What to Expect
Whether it’s your first bowfishing trip or you’re a seasoned veteran, this section is designed to help you come fully prepared for your experience with Last Look Outfitters. Here, you’ll find everything you need to know before hitting the water — including what to bring, what to wear, what’s included with each trip, and what species we target throughout the year. We’ll also cover experience requirements, meet-up locations, start times, our alcohol policy, pricing details, and the steps we take in the event of bad weather. Our goal is to make sure you’re confident, comfortable, and ready to make the most out of your time on the water.
What to Bring
Trip Information
To ensure a safe and comfortable experience, here’s what we recommend you bring for your trip:
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Closed-toe shoes are required for safety on deck.
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Pants are recommended (though shorts are allowed) — they help protect your legs from bugs and fish with sharp fins or spines.
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Check the weather before your trip and dress accordingly.
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Bring a rain jacket or Grundens if rain is in the forecast.
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Look at the overnight low temperatures, especially for early April and late October trips — it can get cold, so pack a hoodie or extra layers if needed.
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For daytime ray trips, bring polarized sunglasses — they help spot fish in the water.
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Snacks and drinks are welcome.
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We provide a cooler with ice water, and you're free to store your items in it.
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If you prefer to bring your own small cooler, we have room on board.
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If you plan to bring alcohol, please read our Alcohol Policy for guidelines.
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A 60 QT cooler for the cleaned fish (leave this cooler in your vehicle)
Whats Included
We aim to make your experience as smooth and hassle-free as possible. Here’s what’s included with every Last Look Outfitters trip:
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All fishing licenses are Provided: Maryland and Virginia — you’re fully covered the moment you step on the boat.
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All Gear is provided, including bows, arrows, and reels . (You're welcome to bring your own gear if preferred.)
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A first mate on board to assist with gear, spotting fish, answering questions, and ensuring the trip runs smoothly.
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Fish cleaning and bagging at the end of the trip — just bring a cooler if you plan to take fish home.
Passengers
Each boat has a maximum capacity of 6 passengers. Planning for a larger group? No problem — check out our Multi-Boat Trips section below.
Experience
No experience? No problem. We welcome beginners and first-timers on every trip — and they have a blast! Here’s what to know:
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No prior experience is required — we’ll teach you everything you need to know.
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Our captains will put you in the best position to take a clean shot.
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Our first mates will coach you through the process step-by-step so you feel confident and comfortable.
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Most guests pick it up quickly and start sticking fish in no time!
Meet-up's
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Meet-up locations and start times vary depending on the species we’re targeting and the area we’ll be fishing.
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Detailed information about when and where to meet will be provided in each Target Species section of this page.
Weather
Sometimes Mother Nature has other plans. While we always aim to fish, safety and success come first. Here’s how we handle bad weather:
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Light rain: We’ll often wait it out or continue fishing if conditions are manageable.
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Heavy rain: In most cases, trips will be canceled and rescheduled — fishing in heavy rain is rarely safe or productive.
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Thunderstorms: We will closely monitor radar and will only fish if the storm passes safely.
We will not leave the ramp if lightning is detected within a 15-mile radius of the area we’re fishing. -
High winds: We will monitor the forecast and try to work around it, but if conditions are unsafe or unfishable, we may need to cancel or reschedule.
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High or muddy water: In the event of flooding, coastal flood advisories, or extremely dirty water, trips may be canceled due to poor visibility.
This decision is not just about safety — it’s about giving you the best possible experience, and when visibility is poor, bow fishing becomes nearly impossible. -
If a trip needs to be canceled, we’ll do our very best to reschedule in a timely manner.
Please note: weekend availability can be limited, so we appreciate your flexibility and understanding.
Alcohol Policy
Your safety is our top priority, and we want everyone to have a great time on the water. Here’s our alcohol policy for all trips:
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Beer is allowed, but we ask that you drink responsibly and use good judgment.
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Keep in mind that you’ll be standing on a shooting platform on a moving boat — even at low speeds (2–6 mph), hitting a log or rock can throw off your balance.
