I'll be doing some fishing this weekend from the sea kayak. One good
method is to use a handline instead of a pole. You just tuck the hand
thing under the deck bungies. I have an old plastic flat spool to
wrap the 30lb test line around. Loop the line around a small plastic
hook on shockcord before the line enters the water. This will absorb
the shock of a bite and the line will flip right off so you can haul
the fish in.

I have something called a "Bottom Bouncing Sinker" from a company
called Red Wolf (though I've seen them from other companies). It is
basically a V shapped piece of metal with one clean end that is longer
than the other end with the rigging. You just clip your lure into the
short end and the clean end dangles lower and keeps everything from
jamming into rocks and some weeds. Supposedly.

For a canoe you can get rod holders that attach to the gunnel though I
think a handline would work just as well.

-sp