What to look for in a Canoe

I'm considering picking up a canoe this spring.

I'll mainly be fishing slow moving warm water streams and lakes / ponds. I would guess 70% of my fishing will be on lakes / ponds 10 acres and smaller with perhaps a few slightly larger lakes in the 200 acre size range.

Most of the streams would be slow moving warm water streams.

I'd like to have the canoe big enough to hold my son and I and our fishing gear. I can't see us using it for back country camping.

I would like it to be light weight enough that I could get it up on the van roof by myself if needed.

I've been in rental canoes a lot of times an haven't dumped one that I did not intend to flip, but am not really excited about the idea of flipping one in a lake while fishing.

So, for stability and fishing, what should I be looking for?

Aluminum, fibreglass (plastic) what's the advantages of one over another?

I love the wood cones, but like with bamboo fly rods, they can be pricy and I imagine heavy.

what about square stern and trolling motors?

As you can see I have a ton o questions.

I'd really like to hear your all perspective on this.

Jeff

Jeff,

You might want to check out Native Watercraft's Ultimate 14.5. It's a "hybrid." It's sort of a cross between a kayak and canoe. They come in tandem and solo. If you get the tandem, you and your son can go. You can convert it to a solo in about 5 minutes.

Great boat. Paddles nicely, tracks straight and is fairly fast. Also, lot of room for gear.

Link: http://www.nativewatercraft.com/ult_14T.cfm

I highly recommend this over a canoe.

For many years I spent a lot of time in canoes. I have built many from wood and canvas and mostly wood and fiberglass.

Building a canoe of wood and fiberglass is surprisingly easy... IF you are so inclined...

I do not like the plastic canoes and especially if I lived where it was warm. I have seen them "slump" from being tilted against a tree for a while in the sun.

I believe in wide... Longer canoes of narrower beam will paddle faster with less effort and will track better, especially when fighting a wind. How much difference will that really make where your small pond expectations are concerned? Especially if you run a kicker any time you run far.

Bracket mounted motors will work fine on double-ender canoes and can be removed easily. They provide a more natural and comfortable steering arrangement.

For many years we ran a bare-bones canoe for fishing, bird hunting, floating and trapping. It was 18' with a 42" beam and two thwarts, no seats. Styrofoam blocks provided moveable seats making the ends almost instantly swappable without changing places. An advantage to this is the designated caster can move back between the thwarts to fish the shoreline without leaning against a gunwhale and affecting the stability.

Having one person paddle while the other fishes is the best way to run a canoe, IMO&E.
art

I own and recommend the NuCanoe. It is a cross between a canoe and a kayak. I really enjoy mine. I find it very east you paddle with a double paddle, converts from solo to 2-person in seconds, very stable and weighs in around 60 pounds.

Best of all, they are a sponsor of FAOL.

www.nucanoe.com

I have an 18' fiberglass that is pretty wide. It is cold and I don't have shoes on right now, so I'm not gonna go measure it. Stable as a rock. Heavy. I can carry it by myself, but I don't like to.

The seats are awful. Hap's post above makes me wonder if I could axe the seats and try another option.

Also, you should look for bees. I find them often when I go to load mine.

No water.....:lol:

Sorry, been at work for 13hours, so I'm a little slap happy. Luckily I'm done for the week.

4 days off here I come.:cool:

Black_Co

I'll second Steve's recommendation....a Native Ultimate 14.5 for a tandem....a Ultimate 12 for solo.
For the water types you listed, and knowing you're a fly fisherman, the Ultimate will give you stability unlike any canoe. You can even stand to cast in a Ultimate.

The Old Town Camper is an excellent boat that would easily fit your described needs.

Thanks for the replies.
I like the idea of the hybrid canoe/kyak things. They may be out of my price range though.

I'm probably going to have to pick up something used. My price celing is probably going to be in the sub $1000 range. I'd really like to keep it below $800 if possible.

If I see one of the hybrids for sale, I'll pounce on it. My guess is that there are far fewer of these for sale than the standard canoes out there.

Jeff

Jeff,

The NuCanoes are well within your price range. I believe the 10' is around $600 and the 12' is around $800.

You may want to check into them. Go to Sponsor page and "click" on their logo. There is a dealer here in Lynchburg, TN. It is: Tim's Flies & Lies fly shop.

