Thoughts on bowfishing

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dwayne davis
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Thoughts on bowfishing

Post by dwayne davis »

So ive been thinking of getting back to bowfishing,( also good way to spend time with my dad) but i want to do so using les modern equipment for my longbow. ie: oak shafts in place of fiberglass, and primitive points made of steel. i have to check the game laws here to make sure im legal with the set-up though, i know from reserch into primative points long trailing barbs are called for. i was thinking while not eouropean in origin bowfishing would certainly fit with the survival needs of a ranger. sooo tomorrow im gonna crank out a point or two and do some testing on small targets. if its allowable by TN game laws, i may be stuck with modern points.
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Ringulf
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Re: Thoughts on bowfishing

Post by Ringulf »

Splitting the shaft point into three and cutting barbs on the insided pointing back toward the fletches, then seperating them individually with wrapping, then wrap the whole shaft to keep from splitting, is a very primative, inexpensive and affective gig.

You can even do this with bamboo or make a green bamboo head for flexibility.

I have used this system since I was a kid an have been succesful hunting fish, snakes, eel, turtle, and frogs.

When the point hits the three tynes open and impale the fish. The barbs hold very well in most situations.

No steel needed! :mrgreen:
Last edited by Ringulf on Thu Jul 24, 2014 8:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I am Ringulf the Dwarven Woodsman, I craft leather, wood, metal, and clay,
I throw axes, seaxes, and pointy sticks, And I fire my bow through the day.
Come be my ally, lift up your mead! We'll search out our foes and the Eagles we'll feed! :mrgreen:
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dwayne davis
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Re: Thoughts on bowfishing

Post by dwayne davis »

ive seen that method before, sadly what i have found so far on the state website is non existant on types of points allowed, Tn does seem biased against bow fishing in general,allots changed in X number of years ( im not sayin how many :P ).
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RikJohnson
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Re: Thoughts on bowfishing

Post by RikJohnson »

I don't recall any mention of bowfishing in the novels which implies considerable freedom so long as we look Period in our gear.
I have a 43" hickory longbow with a 45# draw.
Image

and was thinking of making a fishing rig for it.
but my cedar arrows are too light so perhaps an Oak dowel from the lumber store?
I can cold-forge a point or make one from a brass tube and a target-point. Flare the tube to fit around the point sleeve?

Anyone actually do this?
Those who give up a little freedom in place of a little security will soon discover that they possess neither.
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Peter Remling
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Re: Thoughts on bowfishing

Post by Peter Remling »

RikJohnson wrote:I don't recall any mention of bowfishing in the novels which implies considerable freedom so long as we look Period in our gear.
I have a 43" hickory longbow with a 45# draw.
Image

and was thinking of making a fishing rig for it.
but my cedar arrows are too light so perhaps an Oak dowel from the lumber store?
I can cold-forge a point or make one from a brass tube and a target-point. Flare the tube to fit around the point sleeve?

Anyone actually do this?
Kinduva, took some iron dowels, appxly the diameter of the
shaft . Crimp one of the ends over and file/grind it in the shape
you want (hunting head, target or war).

For a fishing arrow allow a little longer length to the iron shaft.
Drill a hole completely through the head and shaft after it was mounted. Push a thin finishing
nail through the hole and shaft. Leave about 3/4" on either
side. cut the remaining off and bend the nail so the it's appxly
45 degrees toward the back of the shaft on either side.

The bend nail will hold the fish securely so it doesn't fall off
when you're pulling it in.

If the descriotion in unclear, let me know and I'll post a diagram.
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Greg
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Re: Thoughts on bowfishing

Post by Greg »

The Problem with trying to use period materials for bowfishing is that wood and bamboo float. Modern bowfishing arrows are SOLD fiberglass, so that they won't. If you shoot a wood, carbon, or aluminum arrow at water, it won't penetrate more than about the length of the shaft AT BEST, and will immediately bob back up to the surface. Shooting at angles through the water at fish, arrows won't make it far enough to be able to do any real penetration of a fish by the time they reach it. Could cause you some problems.
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RikJohnson
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Re: Thoughts on bowfishing

Post by RikJohnson »

Greg wrote:The Problem with trying to use period materials for bowfishing is that wood and bamboo float. Modern bowfishing arrows are SOLD fiberglass, so that they won't. If you shoot a wood, carbon, or aluminum arrow at water, it won't penetrate more than about the length of the shaft AT BEST, and will immediately bob back up to the surface. Shooting at angles through the water at fish, arrows won't make it far enough to be able to do any real penetration of a fish by the time they reach it. Could cause you some problems.

How do we solve this problem?
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Ringulf
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Re: Thoughts on bowfishing

Post by Ringulf »

I have worked with these when I was a kid and my Grandpa would take his bamboo shafts after reeming the interior and melt up some lead fishing weights.
Then he would pour in, through the fletch end (before completing that end of course) and he would put enough so they would float with most of the fletch out of the water, straight up and down. He had his measurements figured out by the time he made them for me and my buddies, he had been doing it by then almost 50 years, so you might have to experiment a bit.
I suppose lead shot might work as well as long as you can fix them in there with epoxy or something to keep them from moving and shifting balance.

For turtles he made solid shafts with a bodkin type point, He was normaly hunting snappers for their meat and was never worried about a full carapice so he wanted punch in his tips. (though Grandpa was an opertunist as were all Baymen and you had to be ready with your arrow selection to fish turtle rabbit or bird)
He did not use a reel or line for most of his bowfishing (though I remember him making an attachment out of a very large wooden spool he got from the cloth mills) nor did I at first we would use our "walk on water shoes" wich were normally last summers sneakers and just walk slowly knee deep in water and mud and shoot untethered arrows which is why he preffered floating bamboo shafts.

I liked keeping the shells whole as I did other things with them. I remember him complimenting me on being such a good "indian scout" and not being wastefull with the animal.

We sold the meat when we did catch a bunch of snappers to the Old Italian Gentleman accross the street who would pay top dollar (he owned an Italian restaurant in town and that's when turtle soup would go on the specials menu). Otherwise it was subsistance hunting, or so you could say, I just think it was what old men do to keep young boys occupied and out of trouble. :mrgreen:
I am Ringulf the Dwarven Woodsman, I craft leather, wood, metal, and clay,
I throw axes, seaxes, and pointy sticks, And I fire my bow through the day.
Come be my ally, lift up your mead! We'll search out our foes and the Eagles we'll feed! :mrgreen:
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