Bowfishing could be Wisconsin's next big recreation trend

STRATFORD - Tyler Gripentrog was introduced to bowfishing on an early spring night about seven years ago. 

"I like bowhunting and I like to fish," the 32-year-old said, "so I figured it's the best of both worlds."

His friend Danny Luther had a Jon boat with plywood. The river was still largely glazed with ice. There was just 100 square yards of fishing space, but that was enough.

"We only could fish a small area and we filled a barrel full of fish. Since then, I was hooked," Gripentrog said.

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Recreational sports opportunities abound in Marshfield, making Wood County a nice destination in the summer and driving $91.4 million in direct visitor spending, according to the state Department of Tourism's 2016 data. That was a 3.86 percent increase from 2015. 

Bowfishing's growth is part of the broader rise of recreational opportunities in Marshfield and the area. Driving past water on country roads or highways, the once-rare site of an angler with a bow is becoming much more common. 

"About 10 years ago, you'd rarely see that," said Matt Schillinger, AMS Bowfishing event coordinator. "Now, it's hardly uncommon. You go on a trip on the weekend and it's pretty uncommon now not to see a bowfishing boat either on the water or on the road."

The Outdoor Industry Association estimates that outdoor recreation in Wisconsin, including everything from fishing and biking to paddleboating, generated an estimated $11.9 billion in customer spending in 2015. In a 2015 tourism study, "excellent fishing" was voted third as a "Wisconsin Image Strength."

Bowfishing, meanwhile, is a specialized but growing method of fishing that uses specialized archery equipment to shoot and retrieve fish. Fish are shot with a barbed arrow that is attached with special line reel mounted on the bow. 

One example of the sport's growth has been the AMS Bowfishing Big 30 event, held for the second consecutive year in Marshfield in June. Each year the number of teams has gone up, and not by small amounts. In 2016 the event brought in over 100 teams for the first time and this year brought in nearly 120, according to Schillinger. 

What's the reason for the spike? 

"There are a few reasons, but it's fast-paced, active," Gripentrog said. "You won't be bored."

"There are no limits on rough fish," Schillinger added, "so you can shoot as many as you want and when you shoot one fish you just kind of want to keep getting more and more. ... Wisconsin has some awesome bowfishing spots."

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AMS Bowfishing was created by Jack Lasee and is now run by Cindy and Jack Braun. Lasee had a cabin on Mead Lake and he was shooting rough fish off his dock with a bow and but thought of using a reel to get his arrow back. AMS Bowfishing started out with four or five items being sold out of All Metal Stamping in Abbotsford, Schillinger said. 

The once small business now has magazines full of equipment, reels, arrow tips and much more. AMS Bowfishing moved about two years ago from a small location three miles from Stratford to an operation in the Stratford Industrial Park. 

"The sport really started to blow up about 10 years ago," Schillinger said. "It's a unique and I would say extreme sport that is really popular in the 17 to 23 age group and that is a good age group to have. Also, the social media and Facebook of big fish caught gets people excited just like big bucks do for hunters."

The company employs over 20 people and is happy to make many of their products in-house, Schillinger said. 

For the future, Schillinger is stepping up efforts to reach out to young people. 

"That is the only way for the sport to continue to grow," Schillinger said. "I just got done with a youth bowfishing event in Wisconsin and now I'll head out of state. Wisconsin has a state with a lot of water, a lot of rough fish and we need the next wave (of anglers) in order to continue or growth."

Going Out Reporter Mitchell A. Skurzewski can be reached at 715-898-7006, mskurzewski@marshfield.gannett.com; Twitter: @MSkurzewski