What colors do you prefer for your canoe? Light colored or dark colored? Specific colors and why? Are some colors more stealthy for fishing purposes? Thanks.
Over the years mine have been silver, orange (bleached out Coleman red), blue, and red. I have to admit that either dark red or dark green with wood trim best satisfies my esthetic sense. I am not aware of difference in scaring fish away. I guess I have caught more fish as I have progress through the colors, but I hope that has to do with developing skill instead of paint jobs.
One minor point to consider. The kayak people are often concerned about boat color and the ability to detect people in trouble from a distance - either from the water or from the air. They like to suggest colors like yellow or red which are more easily spotted than blue or white. This might be worth considering if you are headed to a place where rescue might be needed.
All canoes are wonderful (even my old Coleman was) and I doubt that the color will lessen your enjoyment.
David
mine is green, color it was when purchased, I would look at the water I am fishing/boating, IE if I was using my canoe on the local rivers where the power boats play, I would paint it bright orange or yellow for visibility. as I use it on ponds where gas motors arnt allowed the green is fine.
Eric
I agree. I have a blue canoe and it was my primary boat. Ski boats got close to it, mostly because they didn’t see me. When I switched to a kayak, I got a bright orange one, never had any similar problems. I was concerned that it would scare the fish off, but after I had two big reds tail under my boat in gin clear water, I knew