“Bow fishing & More”
By Terry Lacoss
There is a new charter service on Amelia Island provided by Captain Ben Sports who is now taking guests bow and arrow fishing. Captain Ben was raised in Fernandina beach having fished local waters for the past twenty fishing seasons. Ben has combined his love for fishing and gigging into his new charter services. Captain Sports guides his guests to a variety of saltwater species with the bow and arrow, but also offers gigging and harvesting fish with a rod and reel too.
“My charter boat is custom rigged with lights and a large platform that allows my guests to see a variety of sea life at night,” Captain Ben said. “We typically will navigate along a sandy marsh edge where flounder are numerous, also boat docks and rocks offer excellent bow and arrow fishing for sheepshead which can be chummed right up to the lights and boat. I have also begun to take my charter guests offshore bow fishing too, where a variety of saltwater species can be chummed up within range of my guests bow and arrow.”
A thirty to fifty-pound compound bow is preferred outfitted with a closed face spinning reel. The fishing reel is filled with twenty to fifty-pound braided fishing line depending on the size fish that you will be targeting. The closed face spinning reel allows bow fishermen to reel their fish in, or to retrieve their arrow. A screw off arrowhead allows you to push the arrow through the fish, screw off the arrowhead, then retrieve your arrow back through the fish.
Practice makes perfect. Before you go bow and arrow fishing, it’s a great idea to practice on your backyard lawn. Placing plastic cups at various distances makes for great target practice. However, because fish are normally swimming, placing balloons on your yard where the wind is moving them allows you to sharpen up your aim when fish are moving. Also keep in mind that there is also a light retraction factor where fish appear to be higher in the water column than they are. So, aiming three inches below your targeted fish will place your arrow right on its underwater target.
Bow and arrow fishing is more popular in south Florida where several bow fishermen target invasive tilapia that are numerous in small canals. However, bow and arrow fishing is catching on in Northeast Florida where fishermen have a wide variety of saltwater species to target.
Keep in mind the same license requirements apply for bow and arrow that are necessary for other methods of fishing. Special permits may be necessary when bow fishing in certain areas, always check first! Also is some areas of Florida, it is illegal to use bow, or crossbow. Parks, refuges and sanctuaries are obvious places to avoid.
For more information on Captain Ben Sports bow and arrow fishing charters please go to www.ameliabow&giggcharters.com.
