Bowfishing learning curve!!

[davet]

A buddy of mine has a pond.....maybe half to 3/4 acre and it's always mud color. I've fished it for the carp and you can always see the carp stirring up the muck when they are feeding. These same carp feed a lot along the shoreline looking for algae and would appear to be a pretty easy shot with a bow.

So, I send away for a bow fishing arrow, and some 200-lb test braided line. I also "fabbed up" an aluminum arrow to use as well. I mounted an open face real onto my compound bow to hold the line.

So, me and a buddy went to the pond with the intent of nailing "carp galore".

The first shot I forget to open the bail of the reel.....arrow flies out....breaks the line....the arrow miss's the carp and sinks well into the muck never to be seen again. (Whomp, Whomp) Then ......I had to resort to my home made aluminum arrow. (Not the finest choice)
The second shot was a flat out miss....and my arm got whacked by the string. Nice.
The third shot.....clean miss.
The forth attempt the arrow knock kept falling out of the string. Finally figured out the safety slide on the arrow was not all the way to the top. Carp was practically giving me the on fin salute it took me so long to figure it out. Carp swam away with no shot.
The fifth shot I (AGAIN) forgot to open the bail......but I had a good ten feet of line already hanging out of the reel. Unfortunately the carp was eleven feet away.
The sixth shot....I opened the bail....had line out.....but the line apparently was weakened from the previous stupidity of me having ten feet out with a closed bail. So, the line broke right outta the shoot.....carp got away unscathed.

So, now I sit with an open face reel and bow fishing line attached to my compound bow......but no arrows to shoot. And not a carp to show for any of this.

Oh my!!

[timberdoodle]

you have all them beautiful flies ...why screw around with a bow?

[dennyf]

Several of my buds and I used to bass fish on the Susquehanna (north of the TP bridge) from a kinda pontoon boat we built. Six guys, the boat hardly drew any water, so was great for the summer low water levels.

When it got dark, rods were stowed by the motor, double mantle Colemans w/reflectors came out on the front end and we shot carp with a bow. Motor upriver, let the boat glide into the grass patches where the carp hung out, steering the boat with long poles. Water was usually fairly clear. First thing ya figured out, the carp ain't exactly where they seem to be. Think the proper word is "refraction"?

IIRC, you had to shoot ahead of where the carp seemed to be, or the arrow hit behind the carp? Been over 40 years since we did that, forget? Maybe it was t'other way around? One night a bud's brother nailed the biggest snapping turtle I'd ever seen. Sumbeech pulled us all over the river, before his brother cut the line.

[davet]

Jun 4, 2021 20:12:49 GMT -5 timberdoodle said:

you have all them beautiful flies ...why screw around with a bow?

I tied up a few files specifically for carp. Had zero luck when I fished 'em. Trout files and carp flies are two different things. Carp usually won't take a trout fly....as trout flies are tied to imitate the "bugs" that live in the stream. This pond water is so murky that aquatic insects can't live in it. The Carp's primary food source is the algae that grows on branches that have fallen into the pond, and algae that floats across the top of the pond.

[ridgecommander]

Its a big learning curve but loads of fun once you figure it out. When you think you are aiming low enough, aim lower.

[Loggy]

Ventured into the "wonderful" Bowfishing Sport early in my archery years. I used a Shakespeare open faced bow mounted spool(no reel very simple) & what seemed to be a 10lb solid fiberglass arrow equipped with removable barbed point. Had spool mounted to a recurve bow. After much frustration(as you experienced ) I did manage to hit a few carp. Once achieving a few hits(success i think ) I got the urge for continuance of sport out of my crazy head and moved on to other "fun" things life offers.  It is something that any archer certainly gotta try though!!

[timberdoodle]

Jun 5, 2021 6:50:56 GMT -5 ridgecommander said:

Its a big learning curve but loads of fun once you figure it out. When you think you are aiming low enough, aim lower.

Just like the news media!

[davet]

To hot for me today.....and I'm on the fatigued side for any outdoor activity. So, I retired to my A\C work space and I kept giving thought to the bow that I was using to launch the projectile.

The bow is a PSE 40-70-LB. I have it set on 40-lbs so I can pull it back. However, when released the arrow jaunt's outta that bow (like most compounds) like nobody's business. And of course, that's when......if I didn't do it right.....the braided line snaps like a twig and all is lost.

So, I have two recurve bows (same make) and one is a #25, and the other a #45. I'm thinking these recurves won't "nuclear launch" an arrow like the compound bow will.

So....as I await my new bow fishing arrows (yes.....I bought two this time) I set up (idea on youtube) my recurve #25 first. When the arrows come I'll practice launching 'em and see how far they penetrate styrofoam. I may have to go to the #45, but I'll see how it goes.

Anyway, the first pic is my compound bow setup, and the second is my recurve bow setup. As you can see......on the recurve it's nothing but quality!!  I taped on a plastic piece that act's like a tab to hold the initial part of the line so it doesn't unravel like crazy. Yet, when launched, the string will zip right outta the tab.  And hey......those "mounting pieces" for that line holder......you just can't get that anywhere!!