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For everyone’s safety, if a crew member feels someone has had too much to drink, we may ask that person to stop shooting for the remainder of the trip.
Snakeheads
Snakehead are a fan favorite and the species we target most often. They’re incredibly fun to chase and taste amazing, but they can be one of the most challenging fish to shoot. Success depends heavily on tide and wind conditions, which is why our start times often vary.
While we usually aim to launch around sunset, some trips may start as late as midnight and run until sunrise — we’ll confirm your exact meet-up time and location 2–4 days before the trip.
The prime season runs from April 1st to June 15th, when conditions are best for spotting these fish in shallow water.
Snakehead are low-profile, and hard to see, making them a tough but rewarding target. We don’t typically recommend this trip for beginners — but with the right coaching and mindset, first-timers can absolutely have success.
Trophy Cats
We don’t offer Trophy Catfish trips as a dedicated booking option, but when these giants show up, it’s always a rush. Trophy Cats are fast, smart, and surprisingly tough to hit — even at 40+ pounds, they move quick and don’t give many second chances.
We usually see them during the late part of Snakehead season (late May to early June), and occasionally again in August and September while chasing numbers. There’s no way to guarantee an encounter, but if you let us know ahead of time that landing a Trophy Cat is on your list, we can adjust our strategy or hit spots where they’re known to cruise.
If you’re looking to increase your chances, we recommend booking a Snakehead trip in May or a Numbers trip later in the summer. These fish typically range from 25 to 60+ pounds, and getting one on deck is an unforgettable moment.
Number Shoots
Numbers trips are exactly what they sound like — instead of chasing quality, we go for quantity. While we still come across the occasional monster, the goal here is nonstop action and lots of shot opportunities.
These trips target a mix of invasive and native species, with the main focus on blue catfish, but we also see carp, gar, bowfin, goldfish, and sometimes even a few snakeheads.
Numbers trips are perfect for new or first-time shooters. With steady shot opportunities all night, it’s the best way to get comfortable with the bow, improve your accuracy, and just have a blast. The pace is fast, the action is constant, and it’s a great time for everyone on board.
Unlike snakehead trips, numbers trips are less dependent on tides, so we can typically start at sunset, or adjust the start time to whatever works best for your group.
If you're looking for a fun, high-energy night on the water — and maybe to fill the freezer while you're at it — this is the trip for you.
Rays
Ray trips are hands-down some of the most action-packed bowfishing we offer. These fish are big, powerful, and put up an unforgettable fight. They’re also a large, slow-moving target, making them one of the easiest species to hit — a perfect option for first-time shooters.
If you’re into big fish and nonstop chaos, this is your trip. It’s not uncommon for multiple shooters to land a ray at the same time — and when that happens, things get wild in the best way. But don’t worry — our captains and mates will coach you through the fight, every step of the way.
We run ray trips during both the day and night, and since these fish aren’t very tide-dependent, we can usually be flexible with your preferred schedule. However, keep in mind that wind and weather can impact visibility, and we may need to adjust your trip time last-minute for the best possible conditions.
On cloudy days, we often recommend switching to a night trip, since rays can be tough to spot without sunlight.
Multi-Boat Trips
Multi-Boat Trips are built for larger groups of 7–12 people, making them perfect for big families, friend groups, or business owners looking to treat their team to a night they won’t forget.
If your group has more than six people, this is the trip for you, or we can do these trips as small as 2-6 people. We’ll split your party evenly across two boats and head out for an action-packed night on the water. You can choose to target any species your group is interested in.
These trips often turn into friendly competitions between the boats — seeing who can land the biggest fish or the most fish adds an extra layer of fun to an already unforgettable experience.
Pricing is the same as booking two separate boats, and full details can be found in the Pricing section of this page.
Pricing
We keep our pricing simple and straightforward. Whether you're booking a standard trip or a
larger group outing, here's what to expect:
What's the exact cost? Use our integrated pricing calculators to get a clear and accurate price:
A tip is never required, but it is always greatly appreciated by our crew for their hard work throughout your trip.
Have a custom group size or special request? Contact us — we’re happy to help build a trip that fits your needs.