Big Water Bowfishing

[RickBarbee]

Jerry Hill is working on a new bowfishing head, that looks awesome.

He calls it the Lily Iron, big fish/gator broadhead, and is close to having it in production.

I wish I had big water around here to bowfish in, because this thing looks like it will nicely do the job on big fish, and big lizards.

Rick

[GarGuy]

It would totally suck for gator gar but I can see it being great for alligators.

[RickBarbee]

It would totally suck for gator gar but I can see it being great for alligators.

I wouldn't know, because I've never bowfished for either, but I've seen pictures of Jerry's grandson with some pretty big gator gar he took with an old version of this head.

Rick

[Bisch]

It would totally suck for gator gar but I can see it being great for alligators.

That was my first thought too!!!!

Bisch


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[RickBarbee]

I'm not arguing, because I sure don't know.

Explain to me what would make it suck on gator gar.

When I said I had never bowfished either, I mean "big gator gar".
I've taken a few small ones 10 lbs & less with regular old bowfishing arrows with the wire barbs, and they worked just fine.

Rick

[GarGuy]

Let's just start by assuming it penetrated . How you gonna get it out? Let's say you shoot at a fish and miss, how many roots can you pull up to get your arrow.

[RickBarbee]

Let's just start by assuming it penetrated . How you gonna get it out? Let's say you shoot at a fish and miss, how many roots can you pull up to get your arrow.

I'm pretty sure penetration won't be a problem.

I would rig mine on a snap swivel, unsnap it, and pull the arrow all the way though to get it out.

As far as roots go, in shallow water I'd go get it, but probably wouldn't use a head like this, except in big & deep water.

Rick

[DRT]

Rick it's gonna have to be one helluva snap on a snap swivel to hold a fish. I've tried them even on just regular gar, buffalo and carp, biggest I could buy and they don't hold up.

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[GarGuy]

I'm pretty sure penetration won't be a problem.

I would rig mine on a snap swivel, unsnap it, and pull the arrow all the way though to get it out.

As far as roots go, in shallow water I'd go get it, but probably wouldn't use a head like this, except in big & deep water.

Rick

Pulling it all the way thru a big gator gar is gonna be quite the trick. First, it's not gonna be sticking out the other side. If you get lucky and it is... the point us under the belly of a really pizzed off 200lb fish. Roll her on her side and try to hold her there while you pull on that arrow.

I'll go with great for alligator hunting though. Would also be a good big shark tip.

[RickBarbee]

Pulling it all the way thru a big gator gar is gonna be quite the trick. First, it's not gonna be sticking out the other side. If you get lucky and it is... the point us under the belly of a really pizzed off 200lb fish. Roll her on her side and try to hold her there while you pull on that arrow.

I'll go with great for alligator hunting though. Would also be a good big shark tip.

I'll probably never have call to use anything like this anyway.

I do know, that Howard Hill shot lots of different really big fresh & saltwater fish with his own homemade version of this head, which included really big gator gar. How much trouble he had removing the arrow was never discussed, so I don't know about that.

No, I'm not going to wrestle a 200# gator gar to get my arrow out of it. Kill first. Retrieve arrow after.

Anyway, I just thought it was really cool, and thought I would share.

Gary, I don't remember the size of the latch hook swivels I use, but I've never had one give up on me, and I've taken carp in the 20 - 30 lb area.

Rick

[DRT]

I'll see if I can find the extra packages of the ones we used. Sell em cheap.[emoji1787][emoji23][emoji1787]
Big salt water ones. We could never figure out if they just busted open or got popped open as they went through the fish. But yeah, the vast majority of our fish were under fifty pounds. Never got to go after big gator gar.

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[RickBarbee]

I asked Jerry about arrow removal.

He says:

"He uses 920 psi strength leader, with a deep sea snap swivel.
The heavy duty deep sea snap swivel is for the allowance of arrow removal once the Lily Iron has completely penetrated, and stainless steel leader can be unsnapped and removed from the fish or gator."

Rick

[GarGuy]

Cool. I can see it being great for big soft fish like grass carp. 50lbers will tear off most tips.

[RickBarbee]

If I can beg Jerry out of one, I may try to find a place to test it out.

The thing weighs 450 gr.

Rick