Canoe floating is an excellent way to fish for smallmouth bass on waters ranging from small creeks to big rivers.  Consider this your textbook on how to do it correctly.

After yet another smallmouth bass had eaten his topwater lure, my guiding client Brian turned to me and said, “Tim, you know I’ve been fishing all my life, but this is the best day I’ve ever had.”

It was no idle statement. Over the years, Brian and I have seen some great fishing days together.  From wilderness smallmouth lakes to bronzeback-laden big rivers, I’d taken Brian to some great places.  So what made this trip surpass all his previous outdoor experiences?  It was a canoe trip down a very small stream. 

On that summer day, we were floating down a stream so shallow in places that we needed to get out and slide the canoe over the riffles.  It was also a stream where the banks were pristine and beautiful and the smallmouths eager and abundant, yet few anglers ever wet a line there.  A smallmouth Shangri-La that was reachable only by canoe.

Actually, this superb day last season was just one of the many I’ve had from a canoe seat.  For 30 years I’ve floated and fished from these skinny boats.  And I still absolutely love ‘em.  Besides regularly using the three canoes I own for personal fishing, I also use them for smallmouth guiding wherever waters are small or access is difficult.  My trusty and durable canoes go where few other craft can, they’re super-easy to transport and store, and they’re a lot less expensive than big boats.   Best of all, I’ve caught thousands of smallies from canoes.

Here’s how you, can turn a canoe into a smallmouth fishing machine.

Canoes To Consider

First, you really have to give careful consideration to the canoe itself.  Sure, any make, model and style will do in a pinch, but many canoes are tough to productively fish from.  You want a model that isn’t too narrow and tippy, nor one so big and bulky that it’s an unmanueverable barge.

Major manufacturers like Old Towne and Mad River have wide models they market for fishing, but the only fully rigged fishing canoe is made by a smaller company.  The River Ridge Custom Canoe is designed specifically for fishing.  It’s a short yet very stable 13- foot model that’s ideal for many river-angling situations.  My River Ridge’s padded swivel seats are the most comfortable around, and the canoe’s unique superb control with either an electric motor or a paddle.  For more information on this great canoe, you can check out River Ridge’s Web site, which is located at www.riverridgecustomcanoes.com or call the company at (507) 288-2750.

If you are going to try to float the tiniest of streams (those with a lot of blocking trees or riffles), an even lighter and more maneuverable craft is a good idea.  Old Towne’s Penobscott 16 doesn’t have any special fishing features, except for the fact that its extra lightness and rugged keel-less hull allow it to be maneuvered or dragged over the shallowest of spots.

Rigging Tips

No matter what canoe you use, it should be rigged with at least a few features.  Foremost, you need a decent anchor system.  The handiest is an anchor that rides on the outside of the craft with the rope sliding up and down through pulleys or eyebolts.  But even with an anchor that needs to be lifted over the side, a lightweight 6-pound mushroom head will make it relatively easy.  Get one for both bow and stern, so you can face either upstream or downstream.   And make sure they are always tied off at the very ends of the canoe, never from the side.

Another indispensable feature is a waterproof box or bag.  Canoe floors invariably collect a little water, and a dry place for clothes, cameras and other items is important.  I like a large Rubbermaid box.

Another vital addition is rod storage or a rack.  Space is tight in canoes, and a way to safely secure rods that are not in use is important.  The River Ridge Custom Canoe comes equipped with a handy rod rack that fits across the gunwales.  For other models, you’ll need to rig something yourself.  One pretty good system is mounting 2- to 3- inch-diameter PVC tubing inside along the gunwales.  The rod butt is secured by a loop-and-fastener strap, while the tip stays protected inside the tube.

On smaller streams where you regularly stop and wade-fish, wearing a multiple pocket fishing vest is a smart way to keep your lures handy.

Canoe Fishing How-to

Casting to banks is a prime way canoes are used for river fishing.  You move slowly downstream, delivering well-placed casts to likely bank or instream targets.  And while it can be an effective and enjoyable technique, the majority of anglers “bank shoot” poorly.  Good craft control is the prime consideration, yet too many sacrifice this when both people try to fish simultaneously.  With my electric motor equipped River Ridge, I can “river slip” (maintain a good controlled drift) with just an occasional adjustment of the motor.  This way, both of us in the canoe can fish at the same time as we slide slowly downstream.

