Essential Tips and Tricks for Bow Fishing

This fast-growing sport is fast and exciting, can be done anywhere in the state, and has potential environmental benefits to boot. All you need is a bow, a bow fishing reel, heavy test line, and bow fishing arrows, all of which can usually be purchased for a few hundred dollars. A sport fishing license is required to bow fish in Iowa, and allows the holder to take rough fish from public lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, as well as private ponds with permission.

Get some gear, find a friend, and see what you can catch. Try these helpful tips and tricks to get you started.

In the Rough
Bow fishing is only for taking “rough” fish. Iowa has a variety of rough fish found in lakes, rivers and ponds such as bigmouth buffalo, smallmouth buffalo, common carp, grass carp and primitive fish such as short nosed gar.  These fish are generally very large (but are all sizes), still make for good eating, and you don’t have to worry about length and possession limits. They are usually visible from the top of the water. Be sure you can identify the fish before you shoot. Game fish (ie. largemouth bass, bluegill) cannot be taken by bow and arrow.

It is not possible to catch-and-release while bow fishing. Excluding game fish gives desirable fish a better chance at reaching maturity. Rough fish often stir up mud in the water, feed on vegetation, or feed on the same food as game fish, such as zooplankton and other invertebrates.  Some rough fish, such as bighead and silver carp, are invasive species that damage the ecosystem. A full list of Iowa rough fish species is available in the 2015 fishing regulations booklet, available online here.  

Bring a Friend

Large rough fish, like grass carp, may take more than one shot to bring in successfully. Bring a friend along to get a shot you missed, a neighboring fish, or just help you haul in a big catch. Carp are particularly easy targets at spawning time, as they tend to move to very shallow water and as much as half of their body may be exposed above the surface.  

Aim From Anywhere

Bow fishing is great for those looking for flexibility in their fishing experience. You can shoot day or night from the shore, the shallows, a dock or a boat depending on your preference. There are areas in Iowa that do not allow after-hours fishing, and a couple that don’t allow bow fishing at all (see the 2015 regulations booklet), so be sure to check the specific rules at any location you visit.

 

Practice Your Aim

The deeper a fish is in the water, the harder they are to shoot successfully because the water will slow down your arrow. Aim lower than you think you should to hit the fish, no matter how deep the water. Why? Water is denser than air, and thus light travels through it differently. The fish you see from above the surface of the water is not actually where you think it is, because the light rays that make up the image you see are deflected as the transition from water to air in a process called refraction. All you really need to know to decide how low to go is your approximate distance from the fish, and the fish’s approximate distance from the surface. If you’re about 10 feet away and the fish is one foot below the surface, aim about 4 inches below the fish’s belly. If your distance from the fish or the fish’s distance from the surface doubles, double your adjustment too.

Have Fun

Bow fishing is a great outdoor activity that’s easy to learn. Shooting rough fish can be extremely exciting.  It takes a quick eye and a fast shot to have a chance to reel in a carp as they often surface the water only briefly. It is fun to see your catch and reel it in. Have a plan to dispose the fish you shoot.  Disposing of them responsibly is good sportsmanship and positively promotes the sport of bow fishing.