Best Bowfishing Reels for the money 2022
Bow fishing is an activity that is enjoyed by countless anglers from all walks of life. Young and old, men and women, this style of fishing is performed and perfected by people of all kinds. It is one of the fastest forms of fishing exploding currently and it has gained a lot of popularity in recent years.
Many people who are avid hunters are outfitting their compound bows with a bowfishing reel and having a try at this fast growing way of fishing. Of course, bowfishing isn’t just as easy as slapping a reel onto your bow and hitting the water for a day of slaying the fish from shore of from a fishing kayak.
This particular type of fishing takes skill and discipline to become proficient and accurate. You need to hone your skill with time on the water in order to pinpoint the exact location you need to aim in order to hit the fish.
If you’re thinking of getting into bowfishing or you’re looking for a new bowfishing reel you’ve come to the right place. We’ve done and the researching so you don’t have to. Here are our picks for the best bow fishing reels for the money in 2022.
Enjoy Our Bowfishing Reel Reviews
| Image | Name | Top Choices | Latest Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. AMS Retriever Pro Bow Fishing Reel | Our Favorite | Amazon |
 | 2. Cajun Winch Bowfishing Reel | Premium Pick | Amazon |
 | 3. AMSBowfishing Tournament Series Retriever TNT with 350lb Spectra Line | Great Value | Amazon |
 | 4. AMSBowfishing Tournament Series Retriever TNT with 200lb Dacron Line | Amazon | |
 | 5. Cajun Winch Pro Bowfishing Reel | Amazon |
Pricing of these Bow Fishing Reels Range Between $100-$180
AMS Retriever Pro Bow Fishing Reel Review
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The AMS Bowfishing Retriever Pro is the original bottle-style bowfishing reel. This design has been around for years and has certainly stood the test of time. Unlike other bowfishing reels, the AMS has no buttons to push before the shot and no clumsy spools that you need to hand wind – the line is simply stacked into a bottle.
As you shoot, the line flies out of the reel as fast as the arrow can take it. With this reel, you also receive 25 yards of 200 pound line. 17 inches of this line can be retrieved per revolution of the handle.
When you want to retrieve the arrow, you simply pull the trigger and turn the handle. This reel comes with an integrated telescoping clamp as well as an arrow quiver for convenient adjustment, removal, and arrow storage. It is constructed with a heavy duty brass gear and pinion, an aluminum trigger, composite housing and stainless steel fasteners.
The retrieval mechanism doesn’t always deal with larger fish well, so you may end up having to reel them in hand over hand. This is one of the best reels for bowfishing according to countless bowfishing anglers.
Pros
- Original bottle-style bowfishing
- No buttons to push
- Sturdy and well made
Cons
- Retrieval system has difficulties with larger fish
Cajun Winch Bowfishing Reel Review
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The Cajun Winch Bowfishing reel has been tried and tested for its strength and durability. It performs well under many conditions and doesn’t jam in the same way as similar reels. The fighting brake allows you to winch fish back to the boat and it is specifically designed to be able to be operated one-handed. This great benefit leaves your other hand free which can be of great use when reeling in a fish.
The winch features solid aluminum mounting brakes that are strong and durable and it also comprises stainless steel hardware. This reel arrives with 25 yards of 250lb test line that comes in high visibility white.
This reel is designed to be the perfect fit for any bow. It has both vertical and horizontal adjustments to enable this and make sure that it is suitable for whatever bow that you want to use. This reel is expensive, however, it is very high quality. It is important that the parts are well looked after and that they are not in regular contact with too much salt-water as this can cause corrosion.
Pros
- Strong and durable
- Fighting brake can be used one-handed
- Has both vertical and horizontal adjustments
- Comes with white test line
- An amazing bowfishing drum reel
Cons
- Must be careful around saltwater
AMSBowfishing Tournament Series Retriever TNT with 350lb Spectra Line Review
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The AMS Bowfishing Tournament series retriever is the original bottle-style bowfishing reel. Unlike other bow fishing reels, the AMS doesn’t have any buttons to push before the shot and no clumsy spools that need to be hand wound. The line is simply stacked into a bottle.
