Okay fellow TG members!
Looking for some advice. Instead of just adding a bow fishing reel with a strap on adaptor to one of my nice recurves or longbows, I am thinking of buying/building a bow "dedicated" to bow fishing.
Requirements:
- 50 lbs @ 28" (or higher)
- front stabilizer insert (for bow fishing reel) - or - quiver inserts for same
- set up with plunger hole for a bow fishing specific rest.
Would like to spend less than $ 300 for bow (have AMS Retriever Pro Reel already) not including rest, etc.
Any suggestions? :help:
Hoyt dorado riser and slap some ilf limbs on it after swaping out the limb bushings.
Bear Black Bear riser with Samick Sage Limbs... Under $150 and shoots pretty sweet too.
Cartel riser and Samick Sage limbs. Risers $40 and the Sage limbs run about $70.
bretto
I'd go with a Samick Sage. I do love my Dorado for bowfishing but it's a little over the $300 mark. My go to bowfishing rig is an old 80's Bear Hunter TD that I got off the classifieds here with 2 sets of limbs for like $125 or so...can't remember now. I shoot my rigs off the shelf. AMS reel is the way to go!
Look out for a warfed Black Bear riser and TT Black Max limbs. Meets all of your specs.
My fishing bow is a mid 70's Bear Grizzly with the dyed wood. Drilled it and installed inserts for the AMS reel. Doesn't need a fancy rest, just shoot it off the shelf. You should be able to find similar for well under your $300.
I just bought a PSE Kingfisher last year. Metal riser + camo dipped = the perfect thing for chunking around in the boat. Only costs about $130 new!
Put my Retriever reel and homemade arrow holder on it and it works great!
Bisch
Ive used a pse kingfisher for 3 years with an ams pro reel. the limb has since twisted and I will be using a sage this year. if you've never bowfished before don't spend much money on your bow. it will get dinged up,stepped on, covered in slime, dropped, thrown around in boat/bed of truck, and at some point becomes an anchor you have to swim down and retrieve. your not doing it right if most of the above doesn't happen haha
I use the same bow I shoot at everything else!!! Black widows kill fish dead!!!
I had the PSE Kingfisher and couldn't stand it! Sorry Bisch :bigsmyl: weighed like lead and vibrated terrible after the shot and mine came with twisted limbs, so I didnt have to wait 3 years to get that bonus :biglaugh:
I bought a wing slim line pro for $50, then put quiver inserts in myself. I definitely have less than $100 dollars into the bow. Shoot off of the shelf with beaverskin rest. Not sure if you could drill it for a plunger rest, so I guess that doesn't fit the bill. Look into the rig the Bisch got.
I use a Samick Journey, but the Cartel riser would be cheaper and more durable in water (especially salt) if the grip works for you.
Thanks, TG members! Have considered "building my own".
The Cartel riser with Samick limbs looks like a viable option.
The PSE kingfisher is quite a terrible bow.but works great for snap shooting fish! I plan to paint my sage for a little added water protection this year
Bob, I'd go with about 35#s. Ever sink an arrow in a submerged stump with 50# limbs? Not good. Not that I think you will miss any shots, but just saying :biglaugh:
Also as an added benefit, at that poundage even the wife can get in on the action. We shoot redfish with 35#s and you certainly don't need any more than 40#s
I use a bear Kodiak Magnum. It is great for bow fishing. you can find the form under $200 pretty easily. I am VERY pleased with mine!
awbowman X2 :readit:
I would go with an older Bear. I bought a K-Mag from the tradgang classifieds a couple years ago for 85.00. It was drilled and had inserts for my AMS. Very happy with it. Check the local Pawn Shops also.
To each their own....BUT, personally, I wouldn't own a PSE Kingfisher. The local sporting goods store had one on the rack last time I was in there. I was curious so I picked it up just to give it a look see. To me, it looked and felt horrible. For the money, I would DEFINITELY go with a Samick Sage...they are pretty nice bows which can also double as a hunting/target/backup bow.
I also wouldn't go with a bow less than 45#...my rig is 50# and I used to use 57#, which dang sure got the job done but it was a bit much on my shoulder for shooting all day long. Lighter weight is fine when the fish are right under neath you. But around here, those big carp and buffalo like to hang out about 20 yards from the bank in fairly deep water. I like to have a bow in my hand with enough umpf to sling those big fiberglass arrows that far and still penetrate the fish if I do my part. And I also think of it as good practice for larger game using a hunting weight bow all spring and summer on fish...builds those muscles up.
