It seems like they come out with a new reel for bowfishing everyday I was just wondering what everyones using, I went from a fly fishing reel to 3 bolts attached to a aluminum mount (None of the previous worked) to a soup can mounted onto the bow (worked) to a open bail spincaster with 50# mono attached. But im looking into a Zebco 808 or a AMS standard reel, the ams reel is a bit pricey though.

The AMS retriever is a favorite wherever you find bowfishers.

I have a close-faced spincast reel (Shakespeare Synergy <$20 @ Walmart) that works well. It's mounted to my bow's sight holes with a Fuzz Mount from Sully's http://www.sullysbowfishing.com/. THey can also be mounted to special short fishing poles using your bow's stabilizer hole.

Muzzy has a similar one coming out that is very beefy and sure to take the abuse that bowfishing demands. Use fastflight line on the spincasts, and for the retriever, use the braided line that comes with it.

Both types of reel beat the pants off any hand wound/ homemade arrangement for speed, ease of retrieval, and keeping your line tangle free. I know this first hand as I was a spool guy for many years.

You can always go cheap for now, and then try somebody's spare bow with something else on it at one of the shoots.

Happy shopping.

We carry both AMS retreiver reels on our webpage and personally use them on every bowfishing trip we take. We have used them to catch everything from Gar to huge alligators. Feel free to stop by www.bowfishingoutfitters.com

Zebco 808 and 888 work extremely well no complaints here on those

There may be no more clear cut division in bowfishing than in the debate on reels. With either type there are people who swear by them or at them. we could tell you all day, but you really need to try them before you can make a descision.

I am looking into getting a reel and have been leaning towards a zebco or synergy reel. but what type of line and what poundage do i put on there? i will be fishing for small Gar and Carp. i have an oneida that i bought off line for 50 bucks that i will be using to shoot.

If there is a chance you will be shooting gar, small or large, consider 150-200 lb fast flight line as it is more abrasion resistant to the gar's razor-like scales then say Power Pro line.







BTW, I just saw one of the new Zebco 888 reels at Gander Mountain this past weekend. I didn't take it apart to see the internal changes made but the new reel must weigh in at two pounds. Heavy duty or just heavy,not sureyet. It appears that the new 808 Magnum also got redone similar to the new 888. Thesealong with the new 808 Bowfisher, Muzzy's new spincast, and theShakespear synergy reels give you at least 5 options for thespincast guy.

Nice write up if you didn't see this already on the new bowfishing reels for 2006

http://www.sullysbowfishing.com/06reelguide.asp

I just bought a new one handled PS888 like the one in Robow's pic above. I bumped the handle on my Synergy once and didn't notice that the pickup had engaged. With only one handle, that might be easier to prevent. Of course, that isn't an issue with the Retriever.