Canoe Fishing

Canoe fishing is a great way to fish locations that larger boats can't reach., It is also a great method To sneak up on wary fish that would be scared off by a loud motor. Fishing the back creeks can produce some great catches in Northeast Florida, especially this time of the year. In the early fall, many species are feeding heavily in preparation for the winter. These include Redfish, Black Drum, Sea Trout, Croaker and Whiting, to name a few.

If you are planning to start canoe fishing, you need to start by selecting the right equipment. There are many styles of canoe made from many different types of material. Pick one that will accommodate the weight and number of your passengers. It should also be strong enough to handle the environment where you plan to fish, such as oyster beds, and be stable enough for you to stand and throw a cast net. Our canoe of choice is the Old Town Predator C133, This is a true 13.3 ft. fishing canoe with a wide center beam of over 40 inches. It can hold over 1300 pounds of passengers and gear and weighs only around 70 pounds. It came standard with bow and center dry bags, a pair of paddles and a bow anchor system. We have equipped ours with some additional optional equipment including two rod holders, seat cushions with backrests, a couple of cushions for our kids to sit on and a side motor mount with an electric trolling motor. The thrust of the trolling motor can really be a huge benefit if you find yourself in a strong tide. Also don't forget to bring a cooler for your food, drinks, bait and the fish that you catch.

Next, as in any kind of fishing, you need to select the right location. Most of the creeks and rivers here in Northeast Florida hold fish. This time of year, we like to select a quiet sharp bend in the river where there are few, if any, other boats. We also look for the bend to include a deep trough or hole and an oyster bed. We anchor within casting distance of the deepest point during the incoming or outgoing tide.

Last weekend, we tried a new area along Sister Creek with these exact conditions. We only brought 2 pounds of fresh shrimp and we caught a few finger mullet with the cast net. As soon as we wet our lines, the fish started hitting. Every cast produced a hit. We were landing Redfish, Black Drum, Whiting and Croaker as fast as we could put on a fresh bait and cast our lines. We actually ran out of shrimp before the bite could end. At the end of the day, we brought home one 26" slot-sized Redfish, four Black Drum in the 14" to 16" class, and one large Croaker.

The other great thing about canoe fishing is the scenic nature of the trip due to the quiet motion of the canoe. We saw Spoonbills, Mullet, Fiddler Crabs and Heron along our journey. It was a great day of fishing. I hope your next canoe fishing trip is just as fun as ours.

Happy fishing and remember that a bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work.