Tips for Archery Fishing

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:

1. A fisherman must be duly licensed. Some states require that an individual have a state license to fish.

2. Equipment. Most states have a predetermined set of approved equipment for archery fishing.

3. 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.

4. Seasons. Bow fishing in some states can only be done in certain seasons. This is to allow the fish to spawn.

5. 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:

1. Still hunting. A fisherman selects a place by the lake in which he would wait for passing fish to shoot its bow at.

2. Stalking. This can be done on foot or while on a boat. One is in constant motion in an attempt to locate fish.

3. Ambush. Fish that are best ambushed are the ones that are spawning since they tend to crowd thus increasing chances of target.

BEST LURES TO USE IN FISHING

The evolution of fishing gear and accessories along with the development of the bass fishing industry brought about the development of various lures specifically used for different fish species.

There are many types or class of lures and they all depend on what type of fish works for them. Many only work for specific types but some cover a wide range of species of fish.

Below are some of the typical lures used for fishing.

Light Standard Casting Lures

For Standard casting lures, they are mostly able to attract a wide range of fish varieties from albacore, bluefish, bonita, oho and crappies. These lures are also excellent for certain species of bass fish and work best when retrieved from water at low to medium speed. They pass through water with undetectably synthetic material.

Their sizes are excellent for lightweight fish and a host of freshwater species. They range from 1/16 oz. to 3 oz.

The hand painted eye is enticing enough to allow schooling of fish. This feature allows for more chances of trapping one of the target fish in the water.

Heavy Standard Casting Lures

Heavy Standard Casting Lures are excellent for quite heavy fish specifically, walleye and bass. While the lightweight lures are used in most circumstances, it was shown that heavy counterparts provide more reliable fishing output.

Moreover, the heavy standard lures are able to catch fish than diamond and light standard casting lures.

Long Casting/Jigging Lures

Perhaps the most popular among the fishing lures are the long, tapered jigging lures. They are perhaps the most commonly used fishing lures among the fishermen in Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Just recently, it was found out that the long casting lures work best for catching trout and pike. They were also found to effectively catch stripers and bluefish. They can catch tuna and walleye in a breeze!

Unlike heavy standard lures, this gear won’t produce good fish-catch output up to 180-200 ft under water but be sure to effectively match your lure color, bait and related accessories to maximize performance.

Deadly Diamond Lures

These lures are one of the smallest with sizes ranging from 1/8 to 1oz. They can seamlessly attract attention among fish and could form a school of fish in a minute!

The reason is it lies on its structural surface formation and cut. The top handle is cut like a diamond and causes the reflection of light striking on its surface. The diamond lures are best for catching bass fish varieties, crappie and strippers although they work on a small range of fish species.