My recommendation, if fishing is your purpose, is to skip canoes and kayaks entirely.

I know, I know, I'm risking the wrath of canoe lovers everywhere, but please hear me out because I've been there / done that with canoes and I may have a few points for you to consider before you part with your money.

First, there is nothing worse than fishing in a canoe because you are always, always, always trying to twist sideways to fish. You can't fly fish by casting at 12 o'clock from either position (bow or stern) in a canoe, so you have to turn sideways. Over the course of a day, this gets horribly uncomfortable and there's nothing you can do about it, it's the design of the boat.

Secondly, they are very difficult to control when fishing. Every breath of wind seems to blow a canoe off course so it seems like 90% of the time at best one of the two occupants of a canoe can fish. If you're on your own, forget it. Unless you're on a dead still pond or you're anchored, you'll spend half or more of your time trying to get or keep the canoe in fishing position.

There are a very few fishing situations where a canoe is the best option. Mostly, these involve situations where long distances must be covered by water before you get to the fishing, and of course in some places portages will make boat access difficult as there are few boats that are easily carried.

For every other need, I'd say look at small 1 and 2 man boat options, there are a wide variety on the market for both moving and still water.

Apologies to the canoe and kayak crowd out there, but that's the way I see it. After too many years of back-wrecking fishing while twisted sideways, and cursing while trying to keep the canoe in position for the guy doing the fishing, I finally snapped like a dry twig and built a driftboat with my own two hands. This summer, I will be drifting along the rivers I used to canoe, fishing from a comfortable and stable standing position high above the water, and I'll a big cooler, lots of gear, a nice net, and all the comforts that were never possible in a canoe. Yes, I will sacrafice downriver speed, but that comes with a huge gain in terms of fishing efficiency and comfort.

Grouse

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Famous Grouse

My recommendation, if fishing is your purpose, is to skip canoes and kayaks entirely.

...

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Grouse is right. Fishing from a boat is easier than a canoe.

The NuCanoe has an optional swivel seat base. I have one on mine and I can swing around and fish from the back or either side.

Just thought you should know that...

Once again, they are a sponsor and make a great product with a great price.

Make sure to research everything out there and if at all possible, demo what ever you think you might like before purchase. Saves a lot of headaches later...

My wife and I fish out of a Grumman 17 ft. canoe. It gives good separation between the two of us so we can both flyfish without too many mid air collisions, but it is not a one man portable canoe. I agree with a previous post that it is better if the person in the back paddles and the front fishes. It's heavy at 75 lbs. I have seen some the tandem kayaks and it appears to me that it places both people a little too close together for both to fish at the same time. But I've never tried a tandem so I don't know for sure. I also have a two man PWC pontoon, and that is very stable, portable, and easy to row short distances. i wouldn't like to row in a wind or waves but i'd say the same if I was in my canoe.

Glenn

When looking for a canoe (be it for rental purpose or purchase) the thing I can't stress and insist that it has is buoyancy. Everything after that is a bonus.

A lot of years back I went on a canoe trip with some friends. The guy at the livery took great pains to make sure that the life jackets fit just right and we better wear them because if we sank or capsized and they floated down stream don't bother to come back. So after we got the jackets all squared away he started to size us for paddles. Who knew that these could cost so much? Again with the warning don't come back without them.

Long story short I would say 7 miles into a 20 mile trip we sank and lost a cooler and I would say a life jacket worth of beer. So buoyancy is very important and the way the guy cried at the livery it was important to him too.

Sean

Thanks for all the replies so far.

I will check out the nucanoe. I didn't see any dealers close to me so I'd have to make a road trip to check one out or pay a lot to have it shipped ot KY.

RE: boats, yes, fising from a boat is easier. I had a 12 foot john boat for a number of years and sold it about ten years back. I just don't want to hassle with a trailer.

Having something I can lift to the roof top of my wife's van is important. I'll be using the boat by myself probably 50 percent or more of the time. The rest of the time will be with my 13 year old son.

What I'm thinking is something that I can get up on the van when I get home from work, get to the lake, fish for a couple hours until dark, toss back on the van and come home, or wake up on a Saturday and go fishing for a few hours.

