I've been wanting to get into bowfishing for a long time but never really committed! I am starting now! I can't wait! I have to pick up the ams kit and put it on my old Martin jaguar! Any tips on practicing tuning actually fishing etc. any help or pointers would be great! I can't wait to get out there and slay some carp!
Tuning is super important!! If you dont get dart straight arrow flight you will have accuracy problems and your arrows will pull out from poor penetration. Tune the bow until all you can see is nock flying away from you. I made this mistake my first year and i now supertune every one of my bows every time i make a change to it. Practicing, shoot at bottles in the yard, this will get you used to where your bow shoots and will make you accurate left and right. That will take one variable away when you start shooting at submerged targets. Honestly, the best practice is to get out there and stick some real fish!
Oh and be prepared to spend money $$$$!!!!! you will get a reel, then you will want a nicer bow, then you will want a quicker reel, then you will want a jon boat, then you will want a raised deck, then lights.... You get the idea. Its super addicting!
I haven't even started yet Nick my bow is coming tomorrow and I already want a coat with shooting deck! Sent from my iPhone 5S using Tapatalk
What reel would you recommend? I hear a lot about the AMS pro kit. I think I might go with that but I've done some research and it says that reel isn't made to reel in the fish it's made to have the fish be reeled my hand with the bow set down. When I first started getting into bow fishing I thought the fight of the fish would be one of the funnest parts. What do you think is the best reel? Is the AMS worth getting even though you can't fight the fish?
Correct, you cant fight fish with an AMS, usually requires setting the bow down and hand lining the fish in. Your other option would be a spincast reel like the Muzzy XD. This is my reel of choice because they are much faster than an AMS and you can fight fish since it is a reel with a drag system. I use a rod extension which helps take stress off the reel, improves arrow flight, and aids in leverage when hauling in a fish. They do take a while to get used to though, the AMS is a more simple way to start, bolt it on your bow and go fishing.
It has no actual drag system. The pressure you apply to the trigger is what causes the roller to press the string allowing you to reel it. Guessing for small fish and dead ones you probably could but it isn't designed for that purpose Sent from my iPhone 5S using Tapatalk
The upside of the AMS is that it's pretty much bullet proof. An AMS will last longer than a half dozen spincasts. You'll also go through less arrows. Forget to push the button on the spincast and you'll usually be kissing that arrow goodbye. Fighting a fish by hand lining it is just as fun as trying to reel it in. (because reeling in a big fish with a reel on a bow is kind of a PITA and you run a higher risk of loosing the fish) I have a line guide on my AMS which allows me to reel in smaller (8lbs or less) fish... but it's easier and faster to just hand line them in. If you're shooting big carp/buffs/gar.. you'll also get less cut up with the heavier line on the AMS. If you use a spincast, you'll want a line puller and/or gloves. Cajun Archery has come out with a hybrid spincast/bottle reel. I haven't tried one yet... so I'm holding off on recommending them until they have more time out on the water to prove themselves.
I tried to find a picture of the line guide but this the best I could do without going outside and getting my bow out of the truck. Yes, I'm that lazy. If you do get the AMS reel, don't get the big game slotted model. Those are for gators and sharks where you want the line to completely spool out and off the bow. If you get a spincast, I recommend the Muzzy over the others.... but some folks swear by the zebco 808 or Shakespeares. Also, to buy gear.. go with a bowfishing supplier like Bowfishing Extreme or Backwater Bowfishing. (or buy from bowhunting.com... I hear those guys aren't too bad. ) The line guide is just a piece of aluminum that is bolted to the reel using the holes that are already there. You will need longer bolts tho'. The line guide really helps, I put them on all my AMS reels.
Not really, the fighting capability is only as good as the frictional force of the line between the rubber rollers... Which isnt much. If you brain or spine shoot a fish you can reel in the dead weight, but fighting fish will require setting your bow down and hand lining it in. I dont want to have to set my $1000 oneida painted all black on dark carpet at night with 3 other guys on the deck stepping on it, getting tangled in loops of line, etc. been there done that our first year. My dad and i both shoot spinners now so that makes things quicker and less of a mess
Besides the line guide you cannot beef the fighting capabilities of the AMS. It has no drag like a spincast. But that's why it's tougher and you'll lose less arrows. Most guys who shoot tournaments, shoot spincasts. Because they are faster, particularly on misses. On hit big fish, I've found the AMS is actually faster. I can handline in a fish and be ready to shoot again faster than most guys with a spincast. But the real speed trick in numbers tournaments is getting your fish off the arrow. I've know guys who have it down to an art form. Lol Anyhow.. we keep both spincasts and bottle reels on the boat. But I will always recommend the bottles over the spincasts to new bowfishers. Here's some better pics of the line guide. This is on my Oneida Osprey. The other bow is a TNT Revolution. I'm a lefty so this may look backwards. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
You can squeeze the rubber roller as hard as you want. From zero contact to full stop. I've reeled in many a live fish. (But reeling in a fish with the ams is slow) Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
So have I. I used a retriever for 2 years before i made the switch. i keep a bottle as a last resort, but i have yet to have a Muzzy fail me. Most of my fast shooting is on the Desplaines river shooting buffs commons and gar under 50W LEDs so im hauling them in as fast as i can to shoot the next one. on the Illinois river i prefer the spinner for shooting the plentiful supply of grass carp out there, i can keep more line on my reel for long daytime shots and they are hard fighters so thats always fun. Do you shoot the Innerloc State championship?