Just my opinions.
Edit: I meant to comment on the thing about 35#'s and bringing the wife along. My wife is my bowfishing partner...actually she pesters the hell out of me daily to go bowfishing...so she's also my motivator lol. She's about 105 soaking wet and shoots my 45# Hoyt Dorado. Granted, she only draws about 24.5-25 inches but still...if she shot a 35@28 bow with her draw length I don't know that the arrow could make it through the water to a fish, let alone penetrate to the barbs to GET the fish.
QuoteOriginally posted by awbowman:
Bob, I'd go with about 35#s. Ever sink an arrow in a submerged stump with 50# limbs? Not good. Not that I think you will miss any shots, but just saying :biglaugh:
Also as an added benefit, at that poundage even the wife can get in on the action. We shoot redfish with 35#s and you certainly don't need any more than 40#s
35#??!! All of our guys use 45-50#....ones that show up with a lightweight bow get frustrated quick due to poor penetration thru fish and the water. We smack rocks all night long in 8in of water as well as blow downs and stumps and never hardly have any issues with broken tips or anything. Throw a tough scaled gar a foot deep in the mix and you'll want more than 35# bow. Fiberglass arrows with big grapple points tied to a string are heavy. IMO 35# won't cut the mustard if your serious about bowfishing.
You should have seen the look on Irv's (of True South Adventures) face when I pulled out my bow fishing rigged Centaur Dark Matter T/D last year in Florida! Hey, it was my back-up hunting bow!!
Worked very well, but what if it had been pulled into the water??? :eek:
I think that i would have been diving with the gators and gar to retrieve it :) !
Leaning towards a Sage T/D (50# @ 28") with my AMS Retriever Pro reel attached and an AMS Tidal Wave rest!
Thanks for all the input! :thumbsup:
I picked up a used Browning Wasp a couple yrs ago for $100. Added a AMS PRO rig too it for $65 and it has worked great!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/bgeckle/DSCF2585_zps2b7b2e2b.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bgeckle/media/DSCF2585_zps2b7b2e2b.jpg.html)
I just use an old bear grizzly with an AMS on it 45#
(http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j30/sheepdogreno/Mobile%20Uploads/FB_IMG_1422586712908_zps3cade3c7.jpg) (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/sheepdogreno/media/Mobile%20Uploads/FB_IMG_1422586712908_zps3cade3c7.jpg.html)
(http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j30/sheepdogreno/Mobile%20Uploads/FB_IMG_1422586899639_zps1c3755a9.jpg) (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/sheepdogreno/media/Mobile%20Uploads/FB_IMG_1422586899639_zps1c3755a9.jpg.html)
(http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j30/sheepdogreno/Mobile%20Uploads/FB_IMG_1422586891479_zpscfc29934.jpg) (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/sheepdogreno/media/Mobile%20Uploads/FB_IMG_1422586891479_zpscfc29934.jpg.html)
These are some ransoms from past cpl years. Some of us like the PSE recurves and as you can see in background others like the PSE compounds for bowfishing. The PSE recurve is about as utilitarian as you can get!
(http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j30/sheepdogreno/Mobile%20Uploads/FB_IMG_1422586863359_zps654e6e5b.jpg) (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/sheepdogreno/media/Mobile%20Uploads/FB_IMG_1422586863359_zps654e6e5b.jpg.html)
I gave mine a camo rattle job after the factory camo had almost warn off.
QuoteOriginally posted by sheepdogreno:
The PSE kingfisher is quite a terrible bow.but works great for snap shooting fish! I plan to paint my sage for a little added water protection this year
Well, I would not even think to hunt with mine, but it works great for bowfishing.
Bisch
Bisch-i hear ya there! If the sage wasn't so cheap I'd feel terrible replacing the kingfisher and taking it on the river. I've killed a lot of fish with my kingfisher. Its kinda heartbreaking after 3 years it developed a bad limb twist...that bow and I have some slimy history
I have bowfished for over 40 years and I like dedicated bows for the occasion. Hot and heavy action on big fish and gators is brutal on our bows. While guiding bow fishermen, I have used every conceivable type of bow out there and we have come to this conclusion, go with a light weight (carry weight), short bow. The short bow is particularly important if you ever shoot from a boat with a shooting rail and when you are shoulder to shoulder in a boat. The draw back to a heavy bow becomes apparent after holding the bow for several hours.
If I had bow building skills, I think I would opt for a 50" bow that pulled 45 pounds at my draw. I would include both front and side bushings for both types of reels.