Can Any Bow Be Used for Bowfishing?

Yes, almost any bow can be used for bowfishing once you add a reel, a bowfishing rest and fish arrows. Archery 360 puts it plainly: "Any bow can be adapted into a bowfishing bow by having the right rest, arrow, and reel." The bow itself barely changes, but it's worth checking draw weight, let-off and which bows your state allows.

Yes, with a reel, rest and fish arrows

Makers design bowfishing gear to bolt onto ordinary bows, using holes most hunting bows already have:

As Lancaster Archery Supply lists it, the AMS kit pairs the reel with an adjustable mounting spacer, 25 yards of 200 lb line, an EverGlide Safety Slide, a Zip arrow rest and a fish arrow. AMS also lists a Traditional Bow Bowfishing Mount.

What poundage for bowfishing?

Less than many bowhunters expect. The dedicated bowfishing bows we looked at sit in a moderate range: Muzzy lists its V2 at an adjustable 25 to 55 lb, and retailers list Cajun's Sucker Punch at a 50 lb peak. If your hunting bow is set heavier, you may be able to turn it down within its maker's range for a day on the water.

Bowfishing arrows are heavy, and you'll often draw many times in a session, so comfort matters more than speed. Treat broad poundage ranges you see online with care unless they're sourced. We found no draw-weight minimum on the Texas and Missouri bowfishing pages we read, though both states set rules on species and waters.

Let-off and snap shooting

Let-off is how much a compound's holding weight drops at full draw. Our compound vs recurve guide explains that high let-off lets a hunter hold at full draw while waiting for a deer to step out.

Bowfishing shots are different. The Missouri Department of Conservation says fish "can appear and disappear from anywhere in the water at any time," so many shots are snap shots: draw, anchor and release in one motion. Bowfishing bows reflect that. Muzzy lists its V2 at 70 per cent let-off with "glove-free finger guards pre-installed on the string," and retailers list the Sucker Punch at 60 per cent. AMS markets its Wave rest to "easily control your arrow during swing shooting."

A recurve or longbow has no let-off, which matters little on quick shots.

Converting a hunting bow and changing back

First, photograph or tape-mark your hunting rest and sight positions. Then:

• Take off the hunting rest and fit the bowfishing rest, set so the arrow sits level.
• Remove the sight if your bottle reel uses its mounting holes, or fit a reel seat in the stabilizer hole.
• Rig the line to a slide on every arrow, never to the tail. Our bowfishing reels guide explains AMS's safety-slide rules.

To change back, refit the hunting rest and sight at your marks, then shoot field points to confirm your sight marks and arrow flight well before the season.

You can browse bowfishing bow kits on Amazon or compare bowfishing arrow rests. The AMS Retriever Sport kit and Muzzy's Fish Hook rest are examples to consider. For a ready-made bow, see our Cajun Sucker Punch review.

Frequently asked questions

What poundage do you need for bowfishing?

There's no single figure. Dedicated bowfishing bows give a guide: Muzzy's V2 adjusts from 25 to 55 lb and Cajun's Sucker Punch peaks at 50 lb. Choose a weight you can draw quickly and repeatedly, and check your state's rules, since we found no bowfishing draw-weight minimum in Texas or Missouri.

Is a bowfishing bow different from a hunting bow?

Mostly in the accessories and settings. Archery 360 says any bow can be adapted with the right rest, arrow and reel. Dedicated bowfishing compounds such as Muzzy's V2 and Cajun's Sucker Punch use lower let-off of 60 to 70 per cent and suit finger shooting, which helps with quick snap shots.

Can you use a recurve for bowfishing?

Yes. Texas Parks and Wildlife lists longbows, recurves, compounds and crossbows as legal bowfishing equipment, and AMS lists a bowfishing mount for traditional bows. A recurve has no let-off, but bowfishing shots are usually quick, so that matters less than it would on a long hold.