Many bowfishing boats are for sale, but the issue is that most bowfishing boat setups were thrown together on the fly rather than carefully considered. The previous owner's issues are passed on to you on the resale market. We'd like to take you through the various types of perfect platform for fishermen so you can build the best shooting platform possible.

Bowfishing Deck with a Raised Platform

Bowfishing boats with raised bowfishing decks are common among both night and day shooters because they enable bowfishermen to see further out and use the force of gravity to their advantage by using the increased height above water. Bowfishing bows have a low poundage, which allows bowfishermen to pack more punch into those longer shots.

Another advantage of elevated decks is that bowfishing lights, as well as any other gear or bowfishing equipment, can be conveniently placed under the bowfishing platform. To allow for a wider light distribution, some bowfishermen tend to instal the lights higher up on the platform's handrail. On the other hand, it is thought that mounting the lights below the platform would reduce the amount of bugs in your ears.

Raised Bowfishing Deck Disadvantages

The most significant disadvantage of raised bowfishing platforms for sale is the inability to see what's ahead of you when driving to your bowfishing position, the need to bend over to flip the trolling motor out to use it when bowfishing, the requirement for a long shaft trolling motor, and the possibility that an improperly constructed raised bowfishing deck would be unstable. Raised bowfishing decks are still common on bowfishing boats across the country, despite these disadvantages. Many people agree that the advantages of being far off the water outweigh the drawbacks of elevated bowfishing decks.

Bowfishing Platform with a Low Profile

The most popular bowfishing platform used by night shooters is a low-profile bowfishing platform. The bowfishing deck is raised just a few inches above the bowfishing boat's front end to allow the bowfishing lights to fit snugly underneath. Swamp Eye Bowfishing Light Bars are common bowfishing lights for low-profile bowfishing platforms because they can be hidden in a small space while still illuminating the waters. Not to mention the fact that they can customise the colour tone for clear or murky water, which is a big plus.

Low-profile bowfishing platforms have a number of drawbacks.

Low-profile bowfishing platforms have the disadvantage of bowfishing lights being close to the water, particularly on smaller boat hulls. Since bowfishing lights should be at least 30 inches above the water, this can restrict the amount of spread you get from them. (Regardless of the lighting style you select.) Another disadvantage is that, depending on how low you make your deck, you'll need a long shaft trolling motor. Standard trolling motors are usually only built to be flush mounted. Before mounting your low-profile bowfishing deck, double-check the shaft length on your trolling motor.

Advantages and Drawbacks of a Flush Mounted Bowfishing Deck

The inability to leverage up higher in the air for longer range shots is a disadvantage of flush mounted bowfishing decks. Bowfishing lights are often usually placed closer to the water, which may limit the amount of spread the lights provide. The flush mounted decks are perfect for night shooting and provide the most versatility in terms of floor space used to store your bowfishing equipment, but making the light boxes removable for your bowfishing boat is more difficult.

Swampox is the place to go for perfect platform forfishermen and accessories. Shop our array of bowfishing lights today to brighten up your bowfishing boat. Please contact us directly if you have any concerns about your bowfishing boat setup.