How Backstabber Bowfishing Built a Quiet Generator Setup for 23 Swamp Eye Bowfishing Lights

When you are running a serious high-output bowfishing light system, powering it becomes just as important as choosing the lights themselves.

Jamie Dearman with Backstabber Bowfishing built an extremely impressive solution on the Back Stabber 2.0 bowfishing boat.

Today, the boat is running 15 Swamp Eye HD Bowfishing Lights around the perimeter, providing a massive amount of adjustable, high-output lighting.

But the boat actually started with an even larger number of Swamp Eye lights.

Before upgrading to the HDs, Jamie was running 23 Swamp Eye Light Bars using the same basic generator-powered concept. Jamie sent us a quick walkthrough of that original setup, giving us a look underneath the deck at how he enclosed, ventilated, and integrated the generator into the boat.

After filming that walkthrough, Jamie upgraded the lighting system from 23 Swamp Eye Light Bars to the current 15 Swamp Eye HDs.

The lighting has changed, but the philosophy behind the boat has remained the same: maximize brightness, coverage, and runtime without carrying the enormous battery bank that could otherwise be required to support this level of lighting performance for long nights.

Rather than leaving the generator exposed on the rear deck, Jamie built a dedicated generator enclosure underneath the rear deck, isolated it from the shooting area, and added powered ventilation to help manage heat.

The result is one of the cleaner high-output bowfishing power setups we have seen.

From 23 Swamp Eye Light Bars to 15 Swamp Eye HDs

Back Stabber 2.0 was already an extreme lighting setup before the HDs were installed.

Jamie previously surrounded the boat with 23 Swamp Eye Light Bars. After running that system, he ultimately upgraded the boat to 15 Swamp Eye HD Bowfishing Lights.

The goal with the current build is simple: maximum usable light around the boat.

The Swamp Eye HD is our highest-output adjustable-color bowfishing light and is designed for serious bowfishing boats where maximum brightness, broad coverage, and changing water conditions are major considerations.

With 15 HDs positioned around the boat, Backstabber Bowfishing can put a tremendous amount of light on the water while still having the ability to adjust light color based on water conditions.

That adjustable color is especially valuable because bowfishing conditions can change dramatically from one lake, river, or stretch of water to another. Muddy water, stained water, clear water, algae, suspended sediment, shallow bottoms, and deeper water can all affect how light performs.

The Swamp Eye HD gives serious bowfishermen the ability to adapt to those changing conditions while still maintaining extremely high output.

Backstabber Bowfishing is also far from alone in choosing the HD for serious use. Professional guides rely on them for long nights and changing conditions, which we cover in Why Bowfishing Guides Choose the Swamp Eye HD.

They are also used on some of the highest-level tournament rigs in the country. At the BAA World Championship, four of the top five overall-finishing teams were running Swamp Eye HDs. You can see those boats and results in our BAA World Championship recap.

For a serious bowfishing boat where maximum lighting performance is the priority, the Swamp Eye HD is one of the best bowfishing lights for the job.

Why Backstabber Bowfishing Chose a Generator Instead of a Massive Lithium Battery Bank

Once you start running a lighting system this large, power becomes a major part of the build.

Battery-powered bowfishing systems have become extremely popular, especially with modern lithium batteries. For many boats, they are an excellent solution.

However, running a large number of high-output bowfishing lights for hours at a time is a completely different power demand than running a smaller, more battery-efficient lighting system such as the Swamp Eye Silent Series.

To get enough runtime from batteries, a system at this level can require a substantial bank of high-amp-hour lithium batteries, along with heavy-gauge wiring, charging equipment, battery mounting, circuit protection, and the space to carry all of it.

That can become extremely expensive very quickly.

Once several 100Ah, 200Ah, 300Ah, or larger lithium batteries are added together, the battery bank alone can represent several thousand dollars of equipment before you even factor in chargers, wiring, mounting, and electrical distribution.

There is also another major consideration on any boat:

weight.

Lithium batteries are much lighter than traditional lead-acid batteries, but when enough battery capacity is added to support an extreme high-output lighting system for an entire night, the combined weight can still become substantial.

A properly sized generator and the fuel needed for a night of bowfishing can provide a much better power-to-weight solution for this type of setup because the generator is continuously producing electricity instead of requiring the boat to carry the entire night's electrical energy in batteries from the moment it leaves the ramp.

That becomes especially important when you are trying to maximize brightness, coverage, and runtime all at the same time.

You can reduce electrical demand by running fewer lights. You can reduce output. You can limit runtime. Or you can continue adding battery capacity.

But if the goal is to have all three — maximum brightness, maximum coverage, and long all-night runtime — the battery bank required to accomplish it can become very large, heavy, and expensive.

A generator changes that equation.

Instead of carrying enough stored battery capacity for the entire night, the generator continuously produces power while the lights are operating.

