Editor’s Note: The end of April Eva Shockey came to Guntersville Lake in north Alabama for the 2015 Muzzy Bowfishing Classic. Eva is a Mossy Oak Pro Staff member and also represents Muzzy, Bowtech, Under Armour and other outdoor companies. The co-host of “Jim Shockey's Hunting Adventures” TV show, Eva has traveled all over the world taking big game animals with bows and rifles. But she never had hunted fish. Lake Guntersville was selected for this bowfishing tournament due to the large number of carp, gar, drum and catfish living there. During the summer months, when most hunting seasons are closed, bowfishing is a fun way to get outdoors and hunt fish.
I have a countdown on my phone until my wedding day at my parents’ home on June 20, 2015, to my fiancé Tim Brent. One reason I was excited about coming to the Guntersville bowfishing tournament was because Tim could come with me and went bowfishing with us. He told me not to tell, but I'm going to tell anyway. I beat him taking four fish to his zero fish. Tim loves to fish, and he goes hunting with me. He’s been a hockey player most of his life and plays professional hockey in this country as well as in Russia. He's accustomed to all the traveling I have to do for “Jim Shockey's Hunting Adventures” TV show, because he has to travel also all over this country playing at different hockey venues and in Russia.
I'm really glad I got to attend the 2015 Muzzy Bowfishing Classic and learn about this new hunting sport. I met so many great people and saw unique bowfishing boats. One team that entered the bowfishing tournament on this weekend was a team named Backwater that had their entire airboat wrapped in Mossy Oak camo, as well as their arrow holders and the rudders with which they guided the airboat. I enjoyed seeing the big airboat style bowfishing boats and also the smaller johnboats with shooting platforms built on the tops of them and lights all the way around their bows.
Although this tournament was primarily a boat tournament, I learned that many of the bowfishermen I met started off using their old hunting bows or buying inexpensive bows at pawn shops and then waded creeks, rivers and lakes to take the carp, buffalo, gar and other rough fish that they spotted in the shallow water. You can start bowfishing very inexpensively without a boat, lights or any of the other equipment that the more-serious bowfishermen use. All you really need is an inexpensive bow, a Muzzy fish arrow, a closed-face spinning reel, a pair of tennis shoe, shorts and a t-shirt. Then, you’re ready to go bowfishing.
I can’t believe what a great sport bowfishing is, and that I’ve never been. I’ll be back bowfishing next year or at least that’s my plans. If you’ve never hunted fish in the shallows during the spring, summer and early fall, particularly at night, and if you love to shoot a bow, I strongly recommend you try bowfishing. The sport is a lot of fun, and you get to shoot a lot.
Day 4: You Don’t Bowhunt at Night But Do Bowfish at Night
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