In case you wonder why you would want a bowfishing bow over a regular one, bowfishing bows tend to focus more on quick snapshots and were designed to handle more abuse from bumping around. Out in the boat, you see a fish and need to take the shot in a split second or risk the fish swimming away.
The fun and exciting pace—adrenaline—along with the lifelong bonding of friends, helps bowfishing to stand out from other types of hunting.
Now, if you’re new to the sport, you probably need a bowfishing bow. I have put together this helpful list of 14 of the best bowfishing bows on the market today.
My Thoughts and Manufacturer Information
Designed to bring you out on the water, the Muzzy Bowfishing Vice Bowfishing Kit comes fully equipped as a performance compound bow. The first thing that you would notice about the Muzzy Vice comes from how many people use them. Especially when they have this much popularity, there must be a reason for why people choose it.
Due to the 30 inch width, you wouldn’t call the Muzzy Vice a compact bow, but it makes up for this with its lightweight design of just 3.8 pounds. Along with the bow, this bowfishing kit includes finger guards, a fish hook arrow rest and an XD Pro Reel with 150 feet of 150-pound line.
The well-designed draw module allows you to adjust your draw length from 24.5 to 31 inches. Draw length ranks as one of the most important parts of the bow, if not, the most important part. You can fine-tune your bow to shoot it with greater accuracy with adjustable draw length.
One of the safety features that we appreciate from Muzzy comes from its deep grooves in the drawing cams. This prevents derailing, which will keep you safe out on the water. For anyone interested in how to stay safe while bowfishing out on the water, check out this article that I wrote here.
Founded in 1984, Muzzy helped to pioneer the bowfishing market, and they are particularly known for their fixed-blade broadheads. Buying the Muzzy Vice, you have paid for one of the best bowfishing bows from one of the best brands in the industry. I have had Muzzy bows in the past.
The one thing that I didn’t like about the Muzzy Vice comes from its 75 percent let-off. High let-off promotes bad archery form, which can hurt your accuracy, and you may feel shakier. Out in the already shaky bowfishing boat, I don’t want to feel any shakier. That said, some bowfishermen don’t mind the let-off on a bow.
Who We Recommend It For
I would recommend this bow for a beginner just starting out in bowfishing because it comes with everything you need to get started. You have the bow, the reel, the arrow rest and the finger guards. Someone new to bowfishing can hit the water immediately because it comes ready right out of the box. The only thing that I would advise is that you buy some extra arrows.
The other advantage of it comes from how you can set up your specs easily with it. You may want to buy the fishing line guide attachment because it helps a lot with your bowfishing.
If you’d like to learn more about it, check out this short review:
My Thoughts and Manufacturer Information
Cajun Bowfishing, a name synonymous with the bowfishing industry, began in 1963 when William “Billy” Amentor founded Cajun Archery. This brand regularly brings new technology to the bowfishing industry, and the Cajun Bowfishing Shorerunner gives us another example.
The constant draw cam in the Shore Runner provides you with easy tuning regardless of the draw length of up to 29 inches. You don’t need a bow press to adjust this product. Having a bow press allows you to perform maintenance on the bow. That will save you money since bow presses cost anywhere from $30 to $70.
With the kit, you will receive an impressive number of things with it like blister buster finger pads, a Spin Doctor Bowfishing Reel, a Red Reel Seat, a Brush Fire Arrow Rest and a Red Fiberglass Piranha Arrow. You may want to buy more arrows with this bowfishing bow because one arrow, in all honesty, isn’t a lot. Bowfishing doesn’t require a lot of extra arrows, but you want at least one spare in case you lose your first arrow out on the water. You don’t have to end your bowfishing session early that way.
No one wants to go out bowfishing, lose an arrow and have to call it a night early. However, you see this as the standard offer with many bowfishing products when they offer an arrow at all is only one arrow. This bowfishing kit comes with a 250-pound test line.
Who We Recommend it for
Because it’s another kit, this is another great choice for a beginner starting out. The Cajun Bowfishing Shore Runner includes everything that you need to get started. In fact, it includes a little more in its package than what the Muzzy Vice Bowfishing Kit includes. With that said, you have different reasons for wanting each one. Let’s distinguish the two so that you can make up your own mind on which one you would prefer.
One of the areas where they differ comes from the arrow rest. The Cajun uses the Brush Fire Arrow Rest. This is a full containment arrow rest, and the reversible mount fits both left and right-handed bows.