However, with most canoe models, control requires 100 percent of the stern paddlers time, since current and wind will quickly push you out of position.

In those situations, you should take turns with the fishing and canoe handling.  Every hour, every mile or whatever you agree on, stop and switch places, so the bow person can fish while the angler in the stern devotes all his or her time to craft control.  Keep the canoe 35 to 45 feet from shorelines that have likely fish cover, such as rocks, wood eddies, or undercuts.  Go slowly, so the angler can make one or two accurate casts to each target area.  If you see an especially good looking spot (such as a large back eddy), anchor or slow down enough to make several casts.  When you come to shallow or sandy (and fishless) stretches of river, the bow person should put down the rod and pick up a paddle so you can quickly get down to the next good water.

This “gun and run” approach is an especially productive technique on certain types of rivers.  On waterways with plenty of smallmouth habitat, you can float about six miles of water in a day, fishing it thoroughly.  But some streams have only short stretches of rocky substrates, separated by long sections of sandy or marshy water.  For these, it’s wise to hit the good areas hard, then really cruise through the marginal stuff.

I regularly fish several streams that have just a half-dozen productive areas in 10 or 12 miles of water.  While each spot invariably yields several nice fish, covering all that water in between takes time.  In these situations having a small motor or two strong paddlers is essential.

Anchoring

It’s amazing how many canoe anglers try to get by without an anchor.  I’ve seem a lot of people heading merrily down the stream with nothing heavier than the jigs in their tackle box.  This is a mistake, because anchoring is the best way to thoroughly fish large pools.

An anchor is also required whenever the current is too strong for you to maintain your position with only a paddle or motor, and when you want to fish the same spot for an extended period of time.  And if course, anchoring is the best way two anglers, especially flyfishers, can fish at the same time.

One of the best ways to anchor-fish a small pool is to move quietly to the bottom of the pool.  Anticipate the amount of drift in the current and calculate where the craft will be when the anchor finally halts it.  Choose an anchor position that allows both anglers to fish as much of the pool as possible.  From this tail of the pool position, you can cast back upstream.  These with-the-current retrieves are best for pool fishing because you can get a lure down and keep it near the bottom.  Working sinking lures such as jigs and in-line spinners with the current also makes them look more natural to the fish. 

If a pool is too large to cover from a single anchored position, start at the very lower end of the pool and only reanchor after you’ve thoroughly worked as much area as possible from the first position.  If wind or cross currents push the canoe around, use a second anchor tied off at the stern to keep you in proper position.

Another specific spot where anchoring really pays off is upstream of large downed trees that are blocking the channel.  If the water is at least 3 feet deep, smallmouths and other species use these areas as feeding or holding locations.  With careful canoe positioning (using 2 anchors), you can get in place 20 to 25 feet upstream of the wood.  Scented grubs or snag-guard-equipped jigheads produce well if you keep them near the bottom, working them very slowly against the current.

The Sneak Technique

To improve your fishing success on very clear streams or in shallow pools, try the method I call the “sneak technique”.

The idea is to sneak the canoe close along one side of the stream channel so you won’t spook the smallmouths.  Approach along the side of the pool that’s shallowest or farthest away from the area you’ll fish; then you can anchor and fish with as little disturbance to the smallies as possible.  Also use the technique when approaching a pool you’re not sure is deep enough to hold fish.  If it turns out to be shallow and fishless water, no harm is done.  But if the pool looks good as you edge around it, you will be in a good position to work it without scaring the fish.  And of course, don’t spook the fish by banging the paddle against the craft or dropping things on the bottom of the boat.

Park-and-wade Strategy

Another way to make effective use of a canoe is to use it only to move down the river as transportation, not as a fishing platform.

There are many 20 to 35 foot wide waterways around that are large enough to float but too narrow, shallow or clear to cast from the canoe without alarming the fish.  If you paddle through one of these stream’s small pools trying to fish as you pass, you’ll do little but spook the fish.  On the other hand, by parking the craft before drifting into the pool, you can get out and fish on foot without scaring the smallies.  And of course, flyrodders will love the park-and-wade technique, since fly-casting is easiest when standing up.

