Bow poundage?

[catman529]

What poundage do you bowfishers pull? I ain't gonna use my hunting compound for bowfishing, so I thought of maybe whittling a sapling and making a longbow just for bowfishing. I think I remember reading on here something in the range of 30-40 pounds or something like that. I could make a 40 lb wooden bow just for slinging a big fiberglass barbed arrow at some big fish.

 

[Crosshairy]

I've heard lots of people use them in the 30-40 pound range, especially if they are going on high-volume shoots (like at night in flats).

A longbow would obviously be more work, but perhaps more fun/rewarding.

I can't imagine making one 100% from scratch, but it would be pretty stinkin' cool!

Do you have access to any wood typically used for bow making? Got any Osage around you?

 

[catman529]

I wouldn't make a bow good enough to hunt with, just one that will pull back about 30-40 pounds and shoot my fiberglass fishing arrow. I would more likely cut a hickory or maple sapling and whittle it down than start with a piece of osage. I have tried this in the past and my only problem was not letting the wood dry out for a while before making it. I'm not looking to make a fancy longbow although I would like to try that sometime down the road.

 

[SES]

I have a 1960's Bear Tigercat recurve that has the brass bushing on the front that I screw my reel into. It's 45lb draw and does just fine.

 

[Mossy Oak]

My Barracuda is set at 40 pounds.

 

[nick2720]

Yeah no more than 45 max then it starts passing through and gets stuck in stumps and roots. No lower than 25 due to lack of penetration . I set my old lady with a 25 lb Mathews Genesis works fine

 

[Treestand Troubadour]

all i use is an old bear recurve style but has the idler cams on it, its about 40# or so, aint nothin fancy at all but it will drill a carp thats for sure

 

[Robtattoo]

My traditional fishing bows are all around 50# but my Oneidas are both modified to max out at 35. Mostly I crank them down to 28# I've never not penetrated fish. On a busy night I can shoot a couple of hundred times & low poundage makes a world of difference!

 

[showmehorns]

I keep my bows around 32 pounds. If hitting the river I may bump them up around 38. If shooting shad I may back them down in the low 20's. Really depends on where I'm at and what I'm after.