sio2
Active Member
So, I only started fishing in Lake Powell after I retired from teaching in 2023. That's when I found out how good the fishing really is. Putting down $25,000 on a fishing boat is not in my budget right now, but I did still have this Mowhawk 16' canoe from 2008. A nice boat, to bad they stopped making them. Since we live in Kayenta, and we have a little homestead property near Monticello, I have the opportunity to visit both ends of the lake. At this point I have more than 20 trips under my belt, and I've never gone home without fish.
Through Wayne's words I was invited to go out with Ed Gederman, who does have a nice fishing boat. He taught me all I needed to know about catching smallmouth on LP, which is the type of fishing that makes most sense in a canoe...
I thought I'd share some of what I've learned, so, if you're interested in tackling LP in a small boat, read on:
Equipment:
What I'm using is the 16' canoe pictured above. I have a Minkota 30fp trolling motor, one of the smallest you can get. It has 5 speeds. I needed to buy a bracket to mount the motor to the canoe. The motor is hooked up to a 128 AH deep cycle battery that weighs almost as much as the canoe itself. This set-up has never failed me. I have gone from Hall's all the way up Moqi Canyon with no issues. I also got a little chair with a backrest which is a key comfort feature.
You can carry a lot of gear in a canoe. I bring 2 coolers (one loaded with ice for fish), a tent, table, chair, Coleman stove. I can camp very comfortably.
Fishing:
Last time out (Oct. 6 - 7) I carried 4 rods. I like to have at least 3 rods, light medium and heavy. I use the heavier rigs for trolling. I'm always trolling when traveling from point A to B. It just doesn't make sense not to. And, I always catch fish this way, probably about 50/50 stripers and smallmouth. The other rigs I have set-up with a drop-shot with small 3" - 4" shad colored plastics on circle hooks or drop-shot hooks. Trolling I always have good results with Rapala deep-divers size 5 & 7, which run about $8 a pop at Walmart, shad colored. Last trip I had equally good results trolling a spoon. Have all your rods rigged and ready to cast before you get on the water.
I tend to troll near the shoreline and stop at coves, rock piles and ledges to cast for smallmouth.
On the Water:
Going out on the lake in a rig like this is fricking crazy, make no mistake. Swamping or capsizing is not an option! I always check the weather before I go. Any wind predicted above 10 mph is a no-go for me. Waves can kick up real fast in a stiff wind. Most canoes and kayaks have little to no keel on them, which means that the wind can have it's way with you. If I think the wind might pick up later in the day, I try to put myself upwind of my take-out point.
Other boats are another big hazard, mostly their wakes. Nobody hates wake-boarders more than the guy in the canoe. I like to cut straight across the main channel when I must cross, spending the least amount of time in the traffic zone as possible. If you are in a narrow canyon, or next to a vertical wall, beware of the reflection waves that rebound back off the walls sometimes creating rogue waves that can mess you up if you're not ready for them. Some boaters are extremely inconsiderate. I recommend hitting the backwater, shallow, rocky areas which is where you're going to catch more fish anyway.
Locations:
On the South end I've launched at Lone Rock (when the water was up that high), Wahweap and Stateline. I try to park well to the side or off the ramp altogether. I need to get close to the water, and sand is the best to launch from. Gravel and concrete scratch up my hull. The whole eastern shoreline of Wahweap Bay from the no-wake zone at the entrance, all the way past Lone Rock has prime bass habitat. No need to travel up lake, just head straight across from the boat ramp. I've caught bigger fish in Wahweap than in any other part of the lake, including my personal record largemouth.
On the North end Bullfrog bay and Halls creek bay both offer great fishing opportunities close to the marinas. Heading down-lake from Hall's, where there is a big bend to the right, there is this gravel point that juts out and is surrounded by lots of shallow reefs and gravel bars. I always seem to catch smallmouth off this point. The shoreline just East of the Bullfrog ramp is an awesome series of coves and rocky points and flats, just about any type of habitat you want to fish. Halls Creek bay is pretty, but it can be crowded since it is so close to the marina. Lots of good fishing in Hall's though.
The last picture is from Oct. 8th. That is a good take for 2 days of fishing in the canoe. I probably threw back as many, cleaning is a lot of work. This trip was great in that I caught 4 different species. That walleye was pretty tasty last night.
