Photo Courtesy of Jason Houser
Been tinkering with the idea of skewering some scales or looking for an exciting new way to extend your arrow-slinging ventures? Perfect, because getting into bowfishing is cheap and easy if you’re willing to do a little rummaging.
Remember, a bowfishing rig doesn’t need to be a 50- to 70-pound draw-weight model. It doesn’t have to be a manufacturer's flagship. Most (although not all) fish are soft, and a compound or recurve setup with a draw weight between 20 and 40 pounds will work well. You can shoot for hours on end and save your shoulder.
Start by hitting the local yard sale scene. Put in a day of picking, and it’s likely you’ll stumble across a few rigs that just need a little TLC. If you have a large family and are wanting to get multiple bows, you can’t beat a good yard sale. If you strike out there, give Craigslist and Facebook a go. If the dice still come up snake eyes, create a thread on BowfishingForum and see what you find.
Besides a bow, you’re also going to need a reel (bottle-style, drum or spinning), some line, a bowfishing arrow or two, and a few bowfishing points. You may be able to dig around and turn up some of these items secondhand, but I recommend a simple kit like the Yellow Jacket Bowfishing Kit ($150) from Cajun or the Hydro-Carbon Bowfishing Package ($70) from Fin-Finder.
For less than what you’d pay for an entry-level whitetail-ready compound, you can be stacking the scales and making exciting new bowfishing memories.
