I plan on doing alot of bow fishing this year but haven't done it for years. What some good equipment that won't break the bank?

Welcome back to bowfishing!

That's somewhat of a contradiction in any sport or hobby.
Durability and reliability won't be found in the 'cheap isle'.

Here is some info that should help you balance your cost-to-enjoyment ratio...


REELS:
A very dirt-cheap reel is the manual-wrap spool. They are less than $20, and won't break, butare a big pain to use with hand-over-hand line retreival and lots of tangles. Try that on a boat full of shooters, and you can put your whole team out of commission for 5 minutes with a single catch. When shooting from a bank with tall weeds, it gets even more fun.

The AMS Retreiver IMO has the best overall balance between ruggedness, decent retreival speed, adds zero drag to your arrow in flight, and has a very high degree of foolproofishness. It has the highest price tag for initial setup, but will last for over a decade, andis easy to fix if it does break. They are commonly recommended for beginners in spite of the extra initial cost.

The closed-faced spincast reel on a reel seat is very popular with the competition/tournament crowd. Ease of cranking, drag setting, the anti-reverse feature,andsuper-speedy arrow retreival (due to the gear ratio)contribute to its popularity. While the initial setup is a bit cheaper than the Retreiver, you'll end up spending more on spincasts in the long run when you occassionally forget to push the bale release button before shooting and scramble the reel's gears. (Carry a spare)
They also add some drag to your arrow flight and will affect your point of impact on longer shots, but can't be beat for flat-out 'get-back-in-the-action speed'.

ARROWS and POINTS:
I use the cheaper white fiberglass arrows because it's too easy to lose them. It really hurts to say goodbye to a $25 carbon shaft.

I like Muzzy and Shureshot points.

LINE:
Don't compromise.
Fastflight or Muzzy line. (200-400 pound test braided line)
Don't use any kind of monofiliment, regardless of pound-test rating.
Thicker line is easier on your hands, and won't cut you the way the thinner stuff can.

Modern bowfishing suppliers have some great stuff.
Hope this helped.
Enjoy whackin 'em.

Chris

Thanks Bulzeye. I should have been more specific on the breakin the bank part, but you gave me just what I wanted to know by giving me options when it's up to me, and when not to skimp. That's exactly what I was looking for. I don't mind forking out the money when it's needed, but don't need to do to look cool. You the man.

Now here ya go Chris......Gonna get all of the spincast folks started....AGAIN! LOL

Hey Ken.
Maybe it's not such a big deal for those of you who can remember to hit that darned button every time, and not manage to accidentally bump the crank between shots (resetting the button).

They all have pros and cons. That's why most of us have at least one set of each type.

I love my Retreiver for general recreational bowfishing, especially from the bank or wading, but put me on a boat where I have a (distant) chance of winning back some gas money and I'm all over that spincast...and it's backup. [:-]

Just helping out.
That's what our club does.
Whether it's talking equipment, opening up new waters for bowfishing, getting laws changed that benefit our sport, working with biologists to study invasive species, or teaching kids to shoot bows, it's all about making things better for everyone who has an interest in bowfishing.

Now join up, go kill some fish, and add to the 2008 fish kill totals.
Hope to meet you at a shoot sometime.