The Muzzy fish hook arrow rest, on the other hand, has a faster load to it due to the design, which may make some people prefer the Muzzy Vice. The fish hook arrow rest from Muzzy would work better for those who take snapshots. Myself, I prefer the full containment rests because I can hold my arrows steadier for longer. Hopefully, that further clarifies which one would be best.
For anyone interested in learning, here’s a quick review of the Shore Runner:
My Thoughts and Manufacturer Information
One of the first recurve bowfishing bows that we have listed, the Cajun Fish Stick comes with an impressive package that could get you started in the sport on a budget. It includes a roller rest, a drum reel and an arrow with a Piranha point. While perhaps not as impressive as some of the other packages on this list, the price makes up for it.
One of the wonderful things about bowfishing is that you can pay as much or as little as you want. This is an aluminum bow, and in states with a colder climate, you may want a carbon instead due to the aluminum freezing your hand, which will impact accuracy.
Because of the material, however, this bow can handle the bumping around that is common in a bowfishing boat. Some people have complained about the assembly, but it isn’t too bad overall if you’ve put together bows before. If worst comes to worst, take it to a professional archery shop and have them put it together.
Who We Recommend it for
I would call the Cajun Fish Stick the best bowfishing bow for those on a budget. The low entry point and the respected brand make it an awesome choice. Recurves have an advantage in bowfishing especially for those who prefer snap shooting when out in the boat. You can take more shots, and that provides an advantage in an environment with fast-moving fish.
Bowfishing is a fast-action sport, which lends itself well to the use of a recurve bow. With a recurve, you don’t want as heavy of a line because it will slow your arrow.
Here’s a video review to help you decide if you would want the Cajun Fish Stick:
My Thoughts and Manufacturer Information
PSE, a high-quality manufacturer with a high attention to detail, the company keeps dozens of high-performing archery products. The draw cycle on the D3 feels smooth and the speed puts it near the top. PSE has a reputation for slow customer service, but I have also heard that it does the trick. If you send back a bow because of issues, they will fix it—granted, it may take a while, but they will fix it.
Particularly designed for snap shooting, the D3 comes with an easy setup. To get started bowfishing, you don’t need to buy much more than that. As needed, you can make adjustments to fit the needs of your individual shooting. They designed this bow to meet your needs.
Upon the purchase of your D3, they ship it with a 50-pound cam module to make snap shooting even easier. Some of the things included in this bowfishing package are things like:
- Snap Shot Rest
- RT 3500 Spin reel and seat
- Fish Stick Arrow x1
- Safety stop and safety slide
An extra plus, they made the D3 in the USA, meaning that you support American manufacturing and the prosperity of our nation. The D3 uses a split-limb design done specifically for easier handling out on the water. When bowfishing, you can use any bow out on the water, but a bowfishing bow has an advantage in that they designed some of the features to make it better for bowfishing.
The split-limb design means that it can handle being beaten up better than taking your best-hunting bow out on the water. Bowfishing is a rugged and demanding sport that can be hard on your equipment. The best bowfishing bows will handle the abuse better because they were designed for it.
Who We Recommend it for
I would recommend this for the bowfishermen who want a bow that they can use for snapshots because they designed it specifically for those who like to take snapshots. For someone who takes more time with their shots, this bow may not be as good of a choice. I’d recommend looking at some of the other bows on this list.
Someone who wants a highly adjustable bow will appreciate the D3. Let’s say that you have multiple people shooting the bow. You can adjust it more easily than some of the other choices on the market.
Check out this great review on the D3 to see if it’s right for you:
My Thoughts and Manufacturer Information
Perhaps one of the most complete offers on this list, we think of the Topoint Trigon Compound Bow as the full package. It marks itself out as the best because of everything offered. You receive everything that you need with this product, and the extensive number of accessories that come with it make it an even better value. Someone new to the sport might buy this as a way of getting started in the sport.
To give you an idea about the contents included with the Topoint Trigon, you have several things including:
- Camo cap
- Bow release
- Arrow pullier
- Aluminum peep sight
- Aluminum stabilizer
- Arrow quiver
- Limb dampers
- Bowstring wax
- Target paper
- Allen key
- Grip tape
- Soft carry case
The one concern is that when you pay that little for all the accessories, they will be junk. With that said, the sight on this bow does a decent job—well worth the price. You can make many small adjustments on this bow to make it an even better bowfishing bow. The one thing to keep in mind—this isn’t an actual bowfishing bow, but it would do okay as one.
You will need to buy bowfishing arrows for it, however, since you can’t use the arrows given. If you’re interested in learning more about what makes bowfishing arrows special, check out the article that I wrote here.
