do you need a boat to bowfish???

I havent ever seen anyone go from shore. but i lure some monster carp to the top for bread , so could i jsut wax them with my bow???

i have done well wading and shooting from shore especially for suckers and dogfish, boat helps though

As a matter of fact I do quite a lot of my bowfishing from shore. A lot of Lake St. Clair where I fish in Michigan, you can wade a lot of the bays. I also fish in the Saginaw bay area and wading the marshes, creeks and bays is my choice of fishing. There are also a lot of creeks and canals that walking is the only way to do it. Since most of the time you're hiking through the woods to get to a certain river or creek. I also have an area about 10 minutes from my house where I drive behind a industrial complex, park my truck and walk a small creek that comes off of the spillway, that is just loaded with carp. There's even a lot of time when I am fishing from a boat that I'll get out and wade the shallows. Except for night fishing where I'm fishing for gar or bowfin, is the only time I stay in the boat.

90% of my bowfishing is done from wading the shore. It all depends on the spots that you have access to but I have better luck standing near a main travel route and shooting from there. A boat lets you cover more ground but they seem to spook easier do to your larger profile then if you are standing in the water.

wadeing is a blast. i walk the shoreline watching up ahead for moving weeds, or fish in the shallows, then stalk up. where i go theres lots of trees, and weeds around the shore so you are stalking thru the woods! wear some waders to get out to the ones just out of reach. things i dont like about walkin the shore....poison ivy...skeeters by the millions, ...and chiggers!!

I've actually never done it from a boat.
Mostly from the shore, and waded in a few times.

It's easier to do from shore if you can find a high vantage point that is at least a few feet above the waterline.
That way the refraction isn't such a factor since you are shooting more vertically.