How to Stand Up in a Canoe When Fishing
Standing in a canoe can be a very useful position, especially when fishing. It can allow you to better read the water, look for openings in weed beds or between rocks, and sometime it can simply allow you to stretch your body out after a long period of sitting. However, canoes are lightweight, and not designed for extensive standing. Standing raises the center of gravity, which greatly reduces the canoe's stability, so a proper technique is necessary when standing in a canoe, if you want to avoid going swimming.
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Instructions
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Spread your legs wide, with the foot on the non-paddle side of the boat slightly forward. The wider the stance, the more stable you will be. Toe your feet in slightly, for best balance.
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Press the back of your paddle side leg against the seat. You must have a solid connection with the boat to maintain balance and stability.
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Keep the paddle in the water slightly extended while sculling back and forth. The paddle and sculling strokes act as a temporary outrigger, effectively broadening the beam of the boat to increase stability.
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Tips & Warnings
Many of the newly-designed fishing canoes have a much wider beam, and only require modest care for standing. However, these boats are significantly slower and heavier than a traditional canoe.
Always wear an approved flotation device when canoeing.
