New Member Here... Interested In Fishing Out Of Canoes...

[CopperJohn]

Hello all, I've been lurking on this site for quite awhile, and figured I should actually sign up. About me: I'm a St. Louis city resident, and I prefer fly fishing, although admittedly I'm not the greatest at it. I'm happy catching sunfish AND the occassional trout on a fly line.

For the past three years, I've been consistently going on three day trips down the Current (Baptist Creek to Akers) with a couple of good friends. We've given up renting canoes, and I gave in and bought myself an Old Town Guide 119 solo canoe. I love it. Makes for good paddling trips with my kiddos at the local lakes too: I may, in the future, make some modifications to it in order to make it even more fishing friendly.

In addition to fly fishing, I enjoy catching crayfish (with some home-made traps) for supper on the river trips.

If anybody has any solo canoe fishing tips, I'd be happy to have them. If anybody wants to discuss crayfish, I'd be happy to do that too. Hope all is well!

That's pretty much it...

[exiledguide]

Wow you know how to run a float That looks like one of the best shore lunches...........I have no advice about fishing out of canoes a canoe was just a device to get me to the productive holes on the river so I could get out and wade fish and to get me to a gravel bar for shore lunch but I never thought of mud bugs......

[Quillback]

Welcome!

[CopperJohn]

Exiledguide: you're right, I had just bought a solo canoe, and was excited about the idea of fishing from it. It really is best as a means of getting from one hole to the next, though.

As far as the mudbugs go, they make for a great lunch and are easy enough to catch. I've made three traps so far (more than enough for a trip on the Current) and each one cost less than $10 to build. Making them only requires an hour or two of easy work. I'd be happy to provide instructions for trap building and use to anybody who's interested.

Maybe I oughta start a thread on that topic, just to see what interest it generates...

[Flysmallie]

I'd be happy to provide instructions for trap building and use to anybody who's interested.

Yes please.

You have any luck trapping them during the winter? Not looking for a meal's worth. Just a few to keep my my pet gills entertained and to do a little tank cleaning.

[Blazerman]

that looks more like a lobster? you got that out of the current river?

[CopperJohn]

Flysmallie, last time I trapped was mid September, around the time these photos were taken. I was only somewhat successful until the 3rd night when I pulled in a trap with about 25 that were "eating" size. I imagine you can catch atleast a few of any size year round. I'll get to work on trap building instructions soon and put them up here for you. I don't know how I'd do in mid-winter... haven't tried it yet. I plan on going again in late February to early March, and I'll let you know how I do then.

Blazerman, yep, that was from the Current, I think about 3 miles upstream from Akers. I was kind of surprised at how big that one was too. In the photo, I was trying to figure out how he got into my trap (there are only two 1 and 1/2 inch diameter access holes - the maximum legal size). I keep imagining he opened the access hatch, crawled in, and latched it behind him!

I baited the traps with small sunfish I'd fly fished in a creek behind my buddy's subdivision in Imperial. I'd frozen them before the trip in individual bags, then cut them up as I needed them for traps on the trip. I also had one small sucker I'd caught and prepared the same way, and they seemed to really like that.

[Ham]

The Current is a really interesting river. It has some species that I don't catch other places and different techniques than my usual seem to shine for smallies. It's far enough away that I only do overnight trips on it.

Your crawfish certainly look tasty, but I'm more about the fishing than the cooking. I've got a proven gravel bar gourmet that handles the meals. I gather the wood, start the fire, and handle KP. Now if he decides he wants to gather crawfish and cook them up, that's what we'll do.

[Fishslayer88]

Welcome, I do love me some crawfish we always used bacon wired to the bottom of the trap.