thanks to all for your help, and hillbilly, i guess i might just have to try aiming lower next time
and when i said the arrow curved, i guess i didnt really say that how i meant it, what i meant was that id shoot a little ahead of a swimming carp, and the arrow always ended up on either side of it, and it looked like it was changing direction when it hit the water.
and recurve shooter, i had been shooting for carp, my aunt loves hem (cant quite figger out why) and i told her id try to bring her some. I was at the Lake of the Ozarks in southern missouri, not particularly favorable for bowfishing because of the visibility, but its where i had to work with for now. i was shooting into not much more than 4ft of water.
thanks again to all
wildchild