As long as the generator is properly sized and fuel is available, the lighting system can continue operating without worrying about depleting a massive battery bank.

Jamie has told us that his generator setup can provide extremely long runtimes on just a gallon of gas, giving him the ability to run a massive lighting system without the weight and expense of a battery bank sized for comparable runtime.

For a high-output setup like Backstabber Bowfishing's, generator power can therefore become the lighter and ultimately more cost-effective option when maximum runtime, brightness, and coverage are all priorities at once.

Jamie did not have to compromise the lighting system simply to make the battery bank manageable. He chose the lighting performance he wanted first and then built the power system around it.

That left one major disadvantage of generator power to solve:

noise.

How Backstabber Bowfishing Made the Generator Setup Quiet

Rather than leaving the generator exposed on the rear deck, Jamie mounted it underneath the deck inside a dedicated enclosure.

This physically separates the generator from the people standing and shooting on the boat.

That enclosure helps block and contain a large amount of the mechanical noise that would normally travel directly toward everyone onboard.

Instead of standing only a few feet away from an exposed generator all night, the generator is tucked away inside its own compartment.

For anyone who has spent a long night bowfishing beside a running generator, that is a huge improvement.

And while this may seem like a unique solution for a bowfishing boat, the basic principle is already well established throughout the marine industry.

Many larger offshore boats, sportfishing boats, and yachts use onboard generators to provide electrical power for equipment throughout the vessel. Rather than mounting those generators out in the open, they are commonly integrated below deck or inside dedicated machinery spaces with systems designed around ventilation, cooling, exhaust routing, noise control, and service access.

Jamie has applied a very similar overall principle to a purpose-built bowfishing boat.

The scale and equipment are different, but the concept is similar: integrate the generator into the boat, keep it away from occupied deck space, provide proper airflow, safely manage the exhaust, and use it to produce continuous electrical power.

Instead of treating the generator like a piece of equipment that simply gets set on the rear deck, Jamie designed it into the boat as part of the overall lighting and electrical system.

That is what makes this build so interesting.

Backstabber Bowfishing is essentially getting the major advantage of generator-powered lighting — lots of continuous power — while engineering around the generator's traditional drawbacks.

Keeping the Generator Compartment Cool

Of course, once you put a generator inside an enclosure, you create another problem:

heat.

A running generator produces a substantial amount of heat, and trapping that heat underneath the deck would not be a good solution.

Jamie addressed this by installing dedicated vents and 12V marine ventilation blowers that continuously move air through the compartment.

The blower shown in the setup is rated at approximately 270 CFM.

The basic idea is straightforward:

cooler air in → airflow through the compartment → hot air out

That active airflow helps move heat out of the compartment while the generator is running. Marine ventilation blowers like the ones used in this setup are also relatively inexpensive and readily available.

The Ventilation Also Helps Cool the Swamp Eye HD Power Equipment

One of the smartest parts of Backstabber Bowfishing's setup is that the ventilation does more than help cool the generator.

The current system with 15 Swamp Eye HDs also has supporting electrical equipment, including power converters and drivers for the lights.

Those components generate heat during operation as well.

By moving air through the rear compartment, Jamie is helping move heat away from both the generator area and the lighting electronics.

That allows much of the power equipment to stay centralized and out of the way while still providing airflow around it.

For a lighting system this large, that is an extremely clean way to organize the boat.

Generator Exhaust Has to Be Handled Separately

Cooling airflow and generator exhaust are not the same thing.

A gasoline generator produces carbon monoxide and other exhaust gases that must be safely routed away from the enclosure and away from occupied areas of the boat.

Backstabber Bowfishing's installation includes dedicated exhaust routing so the generator is not simply exhausting into the enclosed compartment.

This is another area where the general concept mirrors larger boats equipped with built-in marine generators. Those systems are engineered so generator cooling, compartment ventilation, and engine exhaust are each handled appropriately rather than allowing exhaust gases to accumulate inside the vessel.

Any enclosed generator installation needs to follow the specific generator manufacturer's requirements for ventilation, cooling airflow, clearances, exhaust routing, fuel safety, and installation.

A gasoline generator should never simply be placed inside a sealed compartment.

Backstabber Bowfishing's setup is a great example of the overall concept, but another boat owner should not automatically copy Jamie's enclosure dimensions, blower setup, or exhaust routing without verifying that it is appropriate for their specific generator and boat.

Why This Setup Works So Well

What makes this build so impressive is that every part of it solves a specific problem.

Backstabber Bowfishing wanted maximum lighting output, so the boat was ultimately upgraded to 15 Swamp Eye HDs.

Jamie wanted maximum coverage around the boat, so the HDs were positioned around the shooting platform to put a tremendous amount of usable light on the water.

He needed enough power to run the system for long nights, so he chose a generator.

The generator allows him to avoid carrying a massive bank of batteries while also providing continuous power and keeping the overall power system more cost effective for the amount of lighting being operated.

