First off let me say one of the best parts of my bowfishing experience was meeting Marcus and Chris. They are very knowledgeable, love bowfishing and do it with a passion.

We talked briefly on the phone before our trip. He said we would mostly be targeting Gar and maybe a few Carp or Buffs.
I thought to myself, Gar?! are you kidding. I'll be lucky to hit a large carp or buffalo. These guys are going to have more fun then me laughing all night, at me.

We met up Temple and drove out to the launch site. Marcus is getting into the guiding business and would like to do it full-time. He is a blue-collar worker like myself. When he works he works hard. It's not surprising that after all the responsibilities he has in life when a little free time comes around he spends it having fun bowfishing.

When we got to the launch we discussed safety. Put on some bug spray (that I didn't think of to bring). Then the generator came on along with the lights. I swear every bug for 20 miles flew to the scene. I thought, oh [censored], party time and I'm the alcohol. Lucky for me all the bugs just came from an AA meeting and weren't out for blood. But they were crawling all over me.

I was then instructed to take some shots into the water to familiarize myself with the bow and the reel. After a few shots we got in the boat and headed up river. Hundreds of bugs still all over me. Somewhere up the river I forgot the bugs were even there except for an occasional one that would go up my nose.

While going up river I was thinking, this is it, I'm going bowfishing. (I had thought about going bowfishing for almost 13 years, but my closed carp angling mind wouldn't even consider it to be more than a mere thought.)

I'm not sure I can describe the feeling floating up that river at night and what awaited me. It looked like I was going back in time, no houses, lights, cars, no trash, just wild. It could have been now, a hundred years ago or even a thousand.

Then we slowed down. We were bowfishing and I took my spot at the front of the boat. We were in a small flat-bellied boat three of us and I had to balance myself. I had already accepted the fact that I would be going swimming. It really got hammered in my mind when I heard that Chris has fallen in the night before when they hit a log that they didn't see. They told me again what to look for logs and the right side of the bank and gar. I missed spotting the first gar looking for something big like a carp. Then I remembered what he said, we'll be targeting mostly gar. The gar I saw was small. I thought, yeah right, I'll hit that.(not)

We saw more gar and I missed the few shots I had on them.

As we went down the river my sense of smell seemed to get primal. I could smell the animals as we passed them on the bank, nutria, beaver and deer. I swear I could smell the fish in the water. My senses were alive (they have been dead since I left childhood). Then I spotted a small gar, lifted the bow and let the arrow fly. Though the bow had a sight on it (I think), I didn't use it. I hit the gar and was reeling it in. I never thought for a second that it was luck. I knew it, I felt it. On the way to the boat the gar came off and wasn't landed. But were was I? There should have been disappointment but there wasn't. I was 1,000 years back in time, it was what it was nothing more.

The boat moved on, I continued too look, eyes peeled. I drew the bow, this time more relaxed like the bow was a part of me, the arrow flew, I knew before it hit the water that it would be in the gar. I wasn't surprised then., but I am now thinking that the width of the gar was only 5 times bigger that the width of the arrows shaft. I was instinctively shooting what to me seemed very small. Never would I have imagined I could do it if I had practiced for years and here I was doing it. But even that thought had not crossed my mind until after I got home. I was just doing something natural. Like picking up something I had dropped.

I landed the gar and asked Marcus to take a picture of my first bow shot fish and my first gar (I'd have yet to try to catch one on a rod and reel). I wonder even now if I should have brought that camera. I was no longer a thousand years back. I was now in the present. We talked and joked as we went up river. I could hear the generator now. I could feel my primal senses leaving me once again. I shot a few more gar but when the senses were gone I missed some gar too.

Later that night we went to a lake to look for carp and buffalo. We spotted a few right away but I missed the shots. I could feel it coming back now. It never left completely, it's always been there, hidden away in someplace I'm not aware of. I could feel them around me, the animals the fish. I know this may sound crazy now, but I felt one, a fish, it was swimming toward me even though I couldn't see it or it's wake. I somehow knew it was there. I let the arrow fly and I could hear it go through the fish in the water though I could see nothing. I didn't even tell Marcus or Chris what happened. I didn't ask for the camera. I enjoyed the rest of the night, the company I had in the boat, the quiet and the moon in the black sky.

My disappointment came only when it had to end.

Even though Marcus and Chris were watching me it was hard to know my guides were there because I was having so much fun. It's only when I didn't spot a fish or needed to adjust the tension on my slide that I would hear their needed guidance. I was out there for hours and never got bored.

When we got the boat out we took a picture of the buffalo I shot. My first buffalo ever caught (have yet to catch one on a rod and reel). But it wasn't about the fish anymore or the pictures. Bragging rights don't matter anymore. For me it's something deeper.

I'm not gonna lie, I would like to do that sometime but I've not a clue what to do with the fish.

Sounds like a good time.

sounds cool. I'm gonna have to do that someday

Donny, just go for tilapia, you know what to do with those!

don't waste, turn them into kitty bait! Finally got that elusive buff, just wish you had got it on r&r first.

Bubba, you can't say I didn't try to get one on R&R first.

Bowfishing may not be for eveyone, neither is sitting 72 hours on the bank for some people. But I love doing both. I never have enough time on the bank and I'll never have enough time on the boat.

For anyone that wants to try bowfishing, I suggest you contact Marcus (carp_slayer) and Chris. It's affordable and lots of fun.

I'll post a few pictures when I get home from work 2AM. I need some overtime to buy that new bow.

Anyone want to buy some Okuma tackle or trade some for some boat time??

Thank you for taking time to share your first experience in story form. I really enjoyed reading it that I could almost image myself in your shoes.

I bowfish even in broad daylight and even then they are hard to hit. Some of them could be just a few feet away and you think there is no way I'm missing this and sure enough, arrow hits to hits to high again! The refraction of the fish throws your aim off big time.

What equipment were you using?

If you post pictures, make sure they are in good taste so they dont offend those that like to fish for gar or carp, and especially dont post pics that send a negative message about bowfishers. Its hard to say what sort of pictures won't offend but just use good judgement.

USA-1: I'm not sure of the equipment, but I will find out.
I have considered your advice about the pictures and I'll hold off posting them.

What did you do with the fish you killed?

Take them home to eat?
Toss them back in the water?
Toss them on the bank?

I'm not going bowfishing until I can do it for trophy bass at Fork.

Sounds like a good trip!

They were properly disposed of.

KNEW you'd have a good time! I've been buddies with Marcus(carp_slayer) for quite a few yrs now. I knew he wouldn't dissapoint you. He's been trying to get me to go for some time now, but I just can't get the bass bug outta me. Glad you had a good time and enjoyed yourself!