Best Bowfishing Arrow Rest Reviews of 2021
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A good bowfishing arrow rest is meant to hold your arrow in place as you draw your bow and take aim, improving the steadiness and accuracy of your draw and shot with ease. They are also designed to reduce the strain on your arms, meaning that instead of having to be ready all the time with your arrow in case you spot a fish, you can rest the arrow easily and still be prepared to take the shot when that big fish turns up. They generally mount on your bow, right on the plunger hole, letting you aim easily and conveniently.
If you're looking for the right model to purchase, then check out our reviews of the best bowfishing arrow rests that money can buy below.
Top 5 Rated Models Comparison Table
Image | Arrow Rest | Style | Left or Right Handed | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Editors Choice | Whiskey Biscuit | Ambidextrous | |
Cell | Cell | Cell | Cell | Cell |
 | Rubber Gate | Ambidextrous | ||
 | Plastic capture | Ambidextrous | ||
 | Spring-loaded door | Ambidextrous |
Reviews of the Best Bowfishing Arrow Rests
This is a heavy-duty, high-quality whisker biscuit arrow rest designed specifically for bowfishing. It’s ambidextrous and adjustable, with windage adjustments and laser-engraved reference marks for customizing it precisely the way you like it. The biscuit is encased in aluminum and features a v-notch at the top for easy loading and reducing slide obstruction. The rubber boots ensure a silent load when aiming.
Pick this thing up in your hand, and you can tell it’s built to last. It’s built entirely out of aluminum and features a dual-bolt mount that works both right and left-handed. We have no qualms or questions about the quality and durability of this arrow rest; Trophy Ridge claims it’s 300% stronger than any past models.
One complaint? Besides the extra-durable build, the bristles themselves wear out rather quickly. Very disappointing, especially when the rest of the bow is so well-constructed.
But apart from that, this bow rest is excellent. It’s our choice for the best bowfishing arrow rest at the moment, and expect it to give solid, smooth draws for countless shots to come.
Pros
- Heavy-duty aluminum build; 300% stronger than past iterations
- Dual bolt mount; ambidextrous
- V-notch and rubber boots for smooth, silent aiming
Cons
- Bristles wear out quickly
Verdict: Best Overall
#2. Tabiger Arrow Rest
This arrow rest from Tabiger is simple, cheap and effective. It comes in both left and right-hand configurations and measures 3” tall by 2” wide. The biscuit style-enclosure is designed to be very strong, enclosed in composite and featuring two rubber boots that make for quieter arrow knocking and prevent any loud metal-on-metal clanging.
There is also a windage and elevation adjustment feature, which lets you move the biscuit up and down to compensate for the elements and get the smoothest, most accurate shot possible.
Is there anything not to like? The bristles are kind of cheap and not all that high-quality and can break and fall out very easily. Not very reassuring. And you can’t replace them when they wear out.
Overall, it’s good for the price, but you do get what you pay for; keep that in mind. The windage and elevation adjustment is very handy, and the rubber boots are nice, but if quality is important, it may be worth spending more money.
Pros
- Left and right-handed options
- Composite-biscuit, rubber boots for quiet
- Windage, elevation adjustments
- Cheap
Cons
- Not very durable; bristles fall out
- Bristles cannot be replaced
The simplest and most durable bowfishing arrow rest you’re going to find. It’s cut from 6061 aircraft-grade aluminum, with stainless steel screws built to resist rusting. A rubber gate design makes loading an arrow easy, but keeps it steady and secure in the mount, without letting the arrow fall out. It also has quick slick tape, which helps eliminate wear and get a smooth, frictionless launch every time.
The Quick Draw Bowfishing arrow rest is ambidextrous and super easy to set up, and it works on just about any bow. It’s also rock solid – practically only one piece of metal, no joints or moving parts. If you want durable, this is it.
Complaints? Not many. The rubber gate design could be faster on the load, but it’s secure and smooth on the draw, so that doesn’t really bother us.
Overall it’s a rock solid, simple bowfishing arrow rest that will hold up to all kinds of abuse.
Pros
- 6061 aircraft-grade aluminum build
- Rubber gate design
- Quick slick tape
- Ambidextrous
Cons
- Rubber gate design could be faster to load
This AMS Tidal Wave Bow Rest is dead-simple to setup and use. It offers a nearly fully-enclosed capture to offer the most stability and accuracy on every shot; simply snap the arrow into place on the rest and aim away. This design is meant to keep the arrow as close to the bow as possible during rapid fire shots and any jolts that might mess up your aim.
