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I know this may be a bit late but heres what I do since I'm on a budget. I got an 80 lb crossbow pistol off amazon for pretty cheap, needs to be the one with a rail on the bottom. A 40 dollar push button bow fishing reel from zebco and these things . all in all, ran me around 140 or 150, but, works really well. also, to attach the reel to the crossbow you'll need zipties, around 10 or so to make it nice and stable. hope this isn't too late and I hope it helps

There are two types of reels she could get him; a bottle style reel or a spincast style reel. Either one will work, it's just a matter of personal preference.

The bottle style reels are mounted on the side of the riser where the sight would usually go, and the spincast style reels are mounted on the front of the bow where the stabilizer goes. If you do get a spincast style reel, you should note two things:

• 1.) Most of them will need a reel seat to be mounted to; the Muzzy reel I linked to above comes with everything you need to mount it in the box, because the reel seat is built in to the reel.
  
  
• and 2.) You can't use the same kind of line that a bottle style reel uses. Most spincast reels come prespooled with line though, so as long as he buys the same kind when he eventually replaces the line, he'll be fine.
  
  RE: arrows - the only ones I wouldn't recommend are the hollow carbon fiber ones. I've just heard too many stories of them breaking when you hit a rock or stump to have faith in them, and they're more expensive. I stick with the solid fiberglass arrows, like this or this.
  
  RE: tips - it kind of depends on what he's fishing for, and again what his personal preference is. There are two-barb points like the Muzzy quick release, and there are three-barb points like the AMS 3 barb grapple. The two-barb point requires that the tip just be loosened to release the fish, while the three barb point I linked to here requires the tip to be unscrewed completely to remove the fish. Innerloc also makes a good three barb head.
  
  Soooo this got pretty long, but it was kind of fun to write up because I love talking about bowfishing. Hope it helps? LMK if not, happy to clarify anything.

I think we need more info, we don't know what kind of arrows you have, aluminum won't shatter for example.

You can mount a regular reel, that's what I did and it's worked great for quite a while. I've also known others to do that. I have 50 lb line and haven't ever broke it. I'm also purely shooting carp, so something else you certainly might have issues.

The smaller the line, the more likely it is to break. The regular fishing reels, aren't as likely to last as long. But they'll definitely work. I don't think you'll get much out of a non-fishing type arrow though. It is a matter of time before it breaks, or bends depending on the arrow.

You can buy the following to mount a reel, if you have a spinning reel I'd recommend a rod attachment as well to make sure line comes off properly.

https://www.amazon.com/Cajun-Archery-Bowfishing-Fiberglass-Attachment/dp/B00BQ7ZNPS/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1519853398&sr=8-7&keywords=bow+reel+mount

https://www.amazon.com/Cajun-Archery-Bowfishing-Fiberglass-Attachment/dp/B00BQ7ZNPS/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1519853398&sr=8-7&keywords=bow+reel+mount

Are you going to be fishing primarily from shore, or going out on a boat? If you're going to be on shore, a recurve will work great! But in my experience it can be a little tricky to maneuver a longer bow like that when you're on a boat, so a compound might be a better choice there. You can check craigslist or yard sales for an older compound bow, and then get a reel for like $80 online or in-store. Also, this might just be my opinion here but I would stay away from the spool-style reels and just get a bottle or spinner. The spools can be frustrating, IMO. You almost have to set the bow down and pull the fish in by hand, and then you have to wind the line back up by hand. And often it gets mildly tangled when you're pulling it in, so you have to spend more time untangling and re-winding. Well worth the initial expense to get a reel right away, but again - JMO.

I cant keep it under $100 dollars unless I recommend Craigslist, which is a total crapshoot. I CAN however vouch for this set up of which I use to this day.

BOW - $159.99 http://www.basspro.com/Barnett-Vortex-H20-Bowfishing-Compound-Bow-Package/product/15031108565245/

Reel Seat 19.99 https://www.amazon.com/Great-Deals-LLC-Bowfishing-Reel/dp/B00MUVMWPS

Reel 49.99 https://www.oldtrailsports.com/products/archenemy-nemesis-hd-bowfishing-reel?variant=17851864833

So save another 100 bucks and you got yourself the same setup as mine. Good luck and hope this helps !

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You've basically got 3 main options, a free-spool reel (This + Mounting Kit), a closed face reel (Like this), or the AMS (Or this).

Someone might argue with me about this one, but I'd really advise against the first option. You're going to be taking lots of shots while bowfishing, and the faster you can retrieve and get ready for the next shot the better. It's a decent introduction to the sport, but that's about it, you won't be very actively shooting at fish.

That said, between the last two options, I've only tried the AMS kit, so I can't say which one is better necessarily, but with the amount of tangles I used to get in my Zebco reels just trying to fish normally turned me away from the close faced reel and left me with the AMS. I also wasn't a fan of the fact that the Muzzy reels supposedly have a drag system, spool, and you have to make sure you've pressed in the button before you shoot. I can't speak for everyone else, but I don't want to be around for the one time I forget to do that. Ultimately, for ~30$ more than the Muzzy, you can get the "top of the line" reel, so why not?

So tl;dr, go with the CajunArchery one if you're only looking to spend like 30$ getting into the sport to try it out, but if you think you're going to like the sport (And you probably will, I've yet to bring out one person who didn't have a great time, even people that hate fishing) I'll advise the AMS reel. Ultimately everything you need to get on the water will put you back ~$130.

Oh, and make sure to get lots of replacement arrow tips :P

My setup is definitely budget. My wife and I are still just getting in to the sport, so it's taking some time.

One deep cycle battery for lights, one for troller. Last season we had a 52" light bar on the right, and a smaller 20" up front. Only fishing off the right side. After being used to my buddy's NON-budget rig, I have to say that I was very disappointed in the light output from the bars. Don't waste your time or money.

Two new 50w floods from Amazon just showed up though, and I'll be building a new deck and adding those two new lights as soon as it gets warm enough outside..

These are the lights that I just bought. I've tested them already, and the light output is great.

https://www.amazon.com/Innerloc-Grapid-Glass-Max-Arrow/dp/B01BE8HOA0/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=innerloc+bowfishing&qid=1563897498&s=gateway&sprefix=innerl&sr=8-1

Hey bud- spend the money on reel not the bow- I like the old school bows with little round cams compared to the new oval shaped- having a smooth draw is key/ you’re pulling that thing a hundred times a night- I’m a fan of AMS retrievers here

They have an open bail system that is smooth and safe- the old Zebco 888 are crazy scary- forget to push the button and the arrow comes back at your jugular ay Mach speed-

Also always use the slides on the arrows! Tying to the end is not good for accuracy and again is dangerous!

Buy a cheap bow and put s good AMS and you’ll be set- oh yeah! They also make rubber finger savers for the string- a must! Trust me on that one- besides that have a ball and don’t shoot game fish- that’s illegal here so check your state laws!