Perhaps you saw the Genesis bow, liked it, and wondered to yourself if you can bowfish with it. The Genesis bow after all, is the first compound bow that they designed to eliminate specific draw length and let-off requirements. This makes it the perfect choice for a beginner of every size, age and ability.
Can you bowfish with a Genesis bow? Yes, you can go bowfishing with any kind of bow, including a Genesis bow. With that said, bowfishing bows designed specifically for bowfishing tend to do the best because of how they were made for bowfishing and can fit that purpose best.
You “Could” but Should You?
With everything said, the Genesis bow makes a perfect choice for beginners, whether children or adults for archery. For anyone just getting started, this might be a good choice to learn archery, but does it make the best bow for bowfishing? After all, you can literally go bowfishing with any bow that you want.
I wouldn’t personally go bowfishing with a Genesis bow. You could, but it’s not the ideal bow for bowfishing, and you have to go wi theth original Genesis to ensure that you will hit the fish and truly pierce them.
Some people report arrows bouncing off the fish, so not all their shots hit their mark. Especially if you hit the fish and it bounced off, you would find that frustrating. That said, the Genesis bow can stick fish, but you might have a case where it is more hit and miss. You might strike the fish in some cases, and you might miss them in others. Does that sound worth it to you?
It doesn’t to me, but with that said, I’m not here to tell you what to do, and if you want to buy the Genesis bow for bowfishing, I would recommend the Genesis Original Bow. They say that the original works best when it comes to bowfishing. You can stick them in some cases, and for a beginner, you can set the poundage.
The Issue with the Genesis Bow
The problem with the Genesis bow is that the poundage isn’t enough to penetrate the water as deeply, and while the arrow can penetrate some of the smaller fish, it doesn’t work as well with the larger fish.
You also have some people who love the bow and some who don’t. It might depend on where you’re shooting. Some people say that it works well with shooting carp. It just depends on your personal preference. I personally wouldn’t use it because I don’t see anything wrong with using a regular compound bow. In fact, I’d prefer it, but I have years of experience as a bowfisherman.
With the Genesis bow, you will only be able to shoot fish in shallower water like 3 feet deep at the most, but with that said, you usually shoot best in water between 3 to 5 feet deep anyway, even with a regular bowfishing bow.
What Alternative Would I Recommend?
If I were to say a better alternative to the Genesis bow, the Cajun Fish Stick Take-Down Bowfishing Bow. Personally, I find it better to learn how to shoot with a bow like this rather than letting yourself be handicapped with the Genesis bow. With that said, the Genesis bow does have the advantage that it allows for snapshots like what a bowfishing bow allows for.
Ultimately, however, what you choose will come down to personal preference. The Genesis bow can make things easier in some ways, but I think it will ultimately prove a handcap as you shoot some fish, and it fails to pierce them.
Why Do People Choose the Genesis Bow?
To understand if the Genesis bow is right for you, you should first learn how they use it. That will give you the best idea on whether it is the right choice for you or not. With the Genesis bow, you get arrows shot at around 170 FPS, while the regular compound bow shoots them at 300 FPS.
With a Genesis bow, you can adjust the draw length from 15 inches to 30 inches. Meanwhile, you can adjust the draw weight from 10 to 20 pounds, which in some states might be illegal to shoot at fight with that low of a draw weight. At a minimum you will need 20 pounds of draw weight, and even this might not be enough to shoot the fish. It might work for the smaller ones near the surface, but it will ultimately fail otherwise.
For like deer hunting or big game, the Genesis absolutely wouldn’t be a good choice because it doesn’t have enough draw weight. Even for fish, it is on shaky ground.
Still, some bowfishermen have chosen this bow because of its simple appearance, and it has a steadfast and sturdy design. You might give this to your kid as an introduction to bowfishing, but even that, it may not be the best choice.
You might also choose the Genesis bow as a way of getting used to archery and slowly graduate to some of the regular compound bows.
When You Shouldn’t Use a Genesis Bow
This type of bow might be fine if you were only going after small carp, but in general, I’d advise against getting it if you were to go after some of the bigger fish like the giant gar. You probably won’t penetrate their tough skin with 20-pound draw weight. You will need the more normal one of 40 to 50-pound draw weight.
While I’ve heard of people even taking gar with the Genesis, honestly, I find that is questionable because this fish has some tough armor for scales. You need to have the best draw weight and a regular bow to get it. Maybe taking a one or two-time shot at a gar won’t matter much, but if you plan to go after gar regularly, you will most likely want something a little heavier than the Genesis bow.
This bow will usually work best in water between 6 to 8 inches deep. If you wanted to get your child started in bowfishing, you might find this bow helpful. For adults doing bowfishing, you may want to simply go with the compound bow.
The Advantage of Genesis Bows
We’ve talked about a lot of the negatives, but now let’s have a look at the positives. When would it make sense for you to use the Genesis bow? First, one of the key advantages comes from the fact that anyone can shoot a Genesis bow. You have no specific draw length, which makes it available to anyone.
Here’s another key advantage with Genesis bows. The light poundage can be a huge advantage in some ways because of how your arms won’t tire out as much as if you were shooting a 50-pound draw weight. Even if you’re shooting a fancy Oneida bow, you can still get bounce-offs from the shots that you take. In some cases, it all comes down to getting the right shot on your fish.
I wouldn’t personally recommend the Genesis bow, but with that said, my circumstances might be different to yours, and you might find it worth the price. You can technically use it for shooting fish.
With that said, before you buy it, first check to see that your state doesn’t have a draw weight minimum and maximum. In some states, it is illegal to shoot a draw weight under a certain number. California, for example, has made it illegal to shoot fish with a draw weight of under 40 pounds, which would make the Genesis bow illegal to shoot.