"Push pole" ideas?

[pauldconyers]

I need some ideas as to what you guys use as a "push pole" on your boat. My dad has a pontoon boat that has a very old, torn up wooden oar on it that is only used to push off of the bank, trees or rocks if we drift so close to obstacles like that to create space to fire up the engine and move. I was thinking I could get him a new one then I figured there has to be something better to use for this job and wanted some suggestions. I saw a really sweet one that KVD was touting but it was about 200 bucks or something silly. IDK, I guess ideally I go with should have a V shape or something to where it can push off trees, telescope out to where it can reach out a good ways but not take up a lot of room on the boat. Ideas?

[ISuckAtBassFishingBoise]

I dont know a lot about boating laws and if a paddle is required but it would be a good idea to have one on board in case of a breakdown.   You could try to customize his old oar by putting some kind of wrap around it like heat shrink tube on the handle, painting it, or wrapping it in para cord.  I was down at Cascade River Gear the other day, they sell Maravia white water rafts that are made here in Idaho and had some pretty cool oars on the wall.  https://cascaderivergear.com/

[WRB]

Search duck bill or duck foot push poles on line.

Tom

[Scott F]

I use a telescoping boat hook for a push pole. It’s a 2 piece aluminum, goes out to about 10 feet. The hook allows you to grab a dock, or a snagged lure. You wouldn’t use it to pole your way home, but I’ve used it hundreds of times to push off from a log or the shore.

[A-Jay]

I must be silly .

 

A-Jay

[geo g]

I got a piece of 2"x2" stock 10 feet long.  Lathe the one end round, and cut a large paddle from plywood, on the other end with wood screws.  Cut a notch on the top of the paddle on both sides, to grab a dock or other object and pull the boat in.  Cut to fit your needs.  Fits in the rod locker perfect.  If I need to paddle, I can stand on the front deck and move a lot of water without bending over, and I can switch sides paddling without moving my feet.  If I need to push off I turn it around and use the handle side.  The whole thing cost less than $7.  Seldom use it, but good to know it will get the job done, and easy on my back.

[BigAngus752]

I use this.  Granted I have a Ranger RT188 and, being aluminum, it's light and easy to push around, but this works beautifully.  Not sure it will stand up to a pontoon boat but it's cheap enough for you to try it.  

 

https://www.menards.com/main/paint/paint-sprayers-applicators/extension-poles/mr-longarm-reg-twist-lok-reg-aluminum-extension-pole/9224/paint/paint-sprayers-applicators/extension-poles/mr-longarm-reg-twist-lok-reg-aluminum-extension-pole/9272/p-1444441210190.htm

 

[pauldconyers]

50 minutes ago, BigAngus752 said:

I use this.  Granted I have a Ranger RT188 and, being aluminum, it's light and easy to push around, but this works beautifully.  Not sure it will stand up to a pontoon boat but it's cheap enough for you to try it.  

 

https://www.menards.com/main/paint/paint-sprayers-applicators/extension-poles/mr-longarm-reg-twist-lok-reg-aluminum-extension-pole/9224/paint/paint-sprayers-applicators/extension-poles/mr-longarm-reg-twist-lok-reg-aluminum-extension-pole/9272/p-1444441210190.htm

 

Are there attachments or something you can screw into the end?

[Catt]

16 hours ago, WRB said:

Search duck bill or duck foot push poles on line.

Tom

 

Yeah don't play around with cheap made do push poles!

 

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/o-h-mfg-duck-bill-push-pole

[plawren53202]

I'll tell you what NOT to use as a push pole. Memorial Day weekend I was fishing in my brother-in-law's johnboat. It's a really nice fairly new BPS johnboat, but the motor is an old trolling motor. He's resurrected the wiring-to-clamps connection 20 times now with electrical tape. Memorial Day they finally bit the bullet, while I was all the way across our 7 acre lake (on the windblown side of course, so downwind from the dock) and I couldn't rescue them with the few items I had available in the boat. Also no paddle in the boat.

 

I had to beach the boat, climb up in the thick overgrown woods, used a pair of needle nose pliers to cut down a small pine sapling, used the pliers to trim off all the little branches up the trunk, and poled my way back to the dock around the perimeter of the pond where it was shallow enough to pole. It was like some messed up contest on a Survivor episode. ?

[Alex from GA]

I use my net or put the trolling motor part of the way in the water.  A push pole would be great to have but don't have the room.

[Southernfried]

For my kayak, I wanted a push pole/anchor pole. Didnt want to spend a 100$ on one, so I went to Lowes, bought a closet rack wood pole, 10 foot long, walked over to plumbing, got a pvc T that fit over the end, went to hardware and got me a eye bolt, nut and washer. Went home drilled it for the eye bolt so I could attatch a laynard, put the T on the end and wrapped it with lizard skin baseball bat wrapped, covered all whole wooden pole with poly, 4 coats, and there ya go. Floatable, push pole that actually looks good since I stained it and put poly on it, plus it floats. Spent 15 bucks......and for the end that goes into the mud, I screwed in a 3/8'' bolt, took a grinder and made that end pointy so it looks like a sharp pencil but with a metal stud in it, that way it wont get beat up on the rocks etc. Works great for my application, for a pure push pole just dont make the end pointy. 

[TnRiver46]

I use a 10' galvanized water pipe in my canoe and I can go for miles upstream through long swift shoals. Very loud and heavy though, its one hell of a workout haha. It has unlocked several areas I didn't think I could access without two vehicles and floating from point A to point B 

[BigAngus752]

On 6/14/2020 at 9:38 PM, pauldconyers said:

Are there attachments or something you can screw into the end?

I've considered trying a sanding pad attachment or using the handle of a paint roller to make a "duck foot" but I haven't gotten around to it and yet my push pole has worked beautifully.  I'm starting to think I don't need anything on the end of it.  I fish entirely man-made lakes and I'm either pushing out of rip rap or muck.  Still haven't had a problem with it sinking too far.  

[TnRiver46]