[Loggy]

Things sure advanced over the years.  Mine was similar to the below except I had spool mounted on a recurve. No reel etc so had to "hand over hand" to retrieve. Probably don't make this type anymore.  Not much to go wrong outside of the shooter couldn't hit sh!t!!

[davet]

Jun 5, 2021 14:15:17 GMT -5 Loggy said:

Things sure advanced over the years.  Mine was similar to the below except I had spool mounted on a recurve. No reel etc so had to "hand over hand" to retrieve. Probably don't make this type anymore.  Not much to go wrong outside of the shooter couldn't hit sh!t!!

Loggy.....they still make those types of "Line Holders". Simple but effective. And yes.......I will vouch for the can't hit ......um things.

[davet]

I ordered two new bow fishing arrows. Notice I ordered 2. Why 2? Because losing just one is not near painful enough!!!

[fleroo]

Soooo. Is bow fishing the the result of archers having too much time on their hands, or fishermen having too much time on their hands ?

[davet]

Jun 8, 2021 8:28:27 GMT -5 fleroo said:

Soooo. Is bow fishing the the result of archers having too much time on their hands, or fishermen having too much time on their hands ?

The answer is YES

[davet]

I received my new bow fishing arrows and decided to "test" their flight, and adjust my bow sights for short range aiming.

Now, I tried shooting these bow fishing arrows from my conventional recurve bows. I have two, one at #25 and the other #45. I tried the first at 25-lb bow and after a small adjustment, the bow fishing arrow hit at close to aim point. (Minuet of Fish)

Then I moved to shoot the arrow from my 45 lb bow. The first shot hit the target and the arrow was so "sideways" it deflected off the target!! A few more attempts and the arrow stuck in the target.....but at a steep sideways angle. Penetration was minimal.

So, I googled the "Why is my arrow sideways" and determined the arrow is to heavy for the bow. These bow fishing arrows are heavy. A heavy tip.....I'm guessing 250+gr., and an extra sleeve that contained the wire "no back-out" devices. Plus the heavy fiberglass arrow itself. The initial push on the arrow from the #45 is likely "bowing" the arrow from the start, and there isn't enough flight time to straighten out. However, the #25 bow doesn't give as much initial "push" to bow the arrow enough to fly sideways.

In any event, I'm going to try whacking the carp with the #25 bow. I think, based on the target penetration, the #25 has enough "juice" to pierce a carp.

I'll let ya know!!

[davet]

Welp, I went out today to whack some carp. When I got to the pond, it was not the usual behavior of carp all around the edge's of the pond rooting for food. There is an old wooden dock that today, had a small school of maybe 20 carp....all slurping for the same algae.

So, I first tried the recurve bow and apparently it doesn't have enough juice to make an impact. All I did was scatter the "herd". So, I switched to my compound and made a slow walk around the pond. I saw a few carp.....but they were not right up to the banks as has been their behavior in the past. The scant few I saw were a good 20-30 feet out and were spooky as heck.

So, I went back to the start point to find about half the original school was back. This time I used the compound and BAM!!! Success!! Head shot....not much fight in dragging it in.

Well....after that shot the remaining carp stayed under the dock and did not present a shot. Maybe those carp are smarter than I give them credit.

I made one more slow walk around the pond and saw no targets of opportunity. Maybe the time of day? But I've been there before at around 8:00am and had 'em rooting all around the pond. Maybe the storms that came through "washed out" the regular stuff they ate around the shore?

I dunno.....but these fish are interesting.

[timberdoodle]

apparently a grass carp

Congratulations sir

[buzz]

Sounds like a fun day !

[ridgecommander]

Carp wise up pretty quick after getting shot at. In my usual haunts, I can get a couple of good shots before having to move on to the next bend in the creek.

[davet]

My experience is similar to Ridge's.

Today I decided to give it another try. I found a school of about a dozen or more and figured I'll just aim right in the center. So I did and WHACK in the water.....I had carp leaping completely out of the water!!!.....I didn't hit one!!

About 30 minutes later a few came back and with a careful aim at one that was sideways I nailed him just behind the dorsal fin.

But my walk around the pond showed me no carp. Prior to my attempted stabbing with a stick, I had carp every 20 feet "mucking up" the shoreline. Not today either. The carp, other than the group that was by the dock, were out in the middle of the pond. They were doing their usual slurping for algae .....but that range was just a bit too far for what I figured I could get a connection. I'm guessing I need to see if my compound will accurately hit at 30-40 yards. I'm thinking not so much as these carp stabber arrows don't have fletchings. I guess I could put fletchings on.....but I dunno how that would effect their flight.

Anyway.....I stabbed another one today!!

[davet]

Well, I think I've given the carp a "complete education". I went to the pond today with my bow, and in addition, with some new "carp" flies that are suppose to imitate algae.

Not one carp even rose to the top. Now, it could be because the pond isn't all that deep and the water temps are to the point where even the carp can't take moving much. I didn't (and should have) taken the water temp to see what it was.

I tried both algae fly patterns I tied up to no avail. It was so freaking hot, even when I sat under my chair with umbrella I didn't last long. Out there maybe 1.5 hours and called it a day!!