carpsniper

BTW, I'm sure that a WB can be used with either set-up. But I would not recommend using one if you tie to the back of the arrow.

You've never said what kind of bow you're planning on using here. I'm guessing it's a compound by the WB question. My advice to anyone starting out, especially with a compound, AMS retriever reel and safety slides. It is the safest, most Kendall proof set-up out there today. IMO

andydoc

Thanks a bunch for the info. I have two bows to chose from...a PSE Laser and a Bear First Strike. Once I get the Bear (just bought it off ebay), I am going to the local archery shop (EZ Living) and they will help me decide.

carpsniper

I've been there a couple of times. Used to live over by Galesburg.

andydoc

forgot to ask carpsniper...which do you use? spincast or retriever?

Jim_IV

spincast

Bulzeye

Andydoc,
I, likeseveral others, have both setups on different bows.
I think the Retreiver is perfect for everyday recreational bowfishing, loaning a bow to a beginner, or teaching at seminars. They are the simplest to use, most hassle-free, tangle-free, bullet-proof setup out there. They last forever, parts are available, and repairs are easy.

When there are a lot of fish to shoot at however, orI am competing in a tournament, I'll go with the spincast. They do have more mechanical problems, but It's real easy to get hooked on that reel-in speed. It'll give you several shots at a group of fish where you only may have gotten one with the AMS.

They will both bring in plenty of fish.

carpsniper

I mainly use a recurve with a spincast. I have a recurve with a slotted retriever also. I've been told that the slotted retriever is more difficult to use. (Maybe that's why I keep going back to the spinner.) I will be getting a retriever pro in the future and give it a try.

That being said, the only way I would use a spincast with a compound bow is to use a rod extension in the reel seat and safety slides on the arrow.

Good Luck with whichever you choose.

HNI_Christine

Up until this past Spring, I used the same retriever that I bought over ten years ago. In all my bowfishing I've only lost one arrow. Those two things are the biggest advantages in my opinion. You'll save a lot of money in the long-run with the retriever. So, I happily bought another retriever.

Spincasts are faster. They hold more line for longer shots and they are cheaper in intial expense.
You'll also learn skills like replacing broken pick-up pins, tying on new arrows after the line snapped when you forgot to push the button and some colorful language if you go with the spincast.

andydoc

Thanks everyone for the advice. It is great to have a place like this for us beginners. One last question if you don't mind. I can only afford one bow right now, so how hard is it to take the retriever on and off for hunting season?

Thanks again!

Bulzeye

While most people use dedicated bows for fishing (often ugly, banged up bows), you can change setups to make your bow double duty.

It's only a couple of screws to mount the AMS Retriever, but they go into the sight holes, so if you use sights, you'll be reinstallingand adjusting them everytime you get geared up for hunting. By then you'll be so hooked on whacking fish that you won't be able to decide what you should have on your bow in the fall.

Some of us nuts shoot fish all year around, whenever the water is soft enough.

I usually recommend the AMS for beginners, but it would be easier for you to transition between setups if you used a spincast that mounts on a reel seat that screws into your stabilizer hole. That way, the most you have to change is the stabilizer. Just a thought.