Bowfishing is a way in which some people choose to go fishing, where they use specialized archery equipment rather than the traditional fishing pole and fishing line. Fish are both shot and retrieved with this specialized bow, as it has a line attached to the bow, which the shooter can then reel in. Some of the things that people commonly hunt with this approach include different varieties of carp, alligator gar, paddlefish and in saltwater, sharks and rays are also commonly sought after. Before you get started with this type of hybrid between fishing and hunting, however, there are some basic things you need to first familiarize yourself with.
Before you set out to go bowfishing, you must make sure that you are a licensed fisherman. This sport is more fishing than it is hunting, so everything revolves more around that aspect of it than anything else. Nearly every state in the U.S. will require you to have a fishing license before you can legally go fishing in that state and this specialized form of fishing, even though it uses different equipment, is no different. Speaking of equipment, the next you need to make sure you have is proper equipment that has been approved for this type of fishing. There are many different types of equipment and gear that you can purchase, so you should do a little online research to see what people recommend as the best. Also remember that some states will have laws on the books that state specific equipment and gear you absolutely must have.
Depending on which state you plan to go bowfishing in, there may or may not be a specialized safety or beginner's course that you will be required to complete before you can legally go fishing with archery equipment. These classes should be very brief, usually only lasting for 8 hours on a Saturday or Sunday. They will give you all of the very basic safety guidelines, precautions, proper fishing methods to use and rules for fishing in that specific state.
Also keep in mind that in most states, you will not be able to go bowfishing at any time of the year, at least, not legally. It is very likely that the state you are going bowfishing in will only permit you to do so during specified seasons rather than the duration of the whole year. This is simply because they want to allow certain types of fish to be able to reproduce and keep the waters populated. Also check to see which types of fish are permitted to be shot.