Beginners, please ignore this video. Don’t tie your line to the back of the arrow. The safety slide is to keep the line from going back beyond the rest when you draw and having the potential for the slack to grab your hand or finger on the way out! And yes I’ve been shooting for 25 years when we used to wrap fast flight around a “flared” out piece of 4”PVC pipe tied to the arrow and when you’d “snap shoot” it was dangerous. Always use the safety slide, you can replace a reel but fingers...not so much.

what about when the excess string on the back of your arrow gets wrapped around your bow string when you fire? goodbye eye if youre lucky, dead if youre not.

In the heat of a busy gar shoot, my son, who ties off the back of his arrows and uses a RPM M1-X reel, got the line looped around a finger and about had it severed. I had tied off the back for 25ish years, but now use slides. The arrows don’t fly as well but that incident spooked me.

Robert Blackburn had a snap back with his tied off at the back. Can you please do a video explaining what you think caused the line not to break?

Thanks for opening my eyes to this knowledge.

Dustin, maybe you can help me with a reel question? I have a Cajun spin doctor reel. Internally it looks very similar to the Muzzy models, almost identical. I'm used to level wind fishing reels and spinning reels, so when I retrieve line I'm expecting the spool to lay down the line evenly. This doesn't happen with the Cajun. Instead when it retrieves line it piles up the line in a soft pile that kind of slumps on itself. The rotary device with the pick up pins doesn't oscillate in and out to spread the line evenly. So, when you retrieve your arrow and the line digs into the soft pile below it causes loops to form. On the next shot, or next several shots the loops get worse and eventually they grab the line and the arrow snaps off or just stops mid-flight. The reel doesn't appear to be over loaded with line, and I've tried numerous things to fix the problem. I tried adding tension to the line during retrieve to smooth out the spool. This sorta works, but after a couple shots it's right back to being a soft pile and it stops the arrow. I tried removing some line, didn't work. The reel is brand new, still smells like factory lube. Nothing at all mechanically wrong with it. Just seems like the design is crummy, or I don't know what I'm doing? Can you help?

I get that we want to protect the reel but safety slide protect the shooter from injury. Id rather fix a reel than loose a finger. Just make sure you push the button or get a clutch reel. Not to mention how different rests would really cause a lot issues with back of the arrow tie.

Incredibly informative, good work

Looks like we got us a new Deputy! This needed to happen Dustin, well done!

I've been comparing bottle vs spincast reel. This clears it up for me. I guess I need to have more arrows on hand for a beginner. I'm going for the spincast reel.

Beginning bowfishing and I'm glad you made this video.

What about on a mega mouth? Any tips for tying to the back? I’m worried the rough edges of the arrow hole will wear on the line as well.

just getting into bow fishing but have loved archery so I'm loving having an excuse to use a bow for more than target shooting in the off season just wondering what the name is for the rod your line is wrapped around at the end of your balancer

I'm new to bowfishing. I just got the Muzzy Vise kit and tied off without a slide per the instructions. Got a fish with the very first shot... but the line wrapped around my sight pin for the second shot. So, I took my sight off and fired again. Line wrapped around the bow. It doesn't make sense, I'm using the same form shown in the video and keeping my line tight against the arrow, checking it constantly. I do not have a "shoot through rod" yet but will get one asap. Will that solve this issue?

How do u tie your bow without the safety pin?

Great video. Question: Do you think a safety slide would have prevented Robert Blackburn’s accident that resulted in the loss of an eye?

Are you able to use an enclosed rest? Such as mantis, when tying off at the rear. I used to tie this way back in late 70's, but I was shooting off the shelf. Just curious. Ty

Excellent Video!

Guess that rear tie wont work with a whisker biscuit rest tho. I do agree, the draw confirms the reel is released when tieing to the rear.

Really helpful video I’ve never even thought about that

First well presented video of an all day. I do have a question. Is there anything wrong with using normal fishing line while bowfishing with a spin cast reel?

Ask Robert Blackburn about TTB arrows and if safety slides are a bad idea.

