I made a very short light bow for bowfishing. arrows about 8 inch long copper points... ERC bow. about 30 inch, cable back.
horrid looking.
wil post pics tomm. Want to know If I need to fletch the arrows, very short range- under 5 yards. I am a little short on fletch right now.
Thanks,
Squirrel
Here is the pic of the arrow, smallest pouint, one barb.
Second one is a spearfishing foreshaft for my spear.

Thanks!

Are you saying that you have eight inch arrows? I love bow fishing and favor long arrows, at least six inches longer than what I would normally use. If you're using a retrieval line and short distances the fletching may not make a huge difference but even if you're short on fletching material, duct tape could make a short term substitute. If your arrows are really short, and I may be misunderstanding what you said, your distance will be longer and fletching will probably be necessary. I also favor composite arrows, like fiberglass because I think the heavy weight helps in the penetration into the water to hit your target. If your retrieval line doesn't follow directly behind your arrow, I would think that you definately need fletching.

Bowfishing is the only time I almost used a compound bow. With the distances and heavy arrows I noticed more arrow drop with my 50lb+ recurve.

hm.. Illtry long arrows.
THanks for advice

I doubt they are. but what about small-diam steel tubing? Hard to get, yes, hard to work, yes..
I am thinking I am gonna make some oak arrows... still gonna make them short. its a real pain to haul 36 inch logs 3 miles on bike... even worse in snow.
I have some 16-18 inch logs of oak in garage, well seasoned, very heavy, dense wood for arrows. I tried to make some by for-shafting the arrows for a long enough... didn't work, soooooo heavy.
I will try this.. but my bow is about 30 inches long, pulls about 20 pounds, and is for catching blue-gills and small catfish, etc in a creek-river thing. I am very short on fletch.. what type of line should I use for it?
also, are my mini copper points good enough? they are actually the barbs I use on my fishing spear-harpoon thingee.
THanks!
Squirrel

Hm... Man, If there is anything I hate, its being short on money/supplies!
that or having to take a test without studying!
Anyway, I have some of those old rods... but I do not like making bows out of them.
I prefer a small ceder-cable bow.
Its cheap...... and natural.
I made some very heavy BL bolts for a crossbow... short and fat.
Maybe Ill use them for fishing!
THanks,
Squirrel
(I have no idea what I would do without slinging.org forums....)

I just bought my fishing license so I could take this sport up.  I'll probably outfit myself with a commercial recurve bowfishing rig, as I've heard bowfishing can be kind of hard on bows (gunk and grime and all that) and I don't want my target bows getting smudged.  I can't wait till carp spawning season.  I know some great shoreline overlooks where you can get a good vantage on little creek-fed coves.  I've heard that's the best place to get carp in April or so.

Some of the southeastern US tribes simply carried a short, fairly heavy draw bow and 5 or 6 cane arrows.  The arrows were about the length of the shooter and straightened with heat.  The tip was hardened in the fire after it was straightened.  They would wade or walk the bank and pin the fish to the bottom of the creek with the arrow.  They carried extra arrows for when the tip got dull or they hit a rock.  That sounds right up your alley, 'Slinger.

It also sounds like it was definately invented by a married guy, outside, shooting a bow, getting wet and muddy, and if he comes home with some fish, he wasn't really avoiding real work, he was fishing!

I have made "shoot" shafts, which are arrow shafts made from young hardwood trees or shoots.  Huckelberry, sparkelberry and blueberry are all in the same family and make good shafts.  Sourwood and Maple work well, also.  So does Youpon Holly and Chinese Privet, that's the stuff usually grown into hedges, but any hardwood shoot will usually work. 

Cut them longer than the arrow you plan on building, too thick is OK, too thin is not.  If it is too thin, you won't be able to cut a nock.  Leave the bark on, straighten them by hand every evening, get them as straight as you can, then tie them in a bundle until the next night.  After about a week or so, they won't need re straightening very much, so let them sit for two or three days between sessions for another week or so.  Then, scrape the bark, sand, straighten and seal. You can use wax, oil or paint to do this, if wax or oil, then use some heat to make it penetrate the wood.  Leave the area where you are going to put your fletches clean, otherwise, the glue may not stick to the wood.  The large end is going to be the point.  You can speed up drying by holding the shoots over a fire, putting them in the attic, in a hot car, or over a heating vent.  If you dry them too fast, they will check or split.  The ends will split slightly anyway, that's why you cut them longer than your finished arrow.