I didn't use the boat as much as I thought I would and thought something more portable and single user friendly would be a better option for me.



Jeff

Jeff,

I know what you are going through because I have "been there and done that". I have owned a 13' canoe and a 10' flatbottom. My main goal with any type of craft is for transportation on the river. I want to be able to get away from everyone and explore the river. I liked the 13' canoe because it was light weight but I really hate paddling a canoe. Don't get me wrong, paddling anything down river is easy, but, most of the time when I went fishing, I was by myself which eliminates the float down river to the "pick-up" vehicle. I wanted to put in the river and paddle upstream against the current for 4-5 miles and then float fish my way back to my truck. For me, paddling a canoe against the current is not my cup of tea. In order to do my type of fishing with the flatbottom boat, I needed a trolling motor and battery to go against the current. Yes, the flatbottom was very comfortable, but, lugging the battery and trolling motor around to load and unload wasted too much of what time I had to fish plus I had to have the boat registered with the State and pay a yearly fee. My next purchase, and I still own it, was a Hobie Cat 75 pontoon boat. With the polyethelene (sp) tubes instead of the inflatable type it was great. It sits high on the water and oars very easily upstream against the current. It is a one-person craft and you are limited to what you can haul with you. It is very light at about 40 pounds and fits into the back of my Ranger. I like it very much. Now that I own a 10' NuCanoe, I will be selling the Hobie Cat 75. The NuCanoe goes upstream against the current easier than the Hobie. You use a double paddle and the NuCanoe just glides on the water. It is very stable and with the storage box (optional) I can carry extra gear with me. The moveable seating arrangement allows you to move your seat forward for solo or back when you have someone else with you. I have owned this for over a year and have yet had anyone else in it with me so I cannot provide any information on how that is. I will tell you that I feel 2 people in it trying to use fly rods may be a little tight. I use mine to navigate the deeper holes in the river and get out of it to wade fish the riffles and shallow water areas. While drifting down the river, I will drop the anchor and fish some deeper holes. I have installed a swivel seat on mine which allows me the freedom to turn and fish from the sides or the back if I want to. My swivel seat base is attached to a Wise removeable seat base so that I can remove the seat for hauling. I have a hard cover over the bed of my Ranger and it will close flat with the NuCanoe inside it once the seat is slid out. No, I do not work for NuCanoe! No, I get nothing from NuCanoe for advertisement! I am just a very satisfied customer and really do enjoy my NuCanoe. At 61 years old (this March) I have found a craft that is easy to load and unload, easy to double paddle and comfortable to fish out of.

You might plan a little trip to my area and visit Tim's Flies & Lies fly shop in Lynchburg. They are a dealer and have a 12' NuCanoe that you can demo on the river. That way you can see if the NuCanoe is what you want before investing any money. I do not think there is a charge for the demo.

Just providing info to help you decide and maybe answer some of the concerns you may have and nothing more.

If what you are *really* looking for is a *fishing* boat in slow streams and ponds there are better things than canoes and kayaks. You might consider an aluminum flat bottom of a length to suit you (14 - 16 ft?) w/ a foot mounted trolling motor and swivel seat in front. Not as hip or earthy and a C or K but it you can fish almost 360 degrees without much effort and putt putt upstream w/ a small (5-10hp) outboard. You can use this by yourself, or w a partner. There is room for an ice chest and your dog and a depth finder. You can't throw it on top a a van, but you can haul it on a small trailer. You can probably find a good one used (minus the outboard) for <$800. ...Unless you just want a canoe, which I understand having 3 myself. I would stay away from a square stern. They are heavy and hard to paddle.

Jeff, I don't know how far away from you this boat might be, but it seems to be a good deal, especially with the skirts w/ it.
http://roanoke.craigslist.org/boa/989051723.html

Jeff,

My Dad and I have a 14' fiberglass canoe. He bought it when I was a kid and we used it fishing and for just floating down the creeks and rivers. It was fun and I still plan on using it, but it is very heavy. They may be made better and thus lighter now, I am not sure, but if you go for fiberglass I'd be realy cautious about the weight.