I have been bowfishing for 30 years and have seen the line from a bottle snap back and put a boys eye out.i hate bottles.and I have seen the line from a spinner reel wrap around a bow string from tying to back of arrows and cause it not to snap the line and it came back and hit him in the face.soooo I wouldn't be going around telling this to people. I tied my string to back of arrow for 15 years until I saw that one night. I want allow people in my boat if they don't use slides they are there for a reason.

Do it matter if your shooting through a whisker biscuit?

I tell you one thing though, I really want that Muzzy pullover you got there lol...

Safety slides for me save me from losing arrows. 1 arrow cost the same as a 5 pack of slides. And there are verified accidents that have caused permanent injury due to tie to the back. Buying pins and replacement arrows sound more expensive than a slide here and there. Y'all be safe and have fun.

What bow is that? I think the was an Osprey but the other haven’t seen

Is a 60 lb compound too much for bowfishing does anyone know.

There is a lot of miss understanding about snap back and mystery knots. I have a lot of respect for Dustin Apple, but the problem with snap back is not so much of a matter of line getting tied to a stationary point on the riser or arrow rest, it's a problem when it gets tied to the bow string which acts as a spring and does NOT allow the string to break like it does if the line is anchored to a rigid stationary point. This is a major difference in the physics that is at play. With that said, I am a tie to the back shooter and always will be. I have a good understanding on why this mystery know occurs and is not so much of a mystery anymore and I know how to prevent it. It's caused by LINE TWIST. Take the time to keep your line untwisted and snap back won't happen.

I bow fish sheepshead in pensacola I'm the only one that doesn't use a slide 90% of my shots go completely through, four times two at one time and make shots deeper then five feet with a slide it would be impossible

What you think about the guy who lost his eye bow fishing

How about when you get a nick in the pickup pin on the rotor? If thereis a groove in the pickup pin (caused by abrasion over time) the line will catch in it and for sure cause a flyback. It makes me wonder about the safety of that type of reel used for this purpose.. I cleaned and repaired many reels in my rod and reel shop and any closed face reel I ever repaired had this problem. What happens it when you push the button to release the rotor, the line has already slid around the rotor and caught in the nick. Just be sure you have spare rotors for your reels. I do admit I never knew of a reel I worked on to have been used this way. All the same...be careful and check the rotor pickup pin before you take it out to the fishin hole.

Sounds to me like muzzle reels r junk, go with the ams

The difference is broken reel vs broken eye

You can have snapback caused by other things not just the reel. I did this for one shot then switched back. By the grace of God, I saw this video kzfaq.info/get/bejne/etCFnM6eqKnHXWQ.html by Robert Blackburn and how he lost his eye when his line wrapped on his bow.

Just get a MegaMouth reel and be ahead of this game.

Lose your eyes with out safety slides

Man Potato

There’s literally a video of a guy telling the story of how he had a snap back that made his nock come back and hit him in the eye

I figured the slide was to keep your arrow attached to your bow an help keep the string out of your way. (Hit the button) not hard to do js u can avoid all this by using common sense dont gotta rush shooting a fish

You say that but literally just watched a video of a guy using this exact setup with no slide and he shot his eye out. Almost killed him. You should go tell that guy that "it won't happen". Guys, use a safety slide. You only get 2 eyes and 1 life.

You mean a spin cast reel not open face spinning reel

I've always loosen the screw on the stop on the arrow. Screw rips out before anything else happens

Anybody shoot 45lb + big heads with a spinner? Asking for a friend.

The other fix is to use a real but not a front part or guiding line part for the bow when using a slide and a spinning real. This way you can still use an arrow with safety line but not have the snap back issue/potential with a rear tie.

Had nothing but problems and lost arrows... more stuff to check takeing time to loose opportunity and position on fish...I will be returning to snap back city bottle slide.PUSH THE BUTTON !!

A guy here on youtube just put a arrow in his eye from SnapBack because of the incorrect information this guy is trying to share with you, DONT listen to this guy!!!!