Fishing Forum

I have been in intense correspondence over the past few weeks with Mr. S. Clause regarding the possible acquisition of an AMS Retriever Pro bow fishing reel to be delivered 25 of December. A careful review of my past behaviors show no egregious violations of spousal expectations so optimism is high as of this night before.

This summer past I took up the bow again as a way to secure carp meat as bait in my pursuit of a new Utah State channel catfish record. I found bow fishing to be great sport as did my fishing crew. My old PSE compound bow had been in storage for 20 years when I dug it out and cleaned it up a bit. The first time I drew it to full draw I immediately sustained a major shoulder separation and a massive bi-lateral hernia. The 70 # draw weight I used comfortably 20 years ago was way more than this old man can handle now. Cranked the draw weight down to 40 # or so and found it to be plenty of oomph to thump a carp.

Crew and I have tried the disc reel and the Zebco 808 reel mount – ok, but lost several $20 arrows when the boys forgot to push the button or somehow tangled the line. Hence the move to the RMS retriever – it looks like a great rig.

Anybody used the AMS? Would be interested in observations and impressions of the AMS or any other favorite bow fishing rig?

Winter go away. Hope y'all have a great Christmas. []

BLK
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It's the one I use. It handles very well and is very easy to use at that. I shoot a 50 lb recurve so let me know how a compound fairs. I try and hit Pineview and ul a couple times in my kayak for carp. It truly is a fun competitive sport. Good luck with the carp hunting! And Merry Christmas!
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Don't spend your money on anything BUT the AMS system, you won't regret it.
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The ams is a good reel and for the ease of use will work for a while. But if you shoot a lot and start shooting the tournaments. You will probably want to go back to the spinner. I shoot a TI 20 from Shakespeare. They do wear out and you have to push the button but I will become second nature like the safety on a shot gun. They actually have a drag and gear ratio something the ams doesn't have. I can shot at a fish and miss (we all miss) and reel in and shoot another fish before my friend with the ams even thinks about reeling in. There are a few other options there is a hybrid reel make by Cajun and I think ams also makes one. Plus muzzy makes a spinner that is tougher but double the money of a TI 20. If you want to go out and try out some gear and learn a few things hit me up in the spring I am always taking a few guys out to shoot a few fish. Also check out RPM for your arrows and tips I like the nos point. Good luck.
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I see your post is quickly getting experienced replies from the bow fishermen among us. That's another thing great about our group that is a subject of recent discussion.

Though I haven't bow fished yet, it's been intriguing me over the years. I'm excited about bow fishing, too. I just bought six bow fishing arrows to put with my preparedness supplies and to one day use and hopefully soon.

I'll be using the traditional Cherokee bow of Osage orange and also less power than modern compound bows, but I suppose sufficient for bow fishing.

I looked at the bow fishing reels and they seem like toys in materials and construction compared to quality large deep sea fishing reels, so I plan to use that since I already own them instead of the cheap plastic thing with a bottle. It's spooled with 100 pound test braid now, so I didn't buy the softer thicker 200 pound test line for bow fishing. I'm thinking the performance will be much better with good bearings, a powerful drag and very high quality and an open face with a design for the line to come off easily for long casts. Just be sure to open the bail before shooting!

To the experienced bow fishermen here, I ask if my thinking is good on these alternatives?

Now, I'm excited about bow fishing again! For this time of year, it's important to get timing and location just right to choose the right thickness of ice of good clarity to walk out over the fish carefully without breaking through yet still having the ice thin enough for the arrow to penetrate. Remember ice-bow fishing is a very short season rapidly approaching, so let's be ready for this window of opportunity before the ice is too thick and loses clarity.

It's important to remember to walk directly over the fish before you shoot for the arrow to not glance off the ice as it would with conventional angles in bow fishing, but just be sure to shoot between your feet without shooting an arrow through your foot.

What could go wrong?

Merry Christmas, all.
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