One other thing that I have had, is a small 2 man plastic bass boat. It had 2 swivel seats, the seats came out very easily so you can make it a 1 man with no problem. They were very easy to fish from although I was not fly fishing, just regular fishing I am not sure how well they would work for 2 men fly fishing. There was room for a battery and trolling motor, I don't think it would be the easiest thing in the world to paddle, fortunately, I didn't have to. At the time I got mine they were about $300, so I would think they would be well with in your price range. It was filled with foam too, so you couldn't sink it if you tried but loading it was a breeze. May not be what you are looking for, but its a thought. I can't remember the name of it though, or you could just google a look at it.

Hope that helps,
Jason

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jeffnles1

I'm considering picking up a canoe this spring.

I'll mainly be fishing slow moving warm water streams and lakes / ponds. I would guess 70% of my fishing will be on lakes / ponds 10 acres and smaller with perhaps a few slightly larger lakes in the 200 acre size range.

Most of the streams would be slow moving warm water streams.

I'd like to have the canoe big enough to hold my son and I and our fishing gear. I can't see us using it for back country camping.

I would like it to be light weight enough that I could get it up on the van roof by myself if needed.

I've been in rental canoes a lot of times an haven't dumped one that I did not intend to flip, but am not really excited about the idea of flipping one in a lake while fishing.

So, for stability and fishing, what should I be looking for?

Aluminum, fibreglass (plastic) what's the advantages of one over another?

I love the wood cones, but like with bamboo fly rods, they can be pricy and I imagine heavy.

what about square stern and trolling motors?

As you can see I have a ton o questions.

I'd really like to hear your all perspective on this.

Jeff

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Hi Jeff,
My name is George. If I could share a bit regarding your quest. 1st , ALWAYS expect to tip your canoe! Prepare accordingly. And be prepared to rescue others, including your son. ALWAYS keep yor head in the boat! Don't lean over!! Maybe a small boat trailer is a better choice than putting about 80# on your "roof"! Also, you might pull into the garage with the canoe and then your wife will be "ticked"! You will ruin your garage, canoe and any excuses you might try to lie about! (I know your a liar because you're a fisherman!) I would choose fiberglass last. It's loggy, lays too much in the water. It would be my last choice. Have you thought about classes where you and your son might build a canoe together? Or? Aluminum is probably a better choice. Then if you really enjoy it, you can go from there. In any event, I would think 80#. Don't hurt yourself. The canoe I built years ago, weighed more than that But it was wood and it really was a great deal of fun. Its great fishing from a canoe and especially with your boy.

As a alternative consider something like this:
http://www.buy.com/prod/leisure-life...200021947.html

I have one for the 6th season now and I love it.

You can use very small trailer I use this one:
http://www.buy.com/prod/leisure-life...200021947.html

boat and trailer are under 300 lb including electric motor and battery.

Extremely stable - with two people one can safely stand up on the edge without flipping the boat. I used to tow it behind Dodge Neon and my milege dropped only by one mile - down to 32 mpg.

It is also small enough to go into tight places and has very small draft - about 4 inches.

I find it that with the exception of very small streams I can use it anywhere although I did purchase a tiny gas motor for the big waters.

it's made ot of plastic and other than cleaning is requires zero maintenance.

My bad... second link in the above post should be this:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=5002

There is some great advice on here. If you have decided on a canoe and nothing else (John boat, hybrid, kayak, etc) then I would recommend checking out LL Bean. They offer an Old Town Osprey package that for the price is the best deal around. I bought their fishing package, which comes with everything you need including trolling motor, bracket, rod mounts, and paddles for around $1500 (cant remember the specific price). I know you said your upper limit was 1k, but when you end up buying accessories anyways, you will end up around that mark. It was delivered to my door and with the trolling motor mounted on the side, while not perfect, makes it possible for both parties to fish. Very stable boat as far as canoes go and it is a fully rigged fishing vessell. The only other peice of equipment I had to buy was an anchor and battery. I think buying the package saved me close to $300 over buying everything individually, and their price was better then buying from Old Town direct.

A canoe is definitely not the best fishing vessell, but after hours and hours of research, this package was a close as I was going to get for my Dad and I. We fish very similar waters to what you are describing. And it is light enough for me to handle myself, around 55lbs I believe.

Good luck

Chuck

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Famous Grouse

My recommendation, if fishing is your purpose, is to skip canoes and kayaks entirely.

