Fishing From Canoes

[Topwater98]

Most of the time when I am fishing I am fishing either from shore or from a canoe. I was wondering how much stuff I should bring out with me when I am fishing. How many poles? I currently have a 7 ft medium heavy baitcaster with 12 lb test line, a 6 foot 6 medium light action spinning rod with 12 lb test line and a 5 foot 6 light action spinning rod. to me the medium light action spinning rod feels fairly stiff. I was wondering if I should bring all of my lures or just take the ones that I might use. Also does anyone bring a camera with? There are times I wish I could get pictures of the fish I catch without having to go back to shore. I am usually fishing with someone else who could take a picture. Would you get a waterproof camera? Thanks for any help.

[tomustang]

You could carry more in your car, then get where you want to be and scan the area so you're selective with your gear.

There's waterproof cameras/cams out there and waterproof phone cases for options

[Fishes in trees]

Even back in the day, I was never a big fan of fishing out of canoes.  I wouldn't take any more gear in a canoe than I could grab quickly if it turned over.  JMO

[John G]

Cell phone camera?

[Marty]

You have to do what feels right to you. This is my 7th year of canoe fishing. I take all my lures because I have fewer than many guys and one bag with five 3600 boxes holds it all. Three rod-reel combos is what I take. It's a wide, relatively flat-bottomed canoe that's very stable and I don't worry about ending up in the drink, but I do wear my PFD. It's a tandem canoe, but I'm always solo. I always bring my camera (not waterproof) and keep it in a non-waterproof plastic box which protects it from casual water from stuff like switching the paddle from one side to the other.

[NEjitterbugger]

I get 2 friends and I on my canoe... each with tackle bags and 2-3 rods... Not fun when you tip and lose everything though!!

 

[A-Jay]

 

This works for me.

 

A-Jay.

 

[eatlessfish]

I usually fish by myself when I fish for bass out of my canoe at the lake. I usually bring one 6'6" medium spinning combo with 10lb. fluoro for most finese/lighter applicaions, a 7'0" MH baitcatst combo with 17lb. fluoro for all around baitcast lures, and a 7'6" H baicast with 50lb. Power Pro braid for flipping/frogging. I bring a Bass Pro Tacklebag with four 370 boxes filled with just about one or two of everything (cranks, spinnerbaits, frogs, jigs, buzzbaits, terminal tackle, a scale, etc.) and a few bags of soft plastics in one of the larger side pockets. So I have just about every application covered. It works for me, and you should use whatever works for you, because when I canoe fish I usually am doing it not only to catch bass, but to have fun!! My PB for out of the canoe is also my personal lake best (7lb.) But whatever is most comfortable for you! Oh yeah, for a camera I just use my phone. I have a Lifeproof(waterproof case) but if you dont I would recommend one, or put your phone in a waterproof bag and seal it until you use it in case of a little accident!!

[NEjitterbugger]

 

 

 

This works for me.

 

A-Jay.

 

 

Once again... Your an ANIMAL!

[Snakehead Whisperer]

 

 

 

This works for me.

 

A-Jay.

 

Is that a 17' canoe? How does that handle in wind with just 1 person? 

 

Awesome setup, btw. 

[A-Jay]

Is that a 17' canoe? How does that handle in wind with just 1 person? 

 

Awesome setup, btw. 

 

It's an Old Town Predator Square back 15' 3". A 40 inch beam makes it very stable.  I use a second battery which is wired in up in the bow acting as ballast.  Like any small craft, the wind is both a curse and a blessing.  It positions the fish but makes fishing a challenge.

 I almost always fish standing,  facing the stern, fishing into the wind.  I use an extension on the trolling motor handle and use the motor in reverse to maneuver.

 

 When conditions dictate I will anchor and do so about 50 % of the time.

 

A-Jay

[Snakehead Whisperer]

It's an Old Town Predator Square back 15' 3". A 40 inch beam makes it very stable.  I use a second battery which is wired in up in the bow acting as ballast.  Like any small craft, the wind is both a curse and a blessing.  It positions the fish but makes fishing a challenge.

 I almost always fish standing,  facing the stern, fishing into the wind.  I use an extension on the trolling motor handle and use the motor in reverse to maneuver.

 

 When conditions dictate I will anchor and do so about 50 % of the time.

 

A-Jay

I have a really similar setup to yours but it's 17'6" so it's pretty long to maneuver with only 1 person. Don't fish standing from it often, but then again I'm usually fishing with a partner in that canoe. The extra battery must help quite a bit though. Is the trolling motor a 24v, or is the 2nd battery just for the weight and extra juice?

[moguy1973]

Not a canoe, but in my kayak I typically take 2 rods.  A 6'6" medium power spinning rod with 8lb PLine CX premium for fishing jigs and craws on the bottom.  The other is a 6'10" medium heavy casting rod with 10lb Yozuri Hybrid for topwater and spinnerbaits.  I used to take all my tackle until it became too much to bear, now I pick and choose what I need to take for the particular water I'm fishing, and I only take a small tackle bag anymore, the rest, mostly all my plastics in the bags they came in and some larger tackle trays with cranks in them, I put in a milk crate in the back.  As for a camera, I use my cell phone in a plastic ziploc baggie that I keep in my PDF vest pocket.

[Darren.]

I have an aluminum 16' Grumman I no longer fish out of, kayak (hybrid) now. But when I did, like AJ, I mounted a motor, but took along maybe 3, at most 4 rods.

 

I don't stand the rods up now, I lay them down in front of me. Too many times I've casted and caught a rod behind me.

 

Really one of those things which you need to flesh out for yourself. My style may not work for you. If you are 100% confident with your canoe, and feel you can take 5 rods, then do so. Otherwise, start with less, and add more... or start with more and take stuff away if you feel it is too much.

 

From experience, tipping a canoe can be a pain. My last tip was very expensive. Recovered rods, lost lures and such, broke my trolling motor, soaked and ruined a $300 camera and my cell phone.

 

From there I made outriggers to stabilize me - and I decided some places just weren't worth my effort to paddle.

 

Now in a kayak, virtually nothing is off limits!! But hey, a canoe is a great place to start and even stay if you love it!

[awefvawervwae]

I used to fish from a canoe years ago and have since switched to a kayak. I take a long quite a bit of stuff. Im talking 6 or 7 plano 3600's, several pacakages of plastics, and 6 or 7 rods. When I go out catfishing our of the yak I even have a live well for keeping shad and bluegill alive.

[MitchTBF]

I'm a kayak fisherman for the past year, but I bought a tandem canoe last week so I could take my father out lake fishing.

 

I bought the Old Town Saranac 160XT from Bass Pro Shops, it is a flat bottom 16 foot canoe and we had a blast. It was extremely stable, enough that I could stand and cast if I wanted to.

 

We brought 6 rods, cooler with lunch, drinks, tackle boxes, bilge pump, really whatever we needed and there was plenty of room. 

 

 

 

[BrianSnat]

Usually when I'm fishing out of my canoe it's because I'm canoe camping, so there is limited room for fishing gear.  I usually bring two 2 piece rods (1 ML and 1 MH) and they aren't my really good rods because they are going to get banged around in the canoe.  I also take a small  tackle box with the basics.  It's a far cry from when I fish out of my boat, when I could have 6-10 rods along and a tackle box that is big enough that it could use wheels.

 

I always have a camera along in the canoe and sometimes a video camera.  I keep them in a good dry bag (my wallet, cell phone, car keys and iPod also go inside) and make sure I'm extra careful when the dry bag is open.