Bowfishing fabrication

[BBwhoo]

I would like some more opinions and insight on setting up a bow for fishing? What kind of bow, line and accessories? I'd like to fabricate one for cheap to use durring the cobia run this spring.

I was thinking about buying a used cheap one and fabricating it with a reel or float line or both. Let me know if you have any knowledge or insight.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

[kendo]

I don't know much about going after Cobia but I'm fairly knowledgeable about bowfishing.

Check out this site for a great selection of bowfishing products and info.
http://www.backwaterbowfishing.com/

It's fairly cheap to get started since you don't need a super fancy bow setup. I got started with a little 45# recurve that was about $150 brand new. I have since upgraded the limbs to 55# and I am very satisfied with the setup. As far as reel and setup I would start off on the cheap side with a basic drum. You can find ones that screw into your bows stabilizer insert or ones that are strapped to the bow. You go go fancy with an AMS reel but they're a little pricey. In the long run they're great if you get real serious about bowfishing. As far as rigging I've heard of a few different ways. One used liter Pepsi bottles (must be the wide mouth bottles that are found on Pepsi products) filled with foam. They attached this to bow by way of a small stubby cylinder just wide enough for the Pepsi bottle to stick into. The fit needs to be plenty tight to keep the bottle from falling off all the time but not so tight that the line going taught rips the bow out of your hands. Then the line is wrapped around the bottle and attached. This way when you shoot a fish the line would uncoil off and then pull your little float off. This setup was used for rays.

I read about a much heavier setup for sharks that involved 920# test cable with a partially inflated inner tube attached. After shooting the shark the guys would still have to chase it down.

For you I would recommend something closer to the first method but with a bigger float to slow down the cobia. I'm sure a 10 lb ray isn't nearly as strong as a 40 lb cobia. Perhaps just using the drum reel and instead of the line tied to the bow or reel the loose end comes off the reel to a float. Also check to see what the bowfishermen use that go after big alligator gar.

Another thought is if the fish aren't too large is to keep the line attached to the bow. The largest fish I've ever landed was a 56 lb paddlefish. He put up a little bit of a fight but not too much with that arrow through him. I just made sure that I didn't put too much pressure on the line and played him like I would if I was H&L fishing.

Let me know what you do and how it works out. Hope all this helps.

Ken

[Ruger]

IMO...I'd start with a decent used compound that is set-up to shoot "fingers" with a tab. Get poundage that you are comfortable with because I assume you won't be at the range every weekend developing your pulling muscles. The accuracy will be better with that set-up.

The most important thing is...does the bow fit you. Go to a local archery shop and have them fit you for pull length and get some advice on poundage. Then by a used bow.

ditto with Kendo on AMS.....if you put together a DIY contraption and lunch an arrow from it.....you may have a pile of hung up string and/or hardware snapping back at you....the AMS set-up is great.

Think of what can go wrong with a speargun equipment failure or mis-use...similar risks with archery.

[BBwhoo]

I actually bought a used PSE Kingfisher off of Craigslist (only $50). I have brought it on the boat a few times and without having a good place to strap the bow and keep out of the way with the bowstring in ready postion, I have not had time to shoot at the cobia that have came to the boat. I am still hoping to get my chance. I have taken some practice shots at floating trash and whatnot and I see how lucky I will have to be it hit a moving fish, it'll be super-duper lucky to land a kill shot.

I'm still going to keep trying and I'll probably bring it out flounder gigging when that time of year comes, it'll probably be a lot easier to hit a staionary fish :D