I know, I know, I'm risking the wrath of canoe lovers everywhere, but please hear me out because I've been there / done that with canoes and I may have a few points for you to consider before you part with your money.

First, there is nothing worse than fishing in a canoe because you are always, always, always trying to twist sideways to fish. You can't fly fish by casting at 12 o'clock from either position (bow or stern) in a canoe, so you have to turn sideways. Over the course of a day, this gets horribly uncomfortable and there's nothing you can do about it, it's the design of the boat.

Secondly, they are very difficult to control when fishing. Every breath of wind seems to blow a canoe off course so it seems like 90% of the time at best one of the two occupants of a canoe can fish. If you're on your own, forget it. Unless you're on a dead still pond or you're anchored, you'll spend half or more of your time trying to get or keep the canoe in fishing position.

There are a very few fishing situations where a canoe is the best option. Mostly, these involve situations where long distances must be covered by water before you get to the fishing, and of course in some places portages will make boat access difficult as there are few boats that are easily carried.

For every other need, I'd say look at small 1 and 2 man boat options, there are a wide variety on the market for both moving and still water.

Apologies to the canoe and kayak crowd out there, but that's the way I see it. After too many years of back-wrecking fishing while twisted sideways, and cursing while trying to keep the canoe in position for the guy doing the fishing, I finally snapped like a dry twig and built a driftboat with my own two hands. This summer, I will be drifting along the rivers I used to canoe, fishing from a comfortable and stable standing position high above the water, and I'll a big cooler, lots of gear, a nice net, and all the comforts that were never possible in a canoe. Yes, I will sacrafice downriver speed, but that comes with a huge gain in terms of fishing efficiency and comfort.

Grouse

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Not to offensd, Grouse, but I get to differ. I have been fishing out of kayaks for the past 25 years. Today's kayaks are made for fishing. They're roomy, fast, track straight, stable and have room for a lot of gear.

Comparing a fishing kayak to a canoe is like comparing a runnabout boat to a fishing boat -- not the same animals.

There are little tricks that come with experience to keep your boat where you want it when fishing from a kayak.

1. Anchor trolley system. I don't use it much, but it's great when I have do. Great for clients, too. It's simple a line that runs through pullies on the bow and stern and it allows you to anchor are any point along your kayak. With that in mind, you can face the direction you need.

2. Paddling dipping. Many folks don't know about this. When I fish, I place the paddle across my lap. If the wind blows my bow in a direction that I don't want it, I simpy dip a paddle blade in the water and paddle backward or forwart to correct it, all the while I'm still fishing. It's difficult to explain but I can performthis maneuever with the paddle between my hip and elbow.

3. Some fishing kayaks are better for fishing than others. I use a Native Watercrafter Ultimate 14.5. It drifts about half the speed of many other kayaks. So I can fish slower than others.

4. Kayaks are not as bad in the wind as many canoes -- especially when opearting as a solo.

5. You can add a rudder to your kayak. Rudders are foot-controlled to allow hands-free correction while you fish. Many people think rudders are for travelling. You can certainly use them for that, but they're more valuable for minor corection when fishing and drifting.

I replaced a (stolden) canoe this winter ... (someone stole my canoe) .... After ALOT of thougth, went for a pontoon boat:

I ordered a:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_pnHJrpe2xK8/ST...edrifterx3.jpg

But Dave may send a:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_pnHJrpe2xK8/SX...rtriplexxx.jpg

I have a Mad River Adventure 16' that I wouldn't take any amount of money for. It's a Yakanoe, or Hybrid, and a full spray skirt is available. They are around $299.00 at Dicks Sporting Goods. Mine handles Class V water easily (or as easily as I can handle it), is as stable as any canoe I have ever had, paddles and manuevers like my 9' SIT kayak, and has plenty of room for gear, 2 other people, 2 dogs and a large cooler. It weighs 65 lbs. and is easily managed by one person. I Car-Top everywhere. I have even used it in Fla. in the coastal areas and flats. I even took it once through the Okefenokee swamp, with no troubles at all.

As for materials, Royalex is my favorite material. it is light, rigid, but has a strong memory, so you can wrap it around rocks and trees, and it will bounce back into shape. It is very abrasion resistant, and virtually indestructable. It has natural bouyancy so it is practically unsinkable. Cons: Royalex is sensitve to direct sunlight, requiiring it to be stored indoors, or covered. Difficult to repair hull breeches, although they are rare.

