The Water Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
By Noel Vick
River fishing expert
Bill Plantan never leaves home without ‘em; that is a full
complement of prerigged rods and reels.
The world’s a harmonious
place when Bill Plantan inconspicuously slides his canoe into the
flow. A morning fog masks his craft, its intentions, and most of
the river panorama. Unseen riffles trickle. Something crunches in
the dried leaf litter, likely a squirrel, maybe a deer. In the
distance an aroused turkey gobbles; it’s that time of the year.
The peacefulness deepens,
too, as Plantan vectors into the current and parts the haze. Just
ahead lays the first of many glossy pools. He reaches for a rod –
meaning for a topwater package – and conspires to agitate the
serenity.
Waxing sunlight causes the
fog to scatter and rise. But suddenly, the image of tranquility is
splintered. The bliss is gone. For arranged, in a specialized
holder across the midriff of Plantan’s River Ridge Custom Canoe,
lays a battery of rod and reel combos, a tactical and advanced
weaponry system. His seemingly harmless craft is exposed for what
it is: a water-wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Plantan, the pharaoh of
fiberglass at River Ridge Custom Canoes in Rochester, Minnesota,
might pilot one the most-ancient of all watercraft types, but his
techniques are so contemporary and vessel so tricked-out that he
won’t be mistaken for a buckskin clad Voyageur.
The Right Rods and
Reels at the Ready
From an angling
perspective, Plantan is straightaway against the premise of “one
rod per man.” It’s limiting. There are far too many situations and
species to carry on so restrictively. “Having enough prerigged
rods and reels in the canoe is key,” says Plantan “So too is
knowing how and when to use them.”
Regardless if he’s
slipping a fat stream for browns or combating heavier current in
pursuit of walleyes and smallmouth bass, Plantan operates with at
least two prerigged combos per person. And during a typical, two
canoeist tour, his preference is running with five total outfits,
two per person and a fifth for “community use.”
As you’d expect, his
selection of lures isn’t arbitrary, either. Each is chosen for a
specific purpose, addressing a precise point in the water column
and prevailing piscatorial mood. “Each angler needs one lure
that’ll hit the bottom and another that probes the surface. And
the fifth, so-called community outfit should be geared to run at
midrange depths,” says Plantan.
Rod one is for chucking
topwaters and fueling explosions. If you fish rivers for predator
species, you need a topwater presentation perpetually at the ready
– period. Plantan throws ‘em all year, too, but says they’re most
effective during the warm water months.
The river sage considers
true topwaters, like a Zara Puppy or Rapala Skitter Pop, “noise
makers.” They’re best suited for long casts into pools, and
fundamentally, anywhere super-aggressive fish are circulating.
By and large, though, a
stickbait – slender, shallow running crankbait – is Plantan’s
favorite class of topwater lures. “They catch both aggressive and
inactive fish, even in cold water and during cold fronts.
Stickbaits look and act so
much like actual river forage that rarely will a fish pass on
one.”
In his humble estimation,
the Rapala Original Floater remains the crème de la crème of
stickbaits. Despite its relic-status, Plantan goes to the Original
before all others. He points to the lure’s “versatility” and
ability to “fish in so many different ways,” including hot and
fast for antagonistic suitors and listlessly for sleepier fish.
Generally speaking, too,
whether hurling an Original or newfangled Japanese version, which
Plantan’s known to do, he probes water hurriedly. Throwing with an
abrasion resistant and long-casting 6 pound test Fireline, he
slings to the bank, lets the morsel settle, and twitches back
toward the canoe. If they aren’t erupting, though, he’ll mix in a
few subsurface, straight retrieves.
Logjams manufacture
another prized location for topwaters. “I position the canoe
directly across from the logjam, lending access to both upstream
and downstream targets. Highly aggressive smallmouth bass and
trout will lie in ambush at the head of the logjam. But the ‘ol
‘King of the Pool’ – a muskie or giant pike – will normally linger
in the downstream pool,” says Plantan.
Rod two features a jig.
This is Plantan’s bottom option, and truthfully, his most valued
overall device. And through years of trial and error on untold
flowages and sundry species, he’s settled on a few clutch
patterns:
“First of all, plan on
loosing a few jigs,” Plantan cautions. “So don’t bust the bank on
really expensive models. I carry ordinary, long-shank, black jig
heads in 1/16th to ¼ ounce weights. And by far and
away, 1/8th ounce jigs match the most conditions.”
Plantan rarely plumbs with
live bait either, preferring to cloak his jigs in plastic. “I’ve
experimented with every color, size, and body shape on the
shelves, too, and found that 3 inch motor-oil grub bodies catch
more fish in more situations than any other kind.”
With that said, Plantan
also plays around with black, chartreuse, and white, which are
proven, multi-species river colors, too. Plantan suggests that
each partner lets fly a different color and style until a penchant
is established.
Plantan spools his jigging
outfit with monofilament line, 6 pound, clear Trilene XL to be
exact. Mono affords greater suppleness and stretch than a
superline, and said properties are compulsory for short range
river skirmishes.
Jigs work just about
anywhere, too. Plantan fishes ‘em amid runs, against banks, up and
down riprap, in pools, and well, basically anywhere it’s wet and
wild. “Pools are my favorite spots for jig fishing, though,” he
confesses. “I like to anchor above a riffle and pool, wading into
the water if I can, and cast downstream.
If physically possible,
I’ll sneak below the pool and cast back into it, too. This allows
me to probe the whole thing, and from different angles.
According to Plantan,
another made to order jig-target is a “good rocky shoreline, one
with depth and bigger rocks.” To strafe such an area, he casts
slightly upstream of the canoe, tight to shore, and allows the jig
and canoe to float downstream, simultaneously, while he slowly
takes up line.
Plantan contends that the
“jig emulates a crayfish or minnow darting among the rocks.” To
enhance the natural-forage illusion, Plantan employs a swimming
action, bumping and popping the jig in an erratic but not
overstated manner.
That fifth, shared rod and
reel combo is dedicated to midrange sorties. Typically, Plantan’s
armament of choice is a Rebel Crayfish, but also likes the outcome
of dancing a Rapala Husky Jerk, which dives and suspends as well.
Fly-fishing partisans
shouldn’t feel slighted, either, because equally as often Plantan
embarks with a dry-fly for the surface, spinning outfit and jig
for the river bottom, and another fly rod, fitted with a streamer,
for the in-betweens.
Nair a stretch of river is
safe from Plantan the Water-Wolf; he’s far too crafty and equipped
a canoeist. Luckily, though, for the fish’s sake, he’s a disciple
of the rite of release, too.
River Ridge Custom
Canoes are available factory direct. To find out more
about the utmost fishing-canoe, call (507) 288-2750 and ask for a
free brochure. You can also learn more about the company and their
products by visiting
www.riverridgecustomcanoes.com