Who We Recommend It For
People new to compound bows will have a point where they can pay a bit to get started with them without having to pay too much. Compound bows range in price from $300 to over $1,000. Beware of the more expensive compound bows in thinking that they will automatically make you a better shooter. In some cases, beginners have more trouble with a more expensive compound bow.
The one danger of buying a big package like this comes from how most of the accessories will be low quality, and that may be true to a degree with the Topoint Trigon Compound Bow. However, it offers you an entry point for a beginner getting started in bowfishing. I wouldn’t recommend that someone buy this if they already have a lot of bowfishing gear because the quality of the accessories isn’t that great.
For someone who wants tons of gear right up front for a low cost, the Topoint Trigon Compound Bow makes sense.
For anyone interested in learning more about this product, check out the review below:
My Thoughts and Manufacturer Information
The perfect bow for snapshooting, the AMS Bowfishing Bow costs a little more than some of the other choices on this list, but it will do the trick for sure. You will have everything needed to start in the sport of bowfishing.
This bowfishing bow has a dual cam no let-off system. The advantage of buying a bowfishing bow comes from how they specifically designed it for bowfishing. Another plus side is how you can also shoot normal arrows for practice. If you did decide to do that, you will want to use a hunting rest.
Upon picking up the bow, you feel like they designed it well from the robust build of it. You won’t have too much problem using it in a bowfishing boat. This bow would be great for a beginner in particular because of how it comes assembled straight out of the box.
You receive a forged and machined aluminum riser with a fiberglass limb. When you go to draw this bow, it feels smooth to draw, and the lighter weight of it gives you an added bonus.
Who We Recommend It For
This bowfishing bow will include everything that you need to get started, and they designed it for snapshooting—essential in the sport of bowfishing. The excellent construction of this bow hands you a bow that feels like quality right from the start. Especially if you don’t want to spend a real lot of time setting up a bow, the AMS Bowfishing Hooligan comes ready straight out of the box.
My Thoughts and Manufacturer Information
For anyone on the market looking for a versatile and affordable bowfishing bow, the Cajun Sucker Punch Bowfishing Bow meets your search needs. It has two possible adjustments, and you have two different sets of cams that you can switch up. Like many of the other bowfishing bows, they made it for snapshooting when you don’t have time to take aim.
Using the let-off cams, it will allow for up to 60 percent off on the 50-pound draw weight. This gives you more time to aim at the fish, but keep in mind the disadvantages that we mentioned earlier. The bow weighs 3.2 pounds.
You can tune this bow at your own convenience. Because of the deep grooves, you can avoid derailment with the constant cam modules.
This bow supports up to 25 yards of line at 250 pounds. The fiberglass arrows also come with an excellent arrowhead. You receive two fiberglass arrows with the purchase of your Cajun Bowfishing Sucker Punch Bow, which provides you with plenty in the sport of bowfishing. You will have one arrow that you mainly use, and you will have another arrow that you use for backup.
At around 50-pound draw weight, the bow delivers 100 fps—30 to 40-pound draw weight will deliver 85 to 90 fps. You can use laser sight on this bow for a more accurate aim. You may want to increase the grip size on this bow for a better handle. Especially when out in a boat and handling slippery fish, it can make your grip on the bow slippery.
Who We Recommend it for
We would recommend the Cajun Bowfishing Sucker Punch Bow for someone who would prefer to adjust the bow themselves. You can take the bow into a professional archery shop to have it adjusted, but this bow is easy to adjust yourself. We like the customizability of this bow. For example, you can install the reel either in the backward or the forward position.
Someone who wants total customizability in a bow will appreciate everything that they receive with little customizations that they can make with this one.
You can learn more about the setup of this bow here:
My Thoughts and Manufacturer Information
One of the first things that I like about the CenterPoint AVCT40KT Typhon Complete Compound Bow Fishing Bow is how this product comes with a whisker biscuit. Made by Velocity Outdoor, Centerpoint Archery is a subsidiary of that company, while the company loves winning awards, they say that their greatest reward comes from having an ever-growing team of hunters and bowfishermen who buy their bows.
Usually, the brand makes crossbows, but they appear to have made an exception for bowfishing.
This bow comes with rubberized finger savers, an essential in bowfishing to protect your fingers. While the bow doesn’t come with a sight, you may be able to possibly buy a sight for it. This bow works great and may be worth checking out.
