As our distinguished fellow Gerhard is airing, I am due to Zim in July.
I'd love to hunt a croc. As I am no bow fisher, I was really at lost. I ordered in the States a Muzzy Gator combo.
I tested the arrows, it's beyond description, the arrows flying point up and the tail of the shaft 8 inches on the right and low through the paper.
Remember that there is no fletching to steer the arrow up.

Sure I can move my rest to the left and no doubt that helps a lot. But then there is no way to move the sight this far left.
Are You aware of a sight that can be moved more to the left than the usual marketed sights???

JB, I think your fighting a losing battle trying to tune bowfishing arrows. My experience is that they are all going to fly "bad" based on the string and the super heave arrow. just keep your shots 10 yards or less. One thing to keep in mind you probably already know, always tie to the front of the arrow or use a safety slide to prevent snapback.

Lots of bowfishing is done with recurves even by guys who hunt with compounds. You can find an old takedown recurve on e-bay use it and abuse it to save your good compound.

the chef

quote:

Originally posted by calgarychef1:
Lots of bowfishing is done with recurves even by guys who hunt with compounds. You can find an old takedown recurve on e-bay use it and abuse it to save your good compound.

the chef

+1

I hunt mostly with compounds but I have a special recurve outfitted for bowfishing. Compounds can be a clusterpuck trying to bowfish.

We don't need a complete passthru bowfishing so lighter poundage works well and recurves turn what can be frustration into fun.

I have no experience but have heard there is a special place to hit a croc/gator that 'locks' em up.

Thanks for your sound advice.

I opted for another compound dedicated only for croc hunting.
I modify a sight to have more gang adjustement on the right and that's fine.
My paper tuning is showing nock 2inches on the right. I have to move the rest on the left.
The pain in the back are the frigging gator detaching points. They remain in the target.
I'll keep on paper tuning but using a bag full of rags as a stopper. The recovery of the points is easier.

I didn't think to use my take-down recurve, Great plains Rio Bravo 56#. I had a try but the flight of the gator arrow is scary, nock about 12 inches on the right through paper.
I also tried my "beast", a short (53inches) and light 65# Scorpion made by Avakian. The gator arrow landed flat on the target?????? no penetration?????? lucky I didn't try and paper tune it, the arrow would have smashed the frame of the sheet of paper. Plenty of hard work in perspective for tuning these recurves.
A question : my recurves are 56 and 65# @ 28".
As my draw lenght is 30", what are the respective poundages of the bows?
Thanks really, that's more fun.

Jean,

Maybe a stupid question (or two actually) but what would be wrong with adding 4 or 5 inch vanes to try and stabilize the arrow? As for poundage. Couldn't you just use a scale and measure the poundage at 30 inches?
Rich Elliott

This seems a little out of bow fishings normal range are you trying to use a reel of some sort ? depending on the size of the target I don't see how you could get enough line on it of a heavy test that would work . we used deep sea tackle- rod -big reel- heavy test line to shoot large gar tying the line to the arrow and putting the reel on free spool,after the shot you could use the rod and reel like regular fishing. might be best just to use your regular set up and try for a brain shot while on dry land.

I've seen gator hunting in Florida where they don't use a reel at all attached to the bow. The hunter simply has the arrow attached to heavy cord, which is in turn attached to a float.

The arrow is released, the line pays out, the gator is hit and it then pulls out the rest of the line.

The float bobs in the wake of the gator and when it stops, the guys in the boat pull the gator to the surface where the hunter puts a shot into it to kill the gator. Sometimes this is done with a handgun or a bangstick, other times it is done with a broadhead equipped arrow through the lungs.

Couldn't this work?

Thanks for your precious help.
Never in my life have I bowfished.

For what I know, fletching an arrow is a serious risk of having the line entangled in the vanes resulting in a clear miss???