Next, Kevlar has many of the same properties as Royalex, and is even lighter. Cons: Hideously expensive. Strong shock can crack the hull.

Fiberglass has the advantage of being inexpensive, easier to repair, and still lightweight. It is not suited for rough water, because shock can crack the hull. It is sensitive to sunlight and chemicals.

Wood, Cedar Strip or Birchbark canoes are absolutely beautiful works of art, and paddle like a dream in flat water. They will not survive rough water. You almost have to have a Trust Fund to purchase one, and they are very high-maintenance. Also, they require extra bouyancy.

Aluminum is the heaviest of all the materials. It is cold, in cold weather, dents, is difficult to repair, and must have bouyancy chambers. Suitable only for very calm water.

Polyethelene, the mainstay of Old Town's Discovery Series, is a great all-around choice. It is done in layers, with foam sandwiched between them, and is called Crosslink. It is light, bouyant, inexpensive and handles well. It will handle most whitewater acceptably.

Now, for designs, there are 3 factors to consider: beam, rocker and length. The beam is the width. A wide boat will be more stable, but much slower than a boat with less beam. Rocker is the curve of the hull from front to back. A Hull with more rocker is more manueverable, but less stable than one with a flatter rocker. And lastly, a longer boat (compared to the beam) is faster, and easier to paddle than a shorter one.

For fishing in calm water, where you won't need to cover a lot of distance,, I would recommend a model made of Crosslink, or Royalex with a wide bean, flat rocker and 9' for solo, or 12'-14' for doubles.

For general all-around use, a Royalex, or Crosslink 14'-16' foot model with a medium beam, and meduim rocker.

For touring, serious fishing, rough water, the ocean and adventuring in general, a 16' Royalex, or Crosslink with a narrow beam, and medium to full rocker. For ocean traveling, outriggers, and sails are available.

Hope this helps.

What I look for is stability and weight. I bought a Wenonah Fusion--a 13 ft., one person canoe (new for 2009) that is very stable and weighs only 45 lbs.
Cost is $900 and includes seat.

I can toss it in bed of my pick-up and launch it about anwhere I can walk to. The Fusion is much more responsive (fast and quick to turn) than my WS Ride kayak. My butt was always wet in the kayak and is never so in the canoe.

I paddle the fusion with a double bladed paddle

20 some years ago I built a 17 ft. cedar strip canoe and have been fly fishing from it ever since. Tandem and solo. I prefer solo, and with Joe Hyde's two anchor system you can position your canoe however you want. Solo I place a canvas stadium seat on the floor in front of the back thwart. Comfort is never an issue. I've tipped while fishing twice. Once was scary. Most folks here won't know what I'm describing, but around here people used to build these wooden seats with little wooden slats on the bottom to fit inside a 5 gal. plastic bucket for ice fishing. For years I used one of those to fish solo from my canoe. One early spring, seeming like seconds after ice out, I paddled out into a bay to do some bluegill nymphing when one of those slats gave way, throwing me completely off balance and the canoe capsized. Fortunately a fisher in a boat about 200 meters away saw what happened and motored over instantly to take me to shore, then went back for my gear, including the canoe. In the 45 degree water I wouldn't have lasted very long. The second time was getting out of the canoe next to a dock in a foot of water. No big deal. If you have a heated garage (in the north), why not build yourself a canoe. It's like rod building and fly tying. The joy is beyond compare. You can find patterns almost anywhere, but the Minnesota Canoe Association has a bunch and a building counselor who'll answer your questions as well. I'd give it a try. JGW

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm still on the fence about this. I've fished from the shore and wading for years with great success. The mobility of a boat does interest me greatly and all the likely places I would fish are flat water lakes / ponds and slow moving smallmouth streams. I don't have alot of interest in rapids

I will check out the hybrids and the various canoes. I've seen a few used ones around for dirt cheap. Sounds like if I go the canoe route, I better get pretty good at lashing stuff down so my rods and gear do not end up on the bottom of the lake somewhere when I tip the thing over.

Jeff

My second and final comment on your thread is to advise, in the strongest possible terms, that you test in the water any canoe before buying it.

