Bowfishing Kit - Bowfishing With A Crossbow

Bowfishing Kit – Bowfishing With A Crossbow

A man in military clothes holding a crossbow.

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Feel like a real badass when you pull in fish after fish in the coolest fashion ever!


Moritz Image

Hello, fellow bowfisher.
I am Moritz and I want to invite you to pick up crossbow fishing!

Maybe you have never heard of such a thing before, or maybe you are looking for the best bowfishing kit.

Either way, you have come to the right place.
I am going to show you the best crossbow for bowfishing.

Let’s get started right away:


If you haven’t read my articles about bowfishing, and the recurve bow and compound bow especially designed for bowfishing, you can catch up on those after reading all about the fantastic crossbow I am going to show you now:


How To Catch A Fish With A Crossbow

Just like with a bow, it is very tricky to hit a fish with a crossbow bolt.
It takes practice, patience, and a bit of luck, especially in the beginning.
After some time you will get better and better and will hit the fish more often.

Moving targets are always the most difficult targets, so you have to try to anticipate where the fish will be in a moment and aim a bit ahead of it.
But not too far ahead, as the bolts of this crossbow fly with up to 150 FPS.
If the fish is very close (or not moving) you can aim directly at it.

I can tell you that the feeling of accomplishment and excitement that you will get when catching your first fish with a crossbow is one of the biggest you will ever have if you love fishing.
It is absolutely fantastic and you always want to feel that adrenaline rush again.


The Crossbow You Need To Succeed In Bowfishing

You can upgrade most crossbows with the required equipment, but if you don’t own a crossbow yet, I would not hesitate and get the Parker Stingray Crossbow right away.

The Parker Stingray Crossbow is designed to give you a head start when you are new to bowfishing.

Have a look at what is included in this package:

  • 100 – 125 LBS Crossbow (you can adjust the draw weight easily yourself)
  • AMS Retriever Pro Bowfishing Reel (with 25 yards dacron line)
  • 2 AMS Safety Slide Kits
  • 1x Crossbow Scope
  • 1x 1600 gr. Bowfishing Arrow
  • 1x Foot Claw
  • Cheapest Price Here

A Closer Look At The Crossbow

The Parker Stingray Crossbow weighs only 7.5 pounds and its riser is made of aluminum, the barrel of ballistic polymer.

It has a vented forearm to put your hand in so that there is no danger that the string can come in contact with you when shooting the crossbow.

There is also a foot claw preinstalled, to make it easier to load (cock) the crossbow.
Please note that there is no “cocking rope” included. If you want to make it easier for yourself to load the bow, you should consider getting one of these ropes, too (recommended).

You can adjust the draw weight between 100 – 125 LBS. This gives the opportunity to hunt both big and small fish. You don’t need any special tools to change the draw weight, just follow the instructions.


No Fishing Without A Fishing Reel

This is true for both fishing with a rod and a crossbow.
If you want to get serious about fishing, you better use a reel to bring the fish in.

The reel that comes with the Parker Stingray Crossbow has a 200 lb dacron line that is 25 yards long.
The line is strong enough to get in almost every fish without snapping.
Only if you were hunting alligators, you would want to get a stronger line and a reel that uses a buoy.

The reel uses a bottle to store the line, which releases the line without any dragging so that the bolt can fly at maximum speed. That’s a huge advantage!
To retrieve the line, you have to pull a trigger and turn the handle.

Attention: Make sure that the line does not get caught in the foot claw! You don’t want the line to get entangled with it and the arrow coming back at you!


The Crossbow Scope For Better Target Acquisition

The scope on this crossbow has a 1x zoom, so it is made for shooting at close range.

It improves the target acquisition greatly and I think it does an outstanding job with that.

If you have ever tried both a crossbow without and with a sight, you will agree with me that a scope like this makes hitting your target way easier.
The fact that it is already included in the package gives this crossbow a great advantage over other crossbows.


What You Have To Know About Bowfishing Arrows

Fish have generally very soft meat, so target points or traditional broadhead arrows would just fall out of them and the fish would get away.
For that reason, you need special bowfishing arrows that have barbs.
These barbs will hold on to the fish until you manage to bring it in.

There is only one arrow included in this package, so you might want to get some additional arrows as a backup. If you do, make sure to get the same arrows, as they are strong and long enough for this crossbow.
Weaker arrows might break and injure you if they can’t withstand the power of the crossbow.
It is also very easy to get them out of the fish:
You just need to turn the tip of the arrow and the barbs will point in the opposite direction which will make it a breeze to pull it out.


Why Using Safety Slides Is A Good Idea

The Safety Slides are another important tool that will make your life easier and safer.
They get slipped over the arrow and you pull the line through them (follow the instructions, please).
This will achieve two things:

First, the fishing line will not get entangled with the string of the crossbow.
Second, the arrow will not shoot through the fish but will be stopped by the safety slides.
This will prevent the arrow from going through the fish completely and maybe get stuck in the river bed or in some wood.


Conclusion: I Love The Parker Stingray Crossbow!

If you want to go bowfishing with a crossbow and don’t own a crossbow yet, then the Parker Stingray Crossbow is your best option.

Moritz Image

As you know by now it has everything you need to get started right away.
The only things you should consider getting is a cocking rope and some additional arrows/bolts.

Besides that, it is ready to shoot and will give you a great experience no matter what kind of fish you are planning to catch.

Get the Parker Stingray Crossbow here.

What are your experiences when bowfishing with a crossbow or with bowfishing in general?

Do you love it or do you think it is too difficult?

Let’s talk about that in the comments below.

I am looking forward to hearing from you!

Good fishing!

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(2) comments

Do you sell a bow fishing kit for Barnett “Ghost” crossbow?

Reply

    Hello,
    this crossbow fishing kit should fit the Barnett Ghost crossbow.
    It includes everything you need to transform your crossbow into a fishing crossbow.
    The mount, the retriever including the reel and some fishing bolts.
    I would recommend getting this one.
    If you look for other products, they often don’t include the whole kit. So be careful what you choose.
    Cheers
    Moritz

    Reply
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