The Ultimate Guide to Buying the Best Bowfishing Arrows For Sale
Whether you are new to bowfishing or an experienced bowfisher, buying the best bowfishing arrows the first time can save you a lot of long term hassle and frustration. Their dependence to bring fish to the boat make them one of the most important bowfishing supplies to invest in. There are two common issues with bowfishing arrows: one is related to choosing the right style arrow for the fish you are targeting, the second is the quality and durability of the bowfishing arrow itself.
Breaking Down the Bowfishing Arrow
There are 4 major components of a bowfishing arrow: the arrow shaft, arrow tip, arrow nock, and a slide which attaches to the bowfishing string. Let's dive into the details on each of these arrow components to better understand what we're looking for to find the best bowfishing arrow for sale.
Bowfishing Arrow Shaft
There are 3 common types of arrow shafts, and 1 unique arrow shaft that happens to be one of my favorites.
3 Most Common Arrow Shaft Materials
- Fiberglass
- Carbon Fiber
- Hybrid | Carbon Composite
The Best Arrow Shaft
- Fiberglass - Stainless Steel Combination
This might sound crazy, but these arrows are made from fiberglass with stainless steel reinforcement where the fiberglass weak points are. This allows bowfishermen to get the best of both worlds in terms of lightweight fiberglass arrow with high strength stainless steel reinforcement. They are priced in-between fiberglass and carbon fiber arrows, and priced similarly to carbon composites, but last far longer than all of them. If you are looking to buy one arrow and use it for a long time, I'd recommend looking into one of these.
Bowfishing Arrow Tip
There are two common types of bowfishing arrow tips: gar points and grapple (carp) points. The difference in the two is related to their ability to penetrate and hold on to thick gar-like body armor or soft carp-like fleshy scales. A gar point will not work on carp (it will pull out), but a carp point can work on gar.
Gar Arrow Points
- Two pronged arrow point
- Low profile to quickly penetrate tough gar scales
- Not good for carp, more likely to lose the fish on retrieval.
Carp Arrow Points
- Sharp arrow point with grapple-like barbs that expand after penetrating the fish.
- Work great on all fish but can be very difficult to remove fish once they are stuck on the arrow. (Most people will unscrew the arrow tip to take the fish off.)
- Only downside is if grapple barbs don't retract during arrow flight, it can throw your shot off.
Bowfishing Arrow Nock
Most bowfishing arrow nocks are just transparent pieces of plastic that glue onto the end of the bowfishing arrow. Some bowfishermen use lighted nocks to be able to see where there arrows hit in the event of a miss. It can also help an archer retrieve the arrow if the bowfishing string breaks.
Bowfishing Arrow Slide
The slide loosely fits the bowfishing arrow shaft. Bowfishing string is attached to the slide, and this is ultimately how the arrow is retrieved. When the arrow is shot, the slide will move to the back of the arrow, which is why a slide stopper must be inserted into the arrow shaft itself.
There are two common types of bowfishing arrow slides:
Plastic Slides
- First invented by AMS Bowfishing, have worked well for many years.
Spring Loaded Slides
- Newer technology, allows some give to help with straighter shots. Downside is they can scrape the sides off an arrow over time due to the metal spring rubbing against the arrow.
No Arrow Slide Alternative: Tied to The Back
- Drill small hole where slide screw would be mounted on arrow, tie bowfishing line to arrow.
- Caution: This is a very dangerous method - there are numerous people who have had their bowfishing line get caught while shooting, and pop back towards the shooter and literally take their eye out. This method is not forgiving like the arrow "safety slides" are.
The Best Bowfishing Arrow For Sale
The best bowfishing arrow for sale is one that fits the core criteria we discussed above. Let's do a quick recap:
- Best Bowfishing Arrow Shaft: fiberglass-stainless steel combination shaft
- Affordable, high strength arrow shaft that is made to last.
- Best Bowfishing Arrow Tip: 3 prong grapple point
- Sharp points with 3 grapples for holding on tight to a variety of fish species on retrieval.
- Best Bowfishing Arrow Nock: lighted nocks
- Help track your shots...and your arrow.
- Best Bowfishing Arrow Slide: Plastic Safety Slides
- Tried and true technology that has been proven for many years.
This bowfishing arrow combines all the best features into one. Unfortunately it is not currently available as a packaged deal for retail sale, but you can purchase these parts independently to build your own bowfishing arrows that will last a lifetime.
You've learned about building the best bowfishing arrow, now let's look into some of the best bowfishing spots or learn more about getting started bowfishing.
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