I bought mine this Nov. from TG in San Marcos, TX. They put it in a pickup and took me to the river and waited, telling me to take as long as I wanted to for the test ride. They INSISTED I test it in the water before buying!!!

After two kayaks, my 13 ft. Wenonah Fusion is definetly more "tippy" than a sit-on top yak, but I quickly became used to this.

I like the added height of the canoe seat for casting a fly rod--from a yak I felt as though I was sitting in a hole, although I spent many hours fly fishing in the Laguna Madre of S. TX. from a yak.

Belated but heres another twist to the yarn:
For the past 10 years or so, I have fished from a 20 ft cedar strip canoe - absolutely wonderful for two people - My advice would be to try out as many as you can - demo day should be coming up everywhere shortly - best timeinvestment you can make. My experience has been that you want to go as long as you can comfortably handle, I personally wouldn't go under 18' if it's a 2 man flyfishing operation - separation is a beautiful thing, especially when fishing bead/cone heads.... Oh also important to establish some rules when fishing 2 people - unless the frontman is a schoolteacher - you know - eyes in the back of the head - always call your casting...saves a lot of tangles. Driftanchors are a great way to control the canoe on lakes - one at each end will keep you going straight downwind, and you can control your driftspeed with the size of the bag - make them yourself, and adjustable...In terms of handling/lifting - I'm not exactly the worlds strongest guy, but had no trouble handling and racking thet 20 footer (105 lbs) myself - mostly its a matter of technique and a good roof rack setup.
I also got a long paddle with a wide blade - 9" to give better control, and made a removable seat to fit over the gunnels about 3/5's of the way from the bow - perfect for solo paddling a long boat..Finally learn to J-stroke - also backwards - very effective on lakes and ponds, you can back up the boat without the frontguy even noticing....;^0
I just gave the boat away to a buddy - will be missing it, but it would not be practical where I'm moving..
Good luck in your quest..
Ulrik

Ulrik,
Thanks.

I'm thinking of a canoe or one of the hybrids or evern a pontoon. The only thing about a pontoon is it seems like it would be a pain to set up and take down everytime I go fishing. I don't have a truck (just a mini van) and I don't think one would fit in the van so I"m roof racking it.

I also like paddling a canoe. There's something kind of peaceful about gliding across the lake in a canoe.

I used to be pretty good paddling one but I haven't been in a canoe for 20+ years. OK, two years ago I rented one to take my mom and dad down a river in Florida for a couple hours, but that's about it for my recent canoe outings.

Probably 80% of the time I'll be solo the other will be with my son. When I'm fishing with him, I mainly play "guide" and let him catch the fish.

I've been looking around and it seems there are a fair number of used ones for sale around here and I would imagine more come spring.

Thanks everyone for all the great suggestions.

Jeff

Did you ever think about a small jon boat? I've bought a cheap 10 footer (a Landau?) years, weighs about 50 pounds, run around small lakes and ponds with a trolling motor. Stable enough to stand and cast from it. Handles two people. I used to slide it into the back of a Dodge Colt and go. I slip it up on my Kayak racks easily. I have a 14 footer that I use when I need my motor, but anywhere I could fish with a canoe, I can also use the jon boat. I was actually looking into buying a canoe for fishing, and after much consideration decided to repair my jon boat.

Randall Sale
the Kytroutbum

I'll second the vote for the jon boat.
I've had mind for many years and I've
tried to talk myself into selling it but
can't bring myself to do it. 11.5 foot
Sears and it's all the boat I need for
the places I'd bother using any kind of
watercraft. Sold the tube, will sell the
pontoon soon's I can and won't consider
a canoe. Have even had someone give
me a canoe...never used it.

Kayak...hmmm...now that might be the
way to go since my jon weighs 75 lbs.
and I can't put it on a rack. Kayak I could

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

I have a sit in kayak and have issuses trying to cast out of it. I bascially use it to get from one place to another to wade.

I've heard of that Kytb and before I ever buy a kayak I'll have to try just
that to see if the seating arrangements even allow me to cast.

So far I haven't found a place near me that rents kayaks so I'll have to go
to the coast I guess...guess I'll have to fish a lagoon or two while I'm there too !

Cheers,

MontanaMoose