# Poling by yourself



## mooret20 (Apr 19, 2010)

Hey guys I've been looking into getting a new boat and getting into a poling skiff, but do most of my fishing alone. Multiple people have told me to not really worry about pole ability since I fish so much by myself and won't pole it alone. Do any of you guys pole the boat when it is just you?


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## hferrell87 (Jan 28, 2013)

I do it all the time. I don't even have a trolling motor anymore cause I never used it. If you get a really light skiff, you may just have to shift a little weight towards the bow or just leave your TM batteries up there if you have them.


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## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

I pole mine from the bow when I'm by myself. I put a push pole caddy on my front casting deck to make shots a little easier.


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## Dillusion (May 21, 2012)

> I pole mine from the bow when I'm by myself. I put a push pole caddy on my front casting deck to make shots a little easier.


I pole from the front as well, but instead of bolting stuff into my skiff, I just wear shorts with drawstrings in the waistband and tie them together...perfect push pole holder when you need to cast at a fish.


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

I fish alone a lot and because I tried and failed so much using a trolling motor or the wind that all I'll do is pole.

I'll pole from the casting platform on the bow for short distances in calm conditions, or put my 65 qt cooler on the bow and use a bucket to fill it with water to pole from the back for longer distances or riffled conditions. (cooler with water weighs around 150 pounds)

Either way I cast about 50' of fly line out and strip it back into my stripping bucket, hang my fly on the first stripping guide, and stand it in the stripping bucket.

I also put one of those 18" Nite Ize gear ties on my belt to hold the push pole while I'm casting because I've spooked fish by either making noise or rocking the boat while putting the push pole in the holder. The gear tie is also quicker and you don't have to take your eyes off the fish.


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## shiprock8 (Sep 23, 2013)

I fish alone a lot and pole more than half of that time. I have an iPilot but prefer to pole, usually from the poling platform. I keep the rod and fly line in the bucket right below me. I usually hold the push pole between my legs but I like MariettaMikes idea and will try it. Sometimes you have enough time to keep the rod up front in the bucket. Poling from the front is also an option.


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## WhiteDog70810 (May 6, 2008)

You need a pole caddy to quickly hook your pole on your right hip when you get lined up for your shot. The idea of using one of those big twist-ties hadn't occurred to me. I like it. You need a rod caddy on your left hip though so you don't have to bend over for your rod.

Nate


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## CurtisWright (May 9, 2012)

I pole myself frequently. I pole from the bow. I mostly fish with the wind and just use the pole for changing direction or avoid obstacles.


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## BayStYat (Sep 12, 2012)

I pole frequently alone. I set the rod on the platform between my legs. I just clip the pole into the Tibor when I see a fish.


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## Stormchaser (Feb 10, 2013)

BSY, I have the perfect solution to this issue. Since my brother moved to Atlanta with the IPB, I'll just go with you and you pole me around the Biloxi Marsh.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

I leave a wet towel on the cockpit floor balled up sort of and set the end of the pole into it when I need a quick place to put it. And rest the back end on the platform on another towel. Very silent and stays put. Works the same if poling from the bow.


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## DAVE_THOMAS (Jul 26, 2012)

This thread is just wrong


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## AfterHours2 (Aug 2, 2010)

You can also stand on the front platform and use a SUP paddle. I've caught many fish paddling a yak so you can also be stealthy this way too. I tend to cover more area this way but still pole quite a bit when someone else is on the boat..


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

I pole my old Maverick regularly by myself when exploring (no, it's not exactly a micro at almost 17' long and a hull weight of 735...). I've developed a few tricks over the years that might be of interest. 
This first pic shows a PVC rodholder that faces forward under my poling platform...

This second pic shows how I attached it...


The way this is rigged the rod faces forward entirely out of the way, ready to be reached for if I spot something worth a cast... For fly fishing, I lay a wet towel on the forward platform with a rod ready to go, line stripped out, fly tagged onto the reel. When it's fly time I roatate the push pole until the pointy end is down, stake down into the bottom, tether it off, then ease down off the platform and quietly move to the bow to be able to toss a fly... 

Hope this helps, in the first photo you can see one of two tethers for my pushpole (there's one on each side of the platform, in use they're not secured the way you see them in the pic...


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## Godzuki86 (Nov 30, 2013)

> I pole my old Maverick regularly by myself when exploring (no, it's not exactly a micro at almost 17' long and a hull weight of 735...).  I've developed a few tricks over the years that might be of interest.
> This first pic shows a PVC rodholder that faces forward under my poling platform...
> 
> This second pic shows how I attached it...
> ...


I do the same Bob, 



Keeps the rod out of the way and ready to go.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

I wear a belt and place rod along my back through my belt. I typically pole on the right so rdo points left at about 70degree angle.


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