Bowfishing
Bowfishing gear has its own rules: heavy solid arrows, a line tied to every shot, and a reel bolted where your stabilizer would go. This shelf carries complete kits from PSE and Muzzy, reels from Muzzy and AMS, fiberglass arrows, points, rests and finger protection. New shooters should start with a kit. Everyone else can build piece by piece.
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archery equipment · hunting arrows · arrow rests · boating gear · dry bags · spotlights · headlamps · hunting sunglasses
Start with a bowfishing kit or build your own
A kit takes the matching out of it. The PSE Kingfisher and D3 Cajun kits and the Muzzy V2 Spin and Bottle kits bundle the core pieces so they are built to work together. Check each product page for exactly what is in the box. The Muzzy V2 bow is also sold on its own if you want to choose the reel yourself.
Building your own makes sense once you know what you like. Most shooters swap the reel first, then the rest, then settle on an arrow and point combination for their water.
Bowfishing reels: bottle, spin and hand-wrap
Three reel styles cover nearly everything on the water. Bottle reels store line in a container and let it pay out with very little drag, so you retrieve by hand or crank. Spincast-style reels feel familiar to anyone who has fished a push-button rod and are quick to wind back in. Hand-wrap drum reels are the simplest and cheapest, with no moving parts to fail.
On this shelf, Muzzy offers the XD Pro and an anchor reel, AMS has the Retriever and Retriever Pro, and the Muzzy V2 kits come in spin and bottle versions. Replacement parts, strings and arrow slides from AMS and TruGlo keep a rig in service.
Bowfishing arrows, points and wear parts
Bowfishing arrows are heavy for a reason. Water slows a light shaft fast, so most are solid fiberglass, like the AMS fiberglass shafts and the TruGlo and AMS Everglide 5/16" arrows here. Points get bent on rocks and stumps, so keep spares. TruGlo points and AMS replacement parts are on the shelf. Do not grab a hunting arrow from the hunting arrows shelf for this; they are too light and will not hold a line.
Rests take abuse too. Bowfishing rests from Muzzy, AMS and TruGlo Bowfishing are cross-listed with our arrow rests, and finger tabs and guards save your fingers on a bow you shoot without a release.
Night trips and boat days
Much of the action happens after dark, on a boat. Plenty of light is the difference between a shot and a guess, so bring high-lumen spotlights for the bow deck and headlamps for re-rigging. Glare off the water is the daytime problem, which is where hunting sunglasses earn a spot. Keep phones and keys in dry bags. Before you go, check your state wildlife agency for which species are legal to bowfish and when.
Bring shooting glasses for eye protection around snapping line and points, rainwear for spray and storms, and a couple of coolers if you plan to keep what you shoot. Fish slime and river water are hard on gear, so rinse reels and rests after every trip.
Bowfishing FAQs
Can I use my hunting bow for bowfishing?
Many people do, by adding a bowfishing reel, rest and arrows. Lower draw weights are common since most shots are close, so check your bow's mounting options first.
What reel is best for beginners?
Spincast-style and bottle reels are the easiest to learn. Hand-wrap drum reels cost less but take longer to retrieve.
Do bowfishing arrows need a special point?
Yes. Bowfishing points have barbs or reversible tips that hold the fish and come back out. Keep a few spares, since points bend on rocks.