Florida Bowfishing with Midnight Xpress — From Tilapia to Stingrays

Florida bowfishing is just built different. Freshwater full of fish that look like they escaped from PetSmart—plecos, tilapia, chubsuckers—and the saltwater? Straight chaos with stingrays, gar, dolphins, and even a surprise squid. This was just the kind of adventure we needed.

Back in 2022, me and a couple buddies had the idea to go bowfishing in Florida with our good friend Shane Springer at Midnight Xpress, one of the premier bowfishing charters in Florida. We called him up and he said he had some openings during the week, but warned us the weather wasn’t looking great and fishing might be slow. Worst case? We’d still get a Florida boat tour. That was good enough for us—we hit the road.

Midnight Xpress is deep in Florida, past Orlando. We had a solid 14-hour drive from Kentucky, so we drove through the night and showed up the next morning. We checked into the hotel completely wiped and decided to crash for a nap. Someone flipped on the TV and there was a countdown for a rocket launch. I was like—“Is this live?” Looked it up and sure enough, it was a Falcon 9 launch happening in minutes. We jumped in the truck, hauled to a nearby lake about 50 miles away from the launch site, and watched it with a killer South Florida backdrop. That’s the kind of stuff that makes bowfishing road trips legendary—you never know what you’re gonna get into.

Needless to say… we didn’t get our naps.

Freshwater Bowfishing Starts Off Hot

That evening we hit the ramp for Florida freshwater invasive species. First things first—tune the bow, tie on an arrow, and check timing after that long drive. Shane pulls up, we drop the boat in, and immediately—we’re on fish.

Tilapia were everywhere. We started slow near lily pads where they were just chillin' on the edge, barely moving, making tough targets. Sunset hit, drone went up, and then it got wild. On our 11th fish we shot a spawning female—and baby tilapia started pouring out on the deck. First time I’ve ever seen that in person. Insane.

We were on fire the first 2 hours. Cooler was filling fast. Our goal was to stack $1,000 worth of fillets—back then Sam’s Club had two tilapia fillets for $7.99, so we needed around 125 fish. But after two hours, the travel grind hit us. The stamina slowed, and we went on a cold streak. We still got a few cool ones—longnose gar, spotted gar, chubsuckers—and then I finally nailed a pleco, my bucket list fish. Those armored suckers are built like tanks with spikes all over ‘em. Had to stop for a photo shoot.

Still hadn’t landed a big tilapia or my Florida gar, but the fish picked back up. We were stacking them again when suddenly, an 8-foot gator rolled right under the boat with a fish in its mouth. Gave us a quick Florida check-in before swimming off. We ended the night with 114 tilapia. Just shy of our goal—but way more than Shane expected.

Day 2: Saltwater Madness in Tampa Bay

The next day, we crossed the state to meet back up with Shane in Tampa Bay. One day we’re bowfishing next to the Atlantic, and the next we're on the Gulf of America. That's Florida.

We pulled up to the ramp and it was pure Florida energy—barbecues, people fishing, birthday parties, even the police were hanging out. We launched, and a pod of dolphins escorted us out of the channel. That alone was worth the trip.

We started bowfishing during daylight. I was wearing Pit Vipers and honestly, the polarization was trash. I could barely see. These saltwater fish were fast, way quicker than the freshwater stuff I’m used to. I couldn’t hit anything at first, and I was starting to get worried. Then finally—I nailed a mullet. Never been so hyped over a little fish, but I needed that.

Tide changed, and so did my luck. I started drilling sheepshead. Then, I saw a huge wake and drew back—massive bull redfish. Shane yells, “NO! NO!” Redfish and snook are protected gamefish in Florida, so I held off. Still, first time I’d seen a bull red that size up close. Awesome moment.

Stingray Struggles & Success

My main goal for the trip was to land a stingray—and it wasn’t looking good. We headed into a little cut and spotted a baby southern ray. I shot and almost had it, but it pulled off at the boat. A minute later a 30-pound ray rolled out. I snapshot, hit it in the spine—barbs sticking out—and it still pulled free. My buddy followed up, nailed it, and landed the ray. We got hyped, but he definitely rubbed it in my face.

As the night wrapped up, I still hadn’t landed my stingray. Shane, being a real one, pulled into one more cut. Chilling near a beach, I spotted another southern ray, slightly bigger than the first. Didn’t think—just shot. Nailed it. Finally landed my first stingray.

Back at the ramp, we were waiting for Shane to grab the truck when my buddy randomly shoots into the water and pulls up a squid. Right in front of us, its color starts vanishing from its body—wildest thing I’ve seen in person.

As we loaded the boat, Twisted Limbs Bowfishing—another top Florida bowfishing charter—pulled up. Two of Florida’s best bowfishing outfits at one ramp? Yeah, we knew we were in the right place.

Success & Heading Home

We loaded up the cooler with fish, packed the truck, and pointed it back toward Kentucky. No Florida gar this time—but that just gives me another reason to come back.

Wanna Go Bowfishing in Florida?

If you’re looking for the ultimate Florida bowfishing trip, hit up:

Shane Springer
  386-878-5221
  @midnightxpress_bowfishing on all platforms
  Midnight Xpress Bowfishing Charter

And if you need gear before you roll out—get it from the bowfishing shop with everything:
#ForceFeedem