As you shoot, the line flies out of the reel as fast as the arrow can take it. You also receive 35 yards of 350 pound Dracon line for just this purpose.
The Tournament’s 4:3:1 gear ratio and high torque handle means that an ultra-fast 28 inches of line per turn which makes it one of the fastest reels out there and it is ready to shoot at all times. As well as being extremely fast and simple to use, it also has zero drag and is completely tangle free.
The heavy-duty machined solid brass gears and stainless steel hardware gives this reel a long-lasting durability that other similar reels lack. Though the composite housing is corrosion resistant, you will still need to clean it with fresh water after each use. Its over-sized opening means less friction and, therefore, a faster arrow making it one of the top features you have to add to make the best bow fishing rig.
Pros
- Bottle-style bowfishing reel
- No buttons
- Super fast
- Corrosion resistant
Cons
- Still needs to be rinsed with fresh water
AMSBowfishing Tournament Series Retriever TNT with 200lb Dacron Line Review
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The AMS Bowfishing Retriever TNT is a bowfishing reel that boasts incredible reeling speed. It has a 4.3:1 gear ratio complemented by an extended handle to give you maximum torque. This allows you to retrieve a remarkable 27 inches of line for every revolution of the handle. With that kind of speed, you can reel more fish in for a short span of time.
This bowfishing reel is one of the simplest to handle especially because it has no buttons that you need to push. Because of that, you’re essentially ready to shoot anytime, with very little movement. It also has zero drag and anti-reverse for tangle-free operation.
Additionally, it has an over-sized opening to minimize friction and has an integrated quiver to conveniently hold arrows. This reel has both right and left hand models and comes with 35 yards of 350 lb. test Spectra line.
The AMS Bowfishing Retriever TNT is built for maximum durability. Its housing is made of corrosive-resistant composite and its hardware is made of stainless steel. It also has solid, hardwearing machined brass gears. Its mounting system allows for 4-way adjustment.
Tournament series reel that features a lightning fast 4:3:1 gear ratio and a longer handle for increased leverage and speed. This makes it one of the fastest reels out there. It is ready to shoot at all times. It is extremely fast as well as being simple to use and it has zero drag and is completely tangle free.
This package includes 25 yards of super high visibility yellow Dracon line, a telescoping clamp and quiver mount, a safety slide kit, a trigger guard, and an instruction manual, not much else is needed when you have best reels for bow fishing. The bottle isn’t quite big enough to fit all 25 yards, but it does comfortably fit 20 yards. It also doesn’t come with an arrow rest.
Pros
- Original bottle-style bowfishing reel
- No button to push before the shot
- Super fast
- Simple to use
Cons
- Bottle doesn’t fit all 25 yards of line
- Doesn’t come with arrow rest
Cajun Winch Pro Bowfishing Reel Review
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The Cajun Winch Pro Bowfishing Reel is a great choice for serious bowfishers but also easy enough for novices to learn on. It features Cajun’s unique Fighting Wheel Brake, which lets you reel and brake at the same time.
This “winching” feature gives you a better ability to reel in large carp, northern pike and powerful gar, even from deeper waters. The best thing about it is that isn’t designed to help you do so even while using just one hand.
This bowfishing reel doesn’t just handle tough fish. It’s also constructed tough with a frame made of durable aluminum, hardware made of stainless steel, and mounting brackets made of solid aluminum. It lets you make adjustments both horizontally and vertically so you can be sure to get the right fit no matter what bow you have or what fishing style you prefer.
The Cajun Winch Pro Bowfishing Reel comes with 25 yards of high visibility 250 lb. test white line. The reel has an anti-reverse feature so you never have to worry about tangling. It’s also reversible to accommodate both left and right handed operation.
Pros
- Simultaneous reeling and braking.
- One-handed operation.
- Tough construction.
- Adjustable.
- Includes line.
- Anti-reverse.
- Left & right handed
- One of the best bowfishing reels
Cons
- Must be kept away from salt-water