To decide when to “park and wade,” keep a sharp eye on the water ahead and quickly stop if the water looks at all likely.  Stop at least several yards above the head of the pool, then cautiously approach the spot from the bank and use whatever on foot approach is appropriate for the situation.

Probably the biggest advantage of the park-and-wade method is the large amounts of water that can be covered in a day.  A stream angler without a canoe can’t fish more than a couple of miles of stream in a day, but by floating and stopping to work the best locations, you can easily cover several times that distance.

Solo Canoe Fishing

A common reason given for not float-fishing more often is the problem of rounding up a fishing partner and another car.  The lack of a canoe partner shouldn’t keep you from enjoying our fine bronzeback waterways.  Besides a craft you can easily handle alone (paddling, launching and loading), all you need is a ride back up to the launch site.

One good option is substituting a bicycle for the second motor vehicle.  First drop the canoe and gear off at the launch site, hidden out of the way.  And then drive down to the take-out site and leave the motor vehicle, and peddle back to the canoe, where you leave the bike chained to a tree.  Then you pick up the bike on the way home. I’ve made many of these solo trips over the years, and have always enjoyed the combination of fishing, canoeing and biking.  Perhaps you will, too.

Speaking of enjoyment, besides good gear and techniques, a healthy perspective on canoe fishing will also make the experience more enjoyable.  A canoe trip is much more than simply the means to access good fishing.  The secluded beauty of your environment, the abundant wildlife so close at hand, the pure relaxation of flowing water drawing you downstream, the anticipation of discovering what lies around the next river bend – these and many other aspects of stream fishing make it truly an angling adventure.

Difficult Conditions
High water & Dirty water

Rivers are dynamic systems…. placid one day, a torrent the next if you get an overnight downpour.  Checking a streams levels before you go is the best way to prevent a frustrating or dangerous day on the water.  The U.S. Geological Survey’s Internet Web site lists flow rates for many U.S. rivers.

However, if you do decide to float a river that’s significantly higher than normal, make safety the prime consideration.  Wear life jackets, keep a sharp eye for “sweepers” (low tree limbs extending out into the river) and never anchor in extra strong current.  In fact, avoiding heavy current isn’t just safe; it’s the best way to catch smallies when rivers run high.  Slack-water bank eddies are prime locations, and if water levels have been up for several days, flooded shoreline trees and vegetation often harbor fish, too.

Agriculture-impacted streams often muddy up heavily even with just moderate rainfall.  To score in these low-visibility conditions, use the “narrow-focus slow-go” approach.  Target only the very best locations the river has to offer, like the biggest wood cover and boulders, best looking eddies current breaks and head-of-pool areas.  Then fish them all super-thoroughly.  Instead of two or three casts to a spot, work a lure or fly through the spot 12 or 15 times, while keeping retrieves slow and near the bottom.

Ultraclear & Extra-shallow Water

If the weather stays dry long enough, even a big muddy waterway can become a clearwater brook.  And anytime you encounter ultraclear conditions, be willing to use more stealth and caution in your approaches.

If you can count pebbles in 6 foot of water, the smallies will likely be a lot more wary than they would in 2-foot visibility.  Increase casting distance several feet, anchor farther away from likely targets, and keep boat and paddling noises to a minimum.  You should also focus on deeper water, since extreme clarity often means daytime fish hunkering down in the depths.  You may also want to time your float so you can remain in the river until almost dark, since even clearwater smallies are suckers for topwater in the evening.

Extra-low water on many streams and smaller rivers often means plenty of shallow rock and gravel riffles.  Anglers who absolutely despise getting out of their canoes should avoid shallow streams.  But those able to travel extra light and willing to hop out now and then can find an uncrowded stream and heavily concentrated fish.  When I’m sliding through extra-skinny water I use an extra-light canoe, bring just a small box for my gear and carry all my tackle in a vest.

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Sure, I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: The smallmouth is an unsurpassed sportfish…beautiful, bodacious and bountiful, but only if we let them go.  Always practicing catch-and-release means you and I will both have fine fishing into the future.

River Ridge Custom Canoes has Tim Holschlag’s permission to use this article on its web site.  The law prohibits any unauthorized use of this article.

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