andydoc

Howdy all! I am brand spanking new to bowfishing and am looking to purchase either an AMS Bowfishing kit or a Cajun Archery Bowfishing kit...one a retriever and one a spincast. Can I get some opinions as to what route I should take?

nwochuck

I myself preffer a retreiver over spincast. I hate having to remmber to release spincast when shots are going fast.

fishpoint

Retriever, hands down.

Welcome to the addiction.

Johnny b

I would'nt own a retreiver. Well I did until i gave it away. The spin cast are so much faster. How hard is it to push a button. If you for get it just pulls the arrow off. I took a newby out on last Saturday, and he had a retreiver, we spent all day winding in his line. I could shoot twice a fast as he could. Well that should start the sparks flying.

deer_predator

Well yeah it pulls the arrow off unless you are shooting with safety slides then it just nails you in the knuckles....[:@](from experience). I use an AMS retriever and never have a problem keeping up with the "reelers". I think it just comes down to what you would be more comfortable with.....Heaven knows the "Renowned World Champion" Kendall uses a reel and the "Former Champ" Christine uses a retriever.....Two Champs and two totally different set-ups...

carpsniper

If you have no experience with either, I would recomend the retriever.

If you use a spincast reel with safety slides on your arrows you must, must, MUST use a rod extension on your reel seat. If you don't, then you can draw the arrow w/o releasing the pick-up pins.

DUMB BASS

Just got an AMS after hand windining on a drum for 5 years.

WAY FASTER is the AMS. Easy to use. I like it a lot, but I go a lot. If you only go a time or two a year you can get started w/ a drum style. Still a ton of fun.

fishstix

Well, I like a spincaster for the drag, usually when you tie into a fish 8 out of 10 times you have to mess with something else (carp law). For someone new I would advice it just because they are little cheaper to ensure the person enjoys it, then he/she can always try a retriever. Also look at the type of bow you are shooting. A friend of mine put a retriever on an older recurve and ended up breaking the bow, granted on my investigation found that he didn't use any riser bushings and the bow already had wear.

todd

andydoc

Thanks everyone for the info. Can a whisker biscuit rest be used with either systems?

Carpsniper...Can you explain more as to why the rod extension is needed with the safety slides? I see several bows that don't use the extension

carpsniper

Sure. The safety slide is designed to keep the line in front of the bow so that it never gets near the bowstring where they can become tangled. This is when there is a danger of "snap-back".
With a spincast, one of the main problems is when the shooter forgets to push the button to release the pick-up pins in the spinner head. This can and often does break the line, losing the arrow and/or the pick-up pin is sheared off, making the reel useless.
To help prevent this, many spincast users tie to the back of the arrow and take all the slack out of the line when they nock the arrow on the string. This way if they have forgotten to push that release, the nock pulls off the sting as they draw the bow.
When you use a safety slide with this set up, and youreel all the extra line up, the slide is only about the middle of the arrow. You can still draw the bow w/o knowing if the button/release has been pushed. Been there, done that. (see above and add miss the fish to that list)
What the rod extension does is put the slide out to the tip of the arrow before you draw. Again this will pull the nock off the bowstring if the release is forgotten.

Hope that helps.