Who We Recommend It For
For someone who wants a whisker biscuit, you can save some cash by buying the CenterPoint because of how whisker biscuits can cost anywhere from $25 to $80 depending on what you buy. The lower price also makes it a great starting point for beginners since you can easily wind up paying more for bows.
My Thoughts and Manufacturer Information
As a compound bow, they made the Pandarus for women, youth and the beginner. Think of this as more of an entry-level bowfishing bow, and the price reflects the level of skill. You wouldn’t want this bow if you have bowfished for several years as a male bowfishermen because of how you can find better bowfishing bows out there.
You can get started with this bow in minutes without a bow press. Like many of the other bowfishing bows, they made the Pandarus for snapshooting. This means that you will take fast shots at the fish. Many times, this proves more effective because of how the fish often move too fast to catch them.
For someone new to the sport like a teenager, you would consider this bow perfect for them. It has 70 percent let-off. Another thing that we like? They made this bow in the USA. Especially if you want to support American companies, you may choose this company over those that had their bows made in China and elsewhere.
One of the other things that I like about this bow comes from how they include three fiberglass Pirahna bowfishing arrows with it. Many of the other bowfishing bows on this list only include one or two arrows. It’s rare to see them include more than two arrows. Granted, you often don’t need more than two arrows when bowfishing, but I like to keep spare arrows on hand. You never if you will lose one during a session, and you don’t want to have to end the trip early.
Who We Recommend It For
We would recommend this bow for women, teenagers and beginners. You will feel the most satisfied if you buy it as one of those customers. It would also make a great gift for your wife, girlfriend or child. We wouldn’t advise that an experienced male bowfishermen buys it for themselves because of how it can come with some limitations.
If you’d like to learn more about the Pandarus, check out this review of it. You will see how it’s an overall great bow when used for the right reasons:
My Thoughts and Manufacturer Information
Another one of the recurve bows, you will either love or hate. The Kingfisher can be bought in four different sizes. We would advise caution on the 35-pound draw weight, however, if you live in California since they have mandated that you need at least 40-pound draw weight when bowfishing. To do otherwise would make you susceptible to fines. You can learn more about how much draw weight you need for bowfishing here.
The story of PSE began in 1970, which means that they have been in business for over 50 years. They have helped the industry to grow as a whole.
Keep in mind, you get what you pay for with this one. The cost is lower because it gives you exactly what it says. You won’t necessarily receive a lot more than what they advertised. We point this out to set the right expectations with it. The one downside of it may come from the noise during your shots. You don’t want to spook the fish.
Bowfishing has the potential to be a bloody and messy sport, and the advantage of a recurve like this comes from how you can clean up easier than you can with a compound bow.
Who We Recommend It For
I would recommend this bow for someone who wants a cheap bowfishing bow that will let them get started. Anyone who doesn’t care as much for the bells and whistles will appreciate this bow. Recurves have an advantage in bowfishing in that they will often cost less. It includes a 32-inch bowfishing arrow, so you will be able to get started right from the beginning.
Have a look at this bow in action here:
My Thoughts and Manufacturer Information
A bowfishing pioneer of the industry, the Muzzy LV-X Bowfishing Lever offers us an entry-level lever bow. The one thing to be aware of with this bow comes from how the cables on it can wear down more quickly than what you want since they rub together and fray. To get around this, you might use Bowfishing Extreme or B.A. Bowstring’s power kits. It may cost extra, but you will find it well worth the added cost.
You may want to upgrade the strings, cables and cams on this one to get the most from it. If you planned to use this for bowfishing and hunting, I would advise thinking twice about it. The disadvantage in that comes from the fact that you need to strip, reassemble and retune the bow each time that you would switch from bowfishing to hunting.
In comparison to some of the others, the LV-X is also fairly lightweight making it a great choice for long and comfortable sessions out in the boat.
Who We Recommend It For
I would recommend this bow for someone on the hunt for a lever bow for their bowfishing needs. This bow is camless, but it offers you a cheap entry point where you could get started with bowfishing bows like this. This bowfishing bow offers you snapshooting but compound speeds—that’s what makes it one of the best.
Also, anyone worried about their bow staying in good condition when in the boat can appreciate the LV-X because of its durability. If you happen to be hard on your bows when in the boat, you may want to give this one a shot.
Check out a quick review of this bow here:
My Thoughts and Manufacturer Information
Perhaps one of the less known manufacturers of bowfishing equipment, Southland Archery Supply has some pretty cool bows in its inventory if interested in checking them out. We mentioned this brand because of its value to bowfishermen. You can choose this either in a black color or in a camouflaged color.
