- Jun 16, 2021
- 122
Anyone bowfishing in the Potomac for Snakehead? I have been wanting to get into this sport for a few years, ready to get going and looking for advice.
Bowfishing for Snakehead
- Thread starter Speedfreak
- Start date
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First you'll need a boat with about a billion candlepower in lights. Lots of beer. And some chick on the front that does the shooting. In a bikini.
Or at least that's how I see it done on youtube.
Or at least that's how I see it done on youtube.
Ugh. The two bowfishing threads got me going. Ordered two Fin Finder F-31's that will get lasers and spincast reels, and I don't even have a (decent) boat.
Like I needed another (related) hobby...
Like I needed another (related) hobby...
- Jun 16, 2021
- 122
Lasers???? Are you being sarcastic?
No- saw some vids of people doing it this way. Laser hits the water and also shows light refraction up to the point that the beam is attenuated by the water column. Should make it a lot easier for any newbie with me or for my wife or kids.
The whole bow fishing thing sure is a lot different than when I used to shoot carp out of a canoe in the late 80's with my old whitetail II.
- Jun 16, 2021
- 122
So with a laser, you don't need to compensate for the water's refraction? If so, cheating a little but I'm good with that.
If I see what goes out at night from the boat ramp, you dont need anything 'decent'.
A used Jon-boat, a LED lightbar and a couple of car batteries and you are in business.
Sharks with friggin’ laser beams….
I think it depends, and this is not speaking form experience. The beam penetrating the water will refract the same as the image your eye sees of the fish in the water, but the beam probably won't go all the way to the fish (unless its close to the point the beam enters the water). Nonetheless, it definitely gives an indication of the refraction.
This guys vid shows a bit..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL81J98hDYQ
Even if it does penetrate much, it looks a heck of a lot easier than trying to use a single pin or redevelop natural shooting - especially if someone comes along that's never shot much.
Instinctive shooting is incredibly easy...especially at that distance. It's a lot easier than trying to close one eye and pick up the target and the pin in the dark. A laser would be even easier, that is true. But even a noob and get proficient at two-eye instinctive shooting with minimum practice.
I bowfish just about every weekend. Ive got a 2272 sea ark rigged for shooting fish. As with anything, you can spend as much as you wanna spend. Im in it pretty deep with bows and gear. You dont need anything special to get started. I hate the lasers, and I cant say that any of the guys that I know that fish a lot use them. Most of us shoot instinctive, but its not easy by any means. Theres more that goes into it that just shooting. I hit the very first fish i ever shot at. Then shot another thousand times before I hit anything else. Be warned....Its very addictive! lots of long nites and lack of motivation during the days. Theres nites i put the boat in the water around 12 or so, get back to the truck at 5 am to be at work at 6. But with a couple of friends, its a absolute blast.
- Dec 27, 2012
- 30,178
That's a nice rig!
+1!! Post some pics!!
I love seaarks - been looking for a 22 or 24 for years that is side console, yamaha powered and a fair price. Hen's teeth!
Did you buy it new from Ducky's?
I love seaarks - been looking for a 22 or 24 for years that is side console, yamaha powered and a fair price. Hen's teeth!
Did you buy it new from Ducky's?
Thanks! Im super happy with it. a buddy of mine built it and decided he wanted to sell it because he said its the reason his ol lady left him..... his loss was my gain! Its a 05 boat with a homemade aluminum center console and a 2018 suzuki 115. Will run about 40 with 4 people and gear on slick water. Its my everything boat. I bowfish, troll,crab and pull the boy around on the tube with it. 4th of july we threw 2 beanbags on the deck and watched fireworks. I cant have a real nice boat with the activities I do. With the blood n guts that are in this thing after a night of shooting fish or rays, a nice boat would be a complete waste of money. I will get a couple pics tonight.
Sounds like I've been lusting after one for the same reason you like yours. I need something utilitarian.
I live right on the bay, but I have no desire to be out on the water in the heat of summer in the hot sun (note screen name). I want something I can run in the winter and run up into creeks/sloughs that we have around here. I'd also built a lightweight, removable pilot house on it so that I can be out in nasty, cold weather. So outboard and big are a requirement. They are nice boats but pricey, but I guess you get what you pay for. I've been eyeing two 24 footers with suzuki's, but they are far from me and just a shade more than i want to pony up. I will probably regret not jumping because the bigger sea-arks are hard to find.
I live right on the bay, but I have no desire to be out on the water in the heat of summer in the hot sun (note screen name). I want something I can run in the winter and run up into creeks/sloughs that we have around here. I'd also built a lightweight, removable pilot house on it so that I can be out in nasty, cold weather. So outboard and big are a requirement. They are nice boats but pricey, but I guess you get what you pay for. I've been eyeing two 24 footers with suzuki's, but they are far from me and just a shade more than i want to pony up. I will probably regret not jumping because the bigger sea-arks are hard to find.
Awesome Boat!! Do I see two 3000W generators?
I want one.
I want one.
I have been on a two SeaArks. One built as a rescue vessel, the other set up for bow-fishing. A few observations:
- its a big JonBoat, big but still a JonBoat.
- The visibility over the bow from the aft control station is poor, particularly with a bowfishing platform. If you have what we call '****ing cayakers' in your body of water, you almost need a lookout on the bow
- If its just you at the aft control console and you dont have a bow-fishing platform, the bow really rides up and no amount of trimming will bring it back down. If you hit waves or wind, it'lll go all kinds of places, not necessarily where you thought you pointed it (if I had a hand in designing one, I would move the center console a bit further forward and build the platform in a way that I can maintain some forward visibility through it, e.g. by using low profile LED lights mounted above the platform rather than the big flat lights below it).
But to get in and out of skinny water, tidal creeks, sloughs etc. they are really great. Good idea about a removable pilot-house, you dont want a box around yourself in 90F/90% weather.
Thanks. Yea, I run 2 predator 3500s. Each one runs 3 lights ( 400w hps) and the converters for the troller also get plugged into one. I can run the troller on 10 all nite if need be and never lose any power. And the generators idle all nite so you hardly know they are running. The original aluminum rear seat got turned into the platform to stand on while driving so you can see over the bow pretty good. It comes up on plane quick too. but will float in 8 inches of water with 3 people in it.
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