I have been using an older Fishing Buddy II model for 10 years on my float tubes, rental boats, and others boats in both fresh and saltwater. It would be perfect for a canoe I think. Like the other responders noted, I use it primarily for looking at depth, bottom composition, and temperature. The one I have has a sidefinder along with the look down capability, which is sometimes useful but not essential. The lookdown angle is fairly narrow at 9 degrees on my model so I do not rely on it as a fish finder per se, but just the ability to look at the bottom is a great advantage.