poling a Moccasin

Vinny l

I'm wondering if any of you guys ever poled your 210s around? There's quite a bit of skinny water around here that I'd like to fish but can't get close enough. I really don't want to add a poling platform so I was thinking about getting like a 12"  pole and pushing from the deck.. it's not very far 100 yards at most. Any thought??

Saltwater Junkie

I suggest you get a trolling motor. It's easier to steer and cast than pole and cast. You can just let go of the trolling motor to cast. With the pushpole, you have to set the pushpole down or hold it between your legs, then pick up the fishing rod in order to cast. Plus, you're 20 feet further from the fish if he's in front of the boat. 

Vinny l

I have a trolling motor, just thought a pole would be a lilmorestealthy.

Saltwater Junkie

You will be able to get closer to the fish and shallower with a push pole. Just pole slow and easy at a steady pace. You'll be surprised how close you'll be able to get. 

TXWahoo

A friend of mine brought his 2-piece push pole with us a few times.  It's not as bad as people make it out to be but of course will never be a 17' poling skiff.  We usually set up a drift and when we drift too shallow, use the pole to push off into a little deeper water as opposed to navigating around 300 yard flat on the pole.

I wouldn't mind having a strong 2-piece that fits in the rod storage but I wouldn't buy a $1000 carbon pole and mount holders. 

Vinny l

Thanks guys! Hypothetically speaking, my wife’s on the bow I’m pushing from the stern😉(couldn’t help myself) how long a pole do I need ya think, 12, 15? I don’t have a polling platform so it’s off the deck.

Vinny l

Stiffy makes two and three piece poles. I think 12’ is long enough what do you guys think?

Saltwater Junkie

Lets say you're in 2ft. of water then you step up on the rear deck. Your chest is now approx. 7ft. off the bottom. Once you angle the push pole back a couple of feet. you'll only have one push before you have to reset the push pole.  Get a 2 piece that will fit on the deck. Maybe 16 or 18ft. long may work better.

Vinny l

👍

91tiger

I have a 21' Egret without a poling platform.  But I take a 18' pole when I go to the Keys or the glades.  I pole from the back corner of the deck occasionally for very short distances.  It's usually if I see tarpon that seem a little spooky on calm days, I can use the pole to close the distance a little more than I can with a trolling motor.  I have found it's very easy to push in a straight line but difficult if you need to turn.  I don't even think about it if it's real windy, I let the wind push me closer on those days.  The pole also came in very handy in Islamorada this May when we were fighting a tarpon at night and it ran way way up on a flat.  By the time we leadered the fish, we didn't realize the wind had shoved us all the way up onto the flat and we were sitting still with our skeg in the mud with the tide continuing to fall fast.  It was too shallow to trolling motor off so the pole was really nice for pushing on across the flat to a deep ditch on the back side.  

Vinny l

91tiger said:

I have a 21' Egret without a poling platform.  But I take a 18' pole when I go to the Keys or the glades.  I pole from the back corner of the deck occasionally for very short distances.  It's usually if I see tarpon that seem a little spooky on calm days, I can use the pole to close the distance a little more than I can with a trolling motor.  I have found it's very easy to push in a straight line but difficult if you need to turn.  I don't even think about it if it's real windy, I let the wind push me closer on those days.  The pole also came in very handy in Islamorada this May when we were fighting a tarpon at night and it ran way way up on a flat.  By the time we leadered the fish, we didn't realize the wind had shoved us all the way up onto the flat and we were sitting still with our skeg in the mud with the tide continuing to fall fast.  It was too shallow to trolling motor off so the pole was really nice for pushing on across the flat to a deep ditch on the back side.  

Exactly the situation I’m concerned about.

91tiger

For poling from the corner of the deck, I could get by with a slightly shorter pole than my 18 footer, but I wouldn't want it to be less than 15 feet.