There is something peaceful and adventurous about fishing from a canoe. It’s not as easy as fishing from a newly designed and equipped fishing boat.
However, something is rewarding about fishing from a canoe because it’s you and mother nature. This article will go over tips on how to fish for bass from a canoe.
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Are Canoes Stable Enough to Fish From
Canoes have been around for a long time and have been found in many different cultures. Canoes are stable enough to fish from, but you do have to be careful on them.
To prevent flipping or capsizing the canoe, avoid any sudden big movements or leaning too far on to one side. Most canoes flip when one person leans too far to one side, and the partner on the canoe gets startled and tries to counter by leaning too far on the other side, and when the first person moves back to the center position, the momentum tips the canoe and everyone else over.
What to Bring on the Canoe
The less equipment you bring, the better. There is no reason to bring your largest tackle box or a big cooler. Have an idea of how long you will be out there and plan accordingly. Here is a list of important things you don’t want to forget when fishing from a canoe:
Life Jacket – Safety first, always have a life jacket with you.
Select a few of your favorite lures. It’s recommended to bring a lure like a weedless worm that you can use to work the lily pads or structures. As well as a lure like a Rapala that you can use to cover a lot of area.
Fish Rods – It’s a good idea to bring a couple of different fishing rods that are set up with different lures. It’s not impossible to change your lures on a canoe, but it’s a lot easier to switch rods.
Water – It’s always a good idea to have drinking water with you because you never know how long you will be out on the water.
Fish Towel – This is important because even though you won’t need one for bass, you may catch a slimy northern pike.
You will have better control with the fish towel that will help prevent the northing pike from jumping around in the confined space of a canoe.
From personal experience, a flopping northern pike increases the chances of you accidentally getting hooked, and that is the last thing you want to happen on a canoe.
Fish Pliers – Hopefully, you won’t need to use them, but in case your bass swallows the hook, make sure to have them with you.
Where to Store Your Fishing Rods on a Canoe
The design of canoes makes it easy to store fishing rods. The thwarts are struts placed across the canoe to help keep its shape.
The bow thwart, midship thwart, and the stern thwart are spaced well enough apart that you can have your rods sit on top of them without falling in the hull of the canoe. This helps make it easy to switch between your favorite bass rods while fishing from a canoe.
Use the Wind to Your Advantage
Wind can be very difficult to paddle against, especially if you are by yourself. If you want to avoid the wind, try and stay close to the shoreline. You can also use the wind to your advantage by letting the wind push the canoe in the general direction that you want to go.
This works great along the shoreline. If the wind isn’t pulling you exactly where you want to go, then you can use your paddle as a rudder when necessary to help point you in the right direction. Be patient and wait for the right moment to make that cast.
Without having to paddle along the shoreline, the canoe will be silent, and it will allow you to sneak up on the bass without letting them know you are there.
Using an Anchor on a Canoe
For canoes, small anchors are great to have and easy to use. If you do not already have an anchor, you don’t necessarily need to buy one. You can use items lying around your house like a small cinder block. A full-size cinder block may be too big, so look for a broken one that you can use.
You can also make your anchor buy pouring concrete in a plastic milk jug. That will leave you with a great handle to tie the anchor line to the milk jug anchor.
Once it’s ready for use, make sure you know the depth that you will be fishing in and bring plenty of rope. You can tie your anchor line to the bow thwart of the canoe.
Use the Floating Weeds as an Anchor
If you do not have an anchor, you can use the floating weed beds as one. If there is a spot you want to fish for bass, and nearby is a floating weed bed, pull the canoe far enough on top that it can’t be pushed by the wind anymore.
Don’t Scare the Fish
Fishing from a canoe is great because it can be very stealthy on the water. However, if you are using an aluminum canoe, you can make noises very easily. When paddling make sure not to hit the side of the canoe with your paddle.
That will create a big bang underwater, and may scare the fish. When you set your paddle down, make sure to set your paddle on the gunwales of the boat gently. You can set rubber pads on the gunwales to help absorb the vibration.
Set a towel on the floor of the canoe so you can place your tackle box, pliers, anchor. The towel will protect the objects from making noises when you are using them.
When using the anchor while fishing, make sure not to throw the anchor and scare the fish. Gently pick up the anchor and set it in the water. This will help decrease the chances of not scaring the fish away.
Final Thoughts
Fishing from a canoe is a great way to get out on the water. By following the tips above will help make you better prepared and help make your trip more enjoyable.