Now, when I go out with Ed, we'll usually catch 4 times as many fish. That's with the benefit of a 180 hp Merc, and a fish-finder, neither of which I carry in the canoe. You just have to fish the structure and be trolling as much as possible. That's one way to find fish. Once you troll one up, make another pass or throw some casts in the same area. Remember, stripers run in schools. Sometimes I think some smallmouth get all excited and join in with the striper schools chasing shad. You'll still be able to catch enough to throw a good fish-fry . . .
Through Wayne's words I was invited to go out with Ed Gederman, who does have a nice fishing boat. He taught me all I needed to know about catching smallmouth on LP, which is the type of fishing that makes most sense in a canoe...
I thought I'd share some of what I've learned, so, if you're interested in tackling LP in a small boat, read on:
Equipment:
What I'm using is the 16' canoe pictured above. I have a Minkota 30fp trolling motor, one of the smallest you can get. It has 5 speeds. I needed to buy a bracket to mount the motor to the canoe. The motor is hooked up to a 128 AH deep cycle battery that weighs almost as much as the canoe itself. This set-up has never failed me. I have gone from Hall's all the way up Moqi Canyon with no issues. I also got a little chair with a backrest which is a key comfort feature.
You can carry a lot of gear in a canoe. I bring 2 coolers (one loaded with ice for fish), a tent, table, chair, Coleman stove. I can camp very comfortably.
Fishing:
Last time out (Oct. 6 - 7) I carried 4 rods. I like to have at least 3 rods, light medium and heavy. I use the heavier rigs for trolling. I'm always trolling when traveling from point A to B. It just doesn't make sense not to. And, I always catch fish this way, probably about 50/50 stripers and smallmouth. The other rigs I have set-up with a drop-shot with small 3" - 4" shad colored plastics on circle hooks or drop-shot hooks. Trolling I always have good results with Rapala deep-divers size 5 & 7, which run about $8 a pop at Walmart, shad colored. Last trip I had equally good results trolling a spoon. Have all your rods rigged and ready to cast before you get on the water.
I tend to troll near the shoreline and stop at coves, rock piles and ledges to cast for smallmouth.
On the Water:
Going out on the lake in a rig like this is fricking crazy, make no mistake. Swamping or capsizing is not an option! I always check the weather before I go. Any wind predicted above 10 mph is a no-go for me. Waves can kick up real fast in a stiff wind. Most canoes and kayaks have little to no keel on them, which means that the wind can have it's way with you. If I think the wind might pick up later in the day, I try to put myself upwind of my take-out point.
Other boats are another big hazard, mostly their wakes. Nobody hates wake-boarders more than the guy in the canoe. I like to cut straight across the main channel when I must cross, spending the least amount of time in the traffic zone as possible. If you are in a narrow canyon, or next to a vertical wall, beware of the reflection waves that rebound back off the walls sometimes creating rogue waves that can mess you up if you're not ready for them. Some boaters are extremely inconsiderate. I recommend hitting the backwater, shallow, rocky areas which is where you're going to catch more fish anyway.
Locations:
On the South end I've launched at Lone Rock (when the water was up that high), Wahweap and Stateline. I try to park well to the side or off the ramp altogether. I need to get close to the water, and sand is the best to launch from. Gravel and concrete scratch up my hull. The whole eastern shoreline of Wahweap Bay from the no-wake zone at the entrance, all the way past Lone Rock has prime bass habitat. No need to travel up lake, just head straight across from the boat ramp. I've caught bigger fish in Wahweap than in any other part of the lake, including my personal record largemouth.
On the North end Bullfrog bay and Halls creek bay both offer great fishing opportunities close to the marinas. Heading down-lake from Hall's, where there is a big bend to the right, there is this gravel point that juts out and is surrounded by lots of shallow reefs and gravel bars. I always seem to catch smallmouth off this point. The shoreline just East of the Bullfrog ramp is an awesome series of coves and rocky points and flats, just about any type of habitat you want to fish. Halls Creek bay is pretty, but it can be crowded since it is so close to the marina. Lots of good fishing in Hall's though.
The last picture is from Oct. 8th. That is a good take for 2 days of fishing in the canoe. I probably threw back as many, cleaning is a lot of work. This trip was great in that I caught 4 different species. That walleye was pretty tasty last night.
Now, when I go out with Ed, we'll usually catch 4 times as many fish. That's with the benefit of a 180 hp Merc, and a fish-finder, neither of which I carry in the canoe. You just have to fish the structure and be trolling as much as possible. That's one way to find fish. Once you troll one up, make another pass or throw some casts in the same area. Remember, stripers run in schools. Sometimes I think some smallmouth get all excited and join in with the striper schools chasing shad. You'll still be able to catch enough to throw a good fish-fry . . .