He did not want to listen to an exposed generator all night, so he isolated it underneath the rear deck.

The enclosure created a need to manage heat, so he added powered ventilation.

That ventilation also helps manage heat around the converters and drivers for the lights.

Instead of compromising the lighting system to make the power system easier, Jamie designed the power system around the performance he wanted from the boat.

That is exactly why the Swamp Eye HD is such a strong fit for serious high-output bowfishing boats.

When maximum brightness, coverage, and runtime are all priorities, the combination of Swamp Eye HDs and properly integrated generator power is extremely difficult to beat.

Backstabber Bowfishing's Current 15-Light Setup

Watch Jamie Dearman's Original 23-Light Setup

Before upgrading Back Stabber 2.0 to 15 Swamp Eye HDs, Jamie sent us this quick walkthrough of the boat while it was still running 23 Swamp Eye Light Bars.

In the video, Jamie shows the generator installation underneath the rear deck and explains how the enclosed and ventilated setup allows him to power a massive bowfishing lighting system while dramatically reducing the generator noise experienced on the shooting deck.

While the lights on the boat have since been upgraded to 15 Swamp Eye HDs, the video gives you a great look at the generator system and the thinking behind the build.

Is a Setup Like This Right for Every Bowfishing Boat?

No.

This setup makes sense because Backstabber Bowfishing is running an extreme high-output lighting package.

For anglers who want a completely battery-powered boat, more efficient options such as the Swamp Eye Silent Series Bowfishing Light or Swamp Eye Gen 2.X Light Bar may make more sense. You could even run the Swamp Eye HDs on batteries and just use a lesser quantity of them. 

The Silent Series is designed around efficient, quiet battery operation, while the Gen 2.X Light Bar offers a balance of performance, efficiency, and low-profile mounting.

If you are deciding between the different systems, our Swamp Eye Light System Comparison Guide explains the differences between the Swamp Eye HD, Silent Series, and Gen 2.X in more detail.

But if your goal is to maximize brightness, coverage, and runtime simultaneously, the Back Stabber 2.0 is an excellent example of why generator-powered Swamp Eye HDs are so hard to beat.

A Real-World Example of What the Swamp Eye HD Was Built For

Backstabber Bowfishing's setup is a perfect example of the type of boat the Swamp Eye HD was designed to serve.

This is not a small lighting system where every watt needs to be conserved to stretch battery runtime.

This is a high-performance bowfishing rig where the objective is to put a massive amount of controllable, usable light on the water, cover a large area around the boat, and keep that lighting system operating throughout a long night.

Jamie's progression from 23 Swamp Eye Light Bars to 15 Swamp Eye HDs is also a great real-world example of how a serious bowfishing lighting system can evolve as the boat and the owner's performance goals evolve.

The HD has also earned the trust of guides and top tournament bowfishermen for the same reasons: output, coverage, adjustability, and performance in real-world conditions.

Combined with Backstabber Bowfishing's custom generator enclosure, ventilation, cooling, and exhaust setup, it creates a complete system designed around one priority:

maximum bowfishing performance.

Final Thoughts

Jamie Dearman's Back Stabber 2.0 is one of the better examples we have seen of properly thinking through a large bowfishing lighting system from beginning to end.

The boat has evolved from an incredible 23 Swamp Eye Light Bar setup to the current 15 Swamp Eye HD setup, but the philosophy behind the build has remained the same.

Jamie wanted maximum brightness, maximum coverage, and extremely long runtime without carrying the enormous battery bank that could otherwise be required to support this level of lighting performance.

Generator power allows Backstabber Bowfishing to continuously produce the electricity needed for a serious high-output lighting system while carrying fuel instead of an enormous bank of stored battery capacity.

Then, by integrating the generator underneath the rear deck with ventilation and dedicated exhaust routing, Jamie applied many of the same basic principles used on larger offshore boats equipped with onboard generators.

The end result today is a boat capable of running 15 Swamp Eye HD Bowfishing Lights for long nights while keeping the generator isolated from the shooting deck and dramatically reducing onboard noise.

It is a real-world example of why the Swamp Eye HD continues to be one of the best bowfishing lights in the business for anglers who prioritize maximum performance.

If you are building your own bowfishing boat, you can browse our full lineup of bowfishing lights or check out our complete Swamp Eye HD Bowfishing Light Kits.

Special thanks to Jamie Dearman and Backstabber Bowfishing for sharing the Back Stabber 2.0 setup, photos, and walkthrough with Outrigger Outdoors.

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Important Safety Notice: This article documents a customer's custom installation and is intended for general educational purposes only. Generator installations involving enclosed compartments, gasoline, exhaust, electrical equipment, and ventilation should be designed and installed according to the generator manufacturer's requirements and applicable marine safety standards. Never operate a gasoline-powered generator in a sealed or improperly ventilated enclosure. Carbon monoxide exposure can cause serious injury or death.