Post by ProBass on Mar 9, 2005 12:33:43 GMT -5
I realize everyone has walleye and pike on their minds come Spring, but I want to remind everyone of a long lost past-time! Fishing crappies with a cane pole!
Fishing with a cane pole is one of the simplest and perhaps oldest fishing techniques. Probably preceded only by poles or branches of whatever in nature was available. Cane poles have been used to catch everything from small panfish to much larger fish such as catfish, bass and even giant tuna on commercial fishing boats of years past. We are going to focus on panfish, specifically crappies.
Cane pole fishing is also probably the cheapest way to fish! All you need is a cane pole 6-12 feet in length, an equivalent amount of line, a hook, and a bobber. Whole set-ups can be purchased at your local sporting goods store for less than $15 these days. I’ve seen set-ups as low as $7, complete with hook, line, and bobber. You can get fancy with graphite “cane pole” rods that run anywhere from $40 to $100. My preferred set-up is a 10 foot traditional cane pole with some 4lb. Mono tied on the end. I set my bobber stop 1-3 feet above a plain Phelps glow hook with a crappie minnow. A small split-shot sinker may be used to get your bait down faster. For a bobber, I will use something as small as an Ice Buster Bobber from Today’s Tackle or a Wave Buster Bobber cut down so that my bobber barely stays atop the water line. When the bobber goes down I just lift on the cane pole and the fish swings into my hands! It’s that simple!
Come Spring crappies come in shallow to feed and also to spawn. This time of year is the best for cane pole fishing because you are restricted to close-range fishing because managing a length of fishing line longer than the pole is problematic. Where cane pole fishing really pays off is in heavy vegetation, where crappies can often be found. Using a 6 to 10 foot cane pole is great for placing your bait in holes in the vegetation or fallen trees. Pencil reeds and thick cabbage are great places to begin.
This Spring put away the 6-7 foot rods and reels and pick up an old cane pole for a day of fishing. It’s a blast when you really get into the crappies, pulling up one after the other on a cane pole is like nothing else. Another great thing about cane poling is that it’s great for teaching young anglers to fish because of its simplicity and ease of handling. Remember to only take enough for a meal, and limit your catch. Catch and release allows future anglers to enjoy the resources we’ve had available to us! Good luck and have fun!
Fishing with a cane pole is one of the simplest and perhaps oldest fishing techniques. Probably preceded only by poles or branches of whatever in nature was available. Cane poles have been used to catch everything from small panfish to much larger fish such as catfish, bass and even giant tuna on commercial fishing boats of years past. We are going to focus on panfish, specifically crappies.
Cane pole fishing is also probably the cheapest way to fish! All you need is a cane pole 6-12 feet in length, an equivalent amount of line, a hook, and a bobber. Whole set-ups can be purchased at your local sporting goods store for less than $15 these days. I’ve seen set-ups as low as $7, complete with hook, line, and bobber. You can get fancy with graphite “cane pole” rods that run anywhere from $40 to $100. My preferred set-up is a 10 foot traditional cane pole with some 4lb. Mono tied on the end. I set my bobber stop 1-3 feet above a plain Phelps glow hook with a crappie minnow. A small split-shot sinker may be used to get your bait down faster. For a bobber, I will use something as small as an Ice Buster Bobber from Today’s Tackle or a Wave Buster Bobber cut down so that my bobber barely stays atop the water line. When the bobber goes down I just lift on the cane pole and the fish swings into my hands! It’s that simple!
Come Spring crappies come in shallow to feed and also to spawn. This time of year is the best for cane pole fishing because you are restricted to close-range fishing because managing a length of fishing line longer than the pole is problematic. Where cane pole fishing really pays off is in heavy vegetation, where crappies can often be found. Using a 6 to 10 foot cane pole is great for placing your bait in holes in the vegetation or fallen trees. Pencil reeds and thick cabbage are great places to begin.
This Spring put away the 6-7 foot rods and reels and pick up an old cane pole for a day of fishing. It’s a blast when you really get into the crappies, pulling up one after the other on a cane pole is like nothing else. Another great thing about cane poling is that it’s great for teaching young anglers to fish because of its simplicity and ease of handling. Remember to only take enough for a meal, and limit your catch. Catch and release allows future anglers to enjoy the resources we’ve had available to us! Good luck and have fun!
