Also known as Bow fishing, this is a sport wherein a fisherman uses archery equipment to fish.
A regular hunting bow can be used for fishing by simply attaching a reel to the front of the bow grip.
Archery fishing is especially favored by regular hunters when regular game like deer are off season. This way they can continuously hone their skills for whatever season it may be.
Before engaging in archery fishing, one must first take into consideration the following:
- A fisherman must be duly licensed. Some states require that an individual have a state license to fish.
- Equipment. Most states have a predetermined set of approved equipment for archery fishing.
- Archery Safety Course. Still, some states require that an individual go through an approved safety course for archery fishing to ensure that the individual is well versed with the proper safety precautions and information regarding applicable laws in fishing.
- Seasons. Bow fishing in some states can only be done in certain seasons. This is to allow the fish to spawn.
- Species of fish. Some states have rules forbidding archery fishing for some species of fish.
The following skills are necessary for an individual to obtain and practice:
Knot tying. Though it may seem like a simple task, tying knots that will not slip (line for the arrow) are crucial in bow fishing.
Tuning. Tuning is making sure that the bow is at its best working condition. To ensure this, one has to continuously adjust the rest and calibrate the nock.
For a faster tuning process, one may shoot a regular bow-fishing arrow (without the tip) onto a target made of cardboard.
Marksmanship or targeting. Bow fishing and bow hunting, though similar on some aspects, really do differ on many things. Arrows for bow fishing are heavier, have larger arrow tips and, the most obvious one, has a string attached to the arrow.
And since fish are shot in the water, resistance differs as when compared to shooting in the air (for bow hunting of games)
There are various methods or ways of archery fishing. This includes the following:
- Still hunting. A fisherman selects a place by the lake in which he would wait for passing fish to shoot its bow at.
- Stalking. This can be done on foot or while on a boat. One is in constant motion in an attempt to locate fish.
- Ambush. Fish that are best ambushed are the ones that are spawning since they tend to crowd thus increasing chances of target.