Cane poles allow anglers to reach deep into weed beds you would never be able to cast to
Cane Poles Still Work Wonders
by Scott Mackenthun
For anglers of a somewhat “advanced” age, cane pole fishing probably represents some of their earliest crappie fishing memories. However, cane poles are a rare sight in this day and age.
But the extra-long rods, with no reel, aren’t just something to pull out for nostalgic angling. Rather, cane poles are very effective for select angling applications and are still counted on for some of the best fishing of the year.
In the 2022 Crappie Masters Championship on Florida’s St. John River, Randal Stormant and Bobby Robinson won the $10,000 First Prize fishing the way they were taught by Robinson’s father – essentially using cane poles fishing pads and structure out of their small boat with no electronics.
“Cane Pole” Cody Magnuson of Madison, South Dakota earned his nickname when he requested a custom-built cane pole for some clandestine angling.
“I knew about a lake that didn’t allow outboard motors and had a really thick shoreline,” Cody explained. “The best shorelines on this lake had trees packed in tight, and the drop offshore was fast from 8 to 15 feet, plus it’s a pain in the butt to hike into.”
Magnuson had a custom cane pole built that could be disassembled and reassembled.
“There were snags everywhere, the kind you can’t just cast over,” he said. “You had to hang jigs over the sides and pull the crappies straight out.”
Magnuson’s custom cane pole paid dividends in an earlier trip, when he joined a group of anglers on a flooded road grade. Magnuson knew the fish would be found in 10 feet of water, so he dropped ten feet off his cane pole and slid in amongst a throng of anglers pitching slip bobbers. Magnuson plucked his 15-fish limit in no time while the bobber anglers watched.
“To me, it’s about putting the bait precisely where it needs to be,” said Magnuson. “You don’t have to mess with bad line on a reel, and line twist, you just drop some down, put it in front of the fish, and go to work.”
Once the customer ordering cane poles, today Cody builds rods, including custom built cane poles.
Fishing guide Kevan Paul also sees cane poles as an incredible tool, so much so that he specializes in spring cane pole fishing trips on some lakes in his area of north central Iowa.
“We’re catching the fish during the spawn and pre-spawn,” Paul said. “So, you have to be respectful of the habitat and the fish. You don’t want to be busting up the reeds and wood with your boat, or disrupt the nests, so keeping a little distance is good for all parties. Being able to reach out and catch fish, with an 18-to-20-foot pole, definitely helps with disturbance. You can get in there without spooking fish and blowing them out of there.”
Kevan’s approach is something he’s refined over the years from his experiences on and around Clear Lake and with many seasons of guiding customers.
“The thing I like to do with cane pole fishing is not have too much line out, and the person handling the rod has to have pretty good vision,” he notes. “You need good depth perception. You’re trying to drop a jig way out there and you need to be able to see if you’re in the sweet spot, next to a tree, or in a patch of bulrush. You’re dropping your jig into a 5-or-6-inch hole, so you’ve got to watch the wind and how it’s blowing the line as well as the reeds and the snags. You also have to be stealthy. Approach any good-looking spot slowly; keep a low and light profile. You’ll catch more fish if they don’t know you’re there.”
Kevan used to run light line to get more bites, but what he’s found over time is it pays to go big. Spring crappies are packed in so tightly to reeds and cover in the spring that they really don’t mind heavier lines. Kevan says he’s lost a lot of tackle before upping his gear.
“When you snag a pencil reed, they are like iron,” he says. “You never really pull it out, you just slice the reed vertically until eventually it pops off the tip. Those fish are always in the pencil reeds, going all the way back to when our lakes are covered in ice.”
“A fish that’s a pound and a quarter, pound and a half…
that’s a riot on a cane pole.” ~ Kevan Paul, Fishing Guide
Kevan prefers monofilament in the 8-to-10-pound range in clear colors, ending with heavy tungsten jigs. Even with a long and heavy cane pole, Paul says you can use heavy lines and lures to make a good, bouncy throb that will get the attention of fish tucked in tight. Kevan likes plastics with creature or insect style profiles or a long and skinny shape with a good tail; he’ll also use some feather or fly type jigs like flu-flues.
“You can catch spring crappies on cane poles without bait,” he advises, “but on some days, a small tiny minnow just can’t be beat. On days where one guy uses minnows and another doesn’t, the minnow guy usually wins. On some of those days when the fish are tight lipped, minnows help put a few more crappie in the boat.”
Kevan’s spent enough time fishing cane poles to have developed a technique. Frequently he sees clients trying to manhandle the rods, which results in worn down anglers or strained wrists. A better approach is to let the rod do the work. Paul advises holding cane poles with one finger underneath the butt of the pole and your forearm on top. The result is an action like a teeter totter; the nose weight is heavy enough to push the butt up to your forearm and keep the stress off your wrist.
He says besides being effective, cane poles are just plain fun.
“If you get a 13-or-14-inch crappie that’s thick,” says Paul, “a fish that’s a pound and a quarter, pound and a half…that’s a riot on a cane pole. It’s a fun fight. Your pole will start bending over and humming and that’s how you know it’s a big fish. Little fish are easy to lift in, but those big fish will bend the rod really good and make it sing. We’ve caught big catfish, walleye, sunfish, perch. You name it, we’ve caught ‘em all on cane poles.”
(Scott Mackenthun is an outdoor columnist, fisheries biologist, and freelance outdoor writer from New Prague, Minnesota. He can be reached at scott.mackenthun@gmail.com.)
