arrow coming back your way. Here's a link to the arrow I use. I love it...no problems. Once you hit a fish, just unscrew the tip enough to turn the barbs the other way, and give the arrow a jerk and the fish come right off...never have to touch them. http://www.backwaterbowfishing.com/onlinestore/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=4
I agree with everything Donnie said. Another advantage to the 808 is that you can set the drag which helps if your shooting big fish. If you do end up going with the 808 I would change the line immediately. Even if you buy the bowfishing edition (which come with 80lbs line). Switch over to this: http://www.backwaterbowfishing.com/onlinestore/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=20
You may want to rethink that statement. They shoot stingrays with bows off the East Coast. Looks like a lot of fun!! :D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu9QbcPZCt4
Don't get a slotted retriever unless you're actually going to use the float. The slotted ones suck for regular bowfishing. The AMS will outlast a spincast by several years. Finch must have had a defective retriever or the screws were loose. They're pretty much bullet proof. I do recommend getting the heavier diameter line. Always use slides. Shoot from the shelf or get a dedicated bowfishing rest. Most bowfishing arrows weigh at least 1500 grains and won't work with regular rests (or they will quickly destroy them).
Finch, I don't know about "fluke" or not. I have never been able to get the hang of the retriever. That being said, I always point people towards the AMS first because I believe they are easier to start out. Always use a safety slide with an AMS retriever setup. If you use slides with a spincast, you should use a rod extension. If you don't, the slide allows you to draw without having the pickup pins dropped. This will cause bad things to happen to your spincast reel. (Trust me. I learned the hard/expensive way) I would suggest the rod extension made by F&D Archery (pictured). I would also suggest the Muzzy reel over the Zebco. I tried two Zebcos and both of them turned to mush on the inside.
I've used both styles of reels. I'm now using a Retriever and don't think I'll change anytime soon. I couldn't ever find a spincast that would last for more than a season. What I liked about the spincast was the ability to get your arrow back quickly. When the carp and buffalo are up in large numbers it's nice to be able to retrieve missed shots quickly...of course you're probably a much better shot I am! The retriever just doesn't get your arrow back to you as quickly as a spincast. That's what took me so long to get used to it. Anymore I tend to leave the schools of smaller fish alone and hunt for the big ones, so the ability to get your arrow back a.s.a.p. isn't such a priority. The retriever's I have used have been very durable, I've still got my original one on my bow. I also think the retriever's are more accurate on longer shots, the line seems to flow more freely than with a spincast. I wouldn't think of bowfishing without using a safety slide!!! I also have a handful of arrows with me at all times, but I do tend to be unluckier than most. As for points, I think the ones that have already been mentioned here are great. I really like the Innerloc grapple points.
I've used both and to me there is no comparison...even with a heavily modified 888 reel, It still doesn't stack up to the simplicity of a retriever. You DON'T have to worrry about clicking a button all the time, IMO it is MUCH easier to fight big fish with over a reel (big to me being 40-50 lb Bigheads), and it really does seem to last longer....I own 3 of each, and my AMSs are used 10x more than the reels. Especially when I'm constantly taking out new guys for their first trips. Only time I ever crack out the reel now is for high volume shooting like creek gar and frog gigging and such....Much quicker reel in time and since they are geared there is alot less cranking...
I'm a spincast man myself. If you set your drag really low you wont have a problem losing your arrow if you forget to press the button!! I cant get used to using the retriever. its to slow and I feel like i'm more accurate shooting the spincast!