I won't use a reel. There is no question of my bow being attached to a croc.
The setting is according to the articles in the 2 last issues of "African Hunter" magazine. Shooting from a blind at baited croc. The line (attached to the shaft) will be "laid from the blind to the water edge and then halfway back to the blind where it's attached to a float placed in a shallow hollow and sprinkled with sand to camouflage it. In this way , drag on the arrow is considerably reduced."

quote:

For what I know, fletching an arrow is a serious risk of having the line entangled in the vanes resulting in a clear miss???

I think I see what you mean. The arrow would spin and the line as it trailed along and got close to the arrow would get caught up in the vanes. But how are you going to have enough accuracy to hit the croc where you want? I'm assuming in the lungs. And what keeps the line from getting tangled in under water debris and breaking? We've had several conversations with bowhunters about trying to take one of our big Lake Chamo Crocs with a bow and these same questions keep coming up. Keep in mind that if the croc is hit but not killed and or retreeved the licnese is till cancelled and the hunt is over. It has to be done right the first time.
Rich Elliott

Fletching isn't used normally because the weight of a "fishing arrow" means that a roller rest is used, which isn't designed to be used with fletched arrows.

Typically, the trailing line, which is usually fairly stout, 600 lb. break strength, creates enough drag on the arrow to "stabilize" the arrow's flight and most bowfishing and gator hunting is done with fairly close shots, usually twenty yards or less.

The gator hunting I've seen done, the first shot is not to kill the gator, but to simply get an arrow into the quarry with the line and float attached.

The line and float are followed, the line retrieved and the gator pulled to the surface where a killing shot is then put to the gator, whether it's done with a handgun shot/bangstick to the head or arrow through the lungs.

Jean, I have a question for you. When you're "paper tuning" and practicing, do you have the line attached to the arrow?

quote:

Jean, I have a question for you. When you're "paper tuning" and practicing, do you have the line attached to the arrow?

Hi Shof

No I haven't yet tried with the line dragging.
In fact, for the third time I have broken a bowlimb and I am a bit swamped.
I didn't notice that an E-clip on the lower cam axle popped off. It resulted that the axle ripped the tips of the limb off.
I have just gotten spare E-clips and can rebuild my bow. Lucky I have 2 pairs of limbs.I am going to thoroughly test it this week end.
thanks
jb

The mistake that you are making , is that you are not attaching the arrow to the line, the line will help stabilize the arrow immensly by putting a little drag ton the back of the arrow....

I am going to test the arrow rigged with the line this week end. The paper tuning could be tricky for the line can rip the paper off ruining the interpretation of tears.
I also wish the line won't slash the frame of my paper tuning set????
I better have the wife and the kids stay clear off my shooting place.

During the week end I have tuned my « fishing bow ».

It’s my 90#Bowtech Allegiance with a truglo extreme site sight and a drop zone fall way rest.

Arrows are Muzzy gator arrow rigged with a gator point and a 600# Brownell line.


My first try thru the paper showed a dramatic tear tail high and 10 inches right. So I moved my rest high at maximum, no change. I lowered my nocking point and the vertical problem was solved.
I moved my rest to the left and the tear was again nock 10 inches right. I moved the rest fully on the left and the tear was all thru the paper and hitting the frame, always nock right.

So I made contrary to the rules, moving the rest in the opposite direction, on the right and bingo, I quickly got a perfect tear.

It could seem easy, it’s not the case.
For shooting this arrow I am using 2 big bags full of rags as a target( a stopper). The barbs of the point would play hell in a conventional target, let alone that the point is detachable from the shaft and remains (well hidden) into the target.
To complicate the process the line is a pain in the a… I had to detach it any time I picked my point among the rags. Of course the line was slashing the paper, blurring the tearing!!!!!!

I tried with the line lying on the ground. Definitely a NO NO. The arrow is lobbing toward the target and hitting the ground in front of it. The weight of the line badly drags the arrow downward.

Ahh I forget : each time I have to tune my rest, I have to remove the reel for getting access to the setting screws. No way to paper tune without all the items rigged on the bow.

Conclusion : if you are bored to death, just tune a fishing bow and arrows. No doubt you’ll spend a week end brainstorming and fuming.