by Rick Bennett
My thirteen-year-old son Andrew’s recent interest in bow fishing has been an education and a joy to me. He asked for and received a bow fishing arrow and reel for his birthday last spring, and attached it to his compound bow that he uses to hunt deer. Soon afterward he had managed to shoot several fish, and now usually brings his bow when we go fishing. Unlike archery hunting for big game on land, where it is unusual to get more than one shot per weekend, bow fishing will often provide the archer with a dozen shots in less than an hour. It is very challenging and many shots result in a miss, but it is also very rewarding and one well-placed shot can provide an exciting, white water struggle with a fish that may not have been willing to bite a hook, but will end up in the cooler anyway. Young men are not usually known for their patience, and using a bow and arrow to hunt fish can be a welcomed relief from the sitting and waiting that traditional hook and line fishing sometimes requires. Another difference fishing with a bow is that you need to be able to see the fish, which usually means getting high enough above the water that you can look down at the fish. This is usually accomplished by standing in the front of a boat, or on a sea wall or dock. A cast net may be more effective than the arrow, but usually the reason that we fish is for the experience and the challenge and not only for the taking of the most fish possible. Besides, there are also many situations when the arrow can take fish that a cast net could not. A large sheepshead in deep water is usually fast enough that it will swim out from under a net that is thrown over it, but an arrow has the speed needed to reach that same fish before it can react. Archery teaches responsibility, it is a deadly weapon that must be treated with respect, the shooter must never lose sight of safety when making a shot. It is not uncommon to have to hold your fire because the shot that is offered by the fish, would require the archer to shoot in an unsafe direction. One drawback to bow fishing is the fact that catch and release is not usually a realistic option, so the shooter must be certain that the intended target is a legal fish both in species and size. Many saltwater gamefish may not be taken with a bow, and of the species that can be taken, minimum size requirements still apply. It is shameful to kill fish wastefully and it can be very expensive to keep undersized or illegally obtained fish. Bow fishing is a fun and exciting way that my family and I spend time together, give it a try and see what you think!