Along with their bow, I would recommend looking at their affordable armguard, which works great. The bow consists of fiberglass, and I like the construction quality. The sighting is accurate, and the bow shoots quite accurately.
It comes with a single bowfishing arrow, and you may want to buy an extra for if you lose the first one, which can happen when bowfishing. The instructions of this bow could be a little better in showing you how to assemble the bow, but overall, we like the quality of it.
Who Would We Recommend It For
I would recommend this bow to anyone who wants to dabble in or get started shooting compound bows for bowfishing. It makes great sense if you don’t want to commit to a more expensive compound bow and only want something that would get you started with compounds. I would also call this a great bowfishing bow for beginners.
For someone who wants to start bowfishing, you can buy the GC Camo Pro Package and get the bow for a much lower cost than many of the other bowfishing bows on the market.
My Thoughts and Manufacturer Information
The first thing that you see with the Archery M109E is that it has a unique appearance unlike all the other bowfishing bows on this list. You will either love it or love to hate it. You don’t have much room for anything else. The instructions, unfortunately, were written in another language, and you do want to be aware of that. Instead of assembling it by instructions, they can also send you a video to make the assembly easier.
However, it comes with a fair amount of accessories like a bow and arrow release, string guard wax, a stabilizer and a multifunction wrench.
The bow offers 75-percent let-off which can be an advantage or disadvantage depending on what you would prefer.
Who Would We Recommend It For
I would recommend this for someone who wants to go off the beaten path in terms of bowfishing bows. Beginners, youth and women will appreciate this bow.
My Thoughts and Manufacturer Information
The cheapest bowfishing bow on the list, but cheapest doesn’t necessarily mean the poorest quality. For someone who wants to simply get started with bowfishing, they will appreciate everything that this bow has to offer. Keep in mind, this comes with only the bow, but it lets you build your own bowfishing bow, which some people may find appealing. In some cases, however, you may be better off going for one of the more expensive bows because it includes all the accessories, and you don’t have to buy everything. It comes ready out of the box. For that reason, I don’t think that this would be the ideal choice for the beginner unless he has some idea of what he’s doing—better to go with a package that includes everything.
Who Would We Recommend It For
I would recommend this bow for someone who wants to build their own bowfishing bow. I wouldn’t call this a great choice for a beginner because of how you don’t have everything that you need. However, someone who wants to deck out a bowfishing bow with their own chosen equipment can appreciate everything that the Muzzy Addict Recurve has to offer.
Who makes the best bowfishing bow?
I would recommend Cajun as the best manufacturer of bowfishing bows because of them being a great choice for the entry-level bowfishermen. They come at a great price that won’t scare you off. Some of the other honorable mentions include Muzzy, PSE, AMS and Oneida. We would rank Oneida in second place because they have a great bow even if they’re a bit long. In third place, I would recommend Muzzy especially for a beginner because they come ready right out of the box.
Do you aim above or below a fish?
Always aim below the fish before taking a shot due to light refraction. Light refraction causes the fish to appear closer to the surface of the water than the reality. Never aim directly at the fish in the water because you will miss for sure. To put this into greater perspective, for every foot of depth, you want to aim 6 inches lower.
Can an arrow be too long?
You can’t have an arrow too long since nothing happens with too long of an arrow. The greatest danger of having too long of an arrow comes from how it could fishtail. Longer arrows will add drag and weight if you shoot them at longer distances. Longer arrows do tend to add extra baggage, however, making the length unnecessary.
How long are bowfishing arrows?
Bowfishing arrows can be anywhere from 20 to 32 inches in length. Length doesn’t matter as much, and you should concern yourself more with the weight of them. Your carbon fish arrows, for example, will weigh around 1,350 to 1,450 grains.
Can I use a regular arrow for bowfishing?
You will need special arrows if you’d want to go bowfishing because of how the feathers on the regular arrow will cause the arrow to deflect in the water. Use an arrow specially designed for bowfishing, which won’t have feathers. They will also weigh between 1,350 to 1,450 grains.
This helps with penetrating the water since a regular arrow only weighs 400 to 520 grains. Bowfishing arrows don’t shoot as far due to the extra weight.
Related article: Ultimate 9 Best Bowfishing Reels
Hopefully, this highlights some of the best bowfishing bows available on the market today. We have made this list as comprehensive as possible to give you a host of valuable choices. Take your own needs into consideration before buying one of these bowfishing bows.
We put in the “Who Would We Recommend It For” section specifically to help you decide where each one would fit the best. Check out the video reviews as well to get further information and see which one you would like the most.