The Tidal Wave works with any bow style – compound, recurve, longbow. It’s made from composite and made in the USA, and it’s said to have the same smooth draw of roller but with the stability that a cage offers.
There are some complains that the plastic composite is not as sturdy and durable as heavier, thick fiberglass and that it may break more easily. But we haven’t noticed this being something to worry about.
Overall, we highly recommend it. It’s affordable, sturdy and smooth, and the snap-in build is really handy.
Pros
- Snap-on rest design is easy, nearly full-enclosure
- Smooth, easy to draw with, and stable
- Right and left-handed
Cons
- Plastic build could be sturdier
The most modern and high-tech bowfishing rest on our list. And by that, we mean it looks cool. Muzzy Mantis is made from a frame of aircraft grade aluminum, properly smoothed and made into a fully-enclosed rest with a spring-loaded door for quick, easy loading and a stable shot every time.
A cool feature the Muzzy Mantis has, that others do not, is an ultra-durable, low-friction pad that lets you get a smooth draw and friction-free shot, and its wear-resistant to ensure it lasts a long time. However, it is also replaceable for when it does start to wear, ensuring you always have a perfect surface for a smooth shot. Tuning marks are laser-etched in, and the aluminum bolt mount design works with both right and left-handed bows.
Problems? Unfortunately, it breaks very easily, especially the spring-loaded door. And the pads fall out if not put in properly. Which is all unfortunate, as the aluminum frame is really solid.
We really like the design in general, and the spring-loaded door and wear pad are very cool designs worth checking out. We’re just disappointed that it isn’t as durable as it seems it would be.
Pros
- Aircraft-grade aluminum build
- Spring-loaded door for quick, easy loading
- Low-friction, replaceable pad for smooth shots every time
- Laser-etched tuning marks
Cons
- Not very durable; Spring-loaded door breaks easily
- Shooting pad fall out easily
What to Look For In a Good Arrow Rest for Bowfishing
Left or Right-Handed?
Do you shoot left or right-handed? You’ll need to make sure that whatever bowfishing rest you choose works on whichever side of your bow you need it to. Most bowfishing arrow rests these days are ambidextrous and bolt onto either side of the bow you see fit.
Style
There’s a few different kinds of styles of bow rests out there. A very common one is a whisker biscuit, which has bristles (whiskers) that fully-enclose the arrow and guide it straight at every shot. A v-notch on top makes loading and aiming quick and easy. Other common designs include hook rests, which let you simply rest the arrow on top of the hook, or spring-loaded doors that fully-enclose the arrow for extra stability.
Material
You’ll find bow rests made out of everything from cheap plastic, to sturdy composites, to hefty stainless-steel aluminum. The exact material yours is made of will determine how smooth the shots are, how much friction there is when drawing, and how durable it is. We like aluminum rests, but there are some sturdy composite ones as well.
Advantages of Using a Bowfishing Arrow Holder
A bowfishing arrow rest is an important yet often overlooked part of any bowfisher’s equipment. It is an affordable and lightweight piece of equipment which can make a huge difference to your hunt. Here are a few key advantages associated with its use –
1. Improved Shooting Form
The bowfishing arrow rest helps you secure an arrow in its position, preventing it from moving when you draw your bow. By focusing less on the position of your arrow and more on your position and form, you will hone your skills a lot quicker and find it easier to bowfish. Given that bowfishing is quite a difficult sport in the first place, anything you can do to improve your shooting form and build your skills up quicker is a bonus in our books.
2. Better Accuracy
Your arrow will be kept steady and stable by the arrow rest until you release it from the string. Because bowfishing arrows are typically heavy, using a rest can help you improve your accuracy as you don’t have to concentrate on stabilizing the arrow whilst aiming to get the perfect shot. This gives you more time and effort to focus on your accuracy, improving your chances of actually hitting something in the water.
3. Increased Comfort
A good quality bowfishing arrow rest will also absorb much of the vibrations which are given off when you release your shot. This significantly reduces the amount of shock you feel in your hands and the bow grip, making your shot quieter and you a lot more comfortable.
Final Thoughts
Which is our pick for the best bowfishing arrow rest? We’d suggest the Trophy Ridge Bowfishing Whisker Biscuit Arrow Rest, thanks to its ultra-sturdy design, v-notch biscuit, and rubber boots. It’s solid, durable and mounts on either side of the bow; we don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Our choice for a budget pick is the AMS Tidal Wave, which provides a sturdy bow rest that works ambidextrously when bowfishing, at a fraction of the price. It’s not as well built as some of the others, but a decent choice for cheap.
We hope our reviews have inspired you to up your bowfishing game!
