Boon-Dogging

Cover Water Fast with this quick boating technique

Timothy Kusherets

Boon-dogging is an effective way to cover a lot of water in a fairly short period of time. It is an artistic drift-fishing technique that can be mastered in a short period of time. Applications of it mirror those of back-flipping. Each cast is made directly upstream with the weight in front of the bait, fly, or lure. This drift-fishing technique is best done when anchoring below a fishable hold where casts can be made directly upstream, or nearly direct. The weight should be light enough to come within contact of the bed periodically allowing the offering to float just off the bed and in direct sight of holding fish. Casts distances are made as far above the hold as possible so the weight and offering can get down to the natural drift near the bed before they have gotten to the top of the hold.
The most distinctive aspect of this type of drift fishing is that strikes don’t need much sensitivity in the line so long as it’s straight throughout the drift. With the mainline, terminal gear, and the leader in the same path, strikes can be detected from the most lethargic fish. In almost all cases, fish do all the hook-setting for anglers making this technique one of the most attractive.
The direction of each cast is really one of preference to the angler since all hookups remain solid no matter where in the hold the strike comes from. I prefer to make casts slightly perpendicular to the hold to ensure that no matter what, striking fish will not first get “bonked” on the head with the weight, which is a real risk when casting directly upstream from the hold.
Boon-dogging can be done while drifting downriver, but is ill-advised since it requires the oarsman to be faced upstream away from river obstacles that must be seen to avoid accidents or injury. Boaters who opt to boon-dog and drift should only do so on those reaches that are long and wide ensuring the ability to fish substantially and remain safe at the same time.
Bars on bends are great places to beach the boat and boon-dog the seam formed above the bend. The angle profile of casts and the direction of the current make for awesome presentations where biting fish will strike hard.