Ouch! Now that hurts. I shortened the string where I wasnt fully extended at full draw and I loosened the bow to it's minimum which was about 45 lbs. You can also get a guard to protect your inner arm. When bowfishing you dont want to be shooting a strong bow. I'd say anything over 50#'s is too much IMO so make sure to reduce the poundage. You could try using a different method of how you grip the bow since it's at a much lighter draw weight than a hunting bow.Thumbs Up