Spring is prime time for bowfishing because carp and many other rough fish move to warm shallow water to spawn.

You don’t need a lot of expensive gear to get into bowfishing, especially if you plan on wading instead of using a boat. The biggest difference between bowfishing and bowhunting for big game is a bowfishing arrow is much heavier and more durable, it has a special fish point, and it is attached to a bow (usually a bowfishing reel) with a strong line. 

The line is the most dangerous part of the bowfishing equation. If all goes according to plan, the shooter fires an arrow, and it flies a short distance toward the fish with the line trailing behind. The shooter then uses the line to pull the arrow — and hopefully an attached fish — back to shore or the boat.

As an arrow is released, trouble occurs if the bowfishing line gets tangled on other gear. Instead of the arrow heading downrange, it is quickly stopped and jerked back toward the shooter. Not good. 

In the video below, Robert Blackburn (above, center) details the day he lost his eye in bowfishing accident. He explains what went wrong, and how you can prevent the tragedy from happening to you. In short, it’s important to use a safety slide on the arrow instead of tying your line to the nock end of an arrow. (Click here to see a safety slide in action.) AMS Bowfishing, Cajun Bowfishing, Muzzy Bowfishing and other companies sell arrows with safety slides attached and also offer the slides separately.

Viewing tip: The video is 25 minutes long, and the first half shows some good bowfishing scenes; lots of fish and a couple big ones. You can fast-forward to the 12:10 mark to get right to the interview with Robert Blackburn. And yes, he takes out his fake eye and shows it off to the camera. It’s clear that Robert has rebounded well from his accident. 

Enjoy bowfishing this spring. Be safe — use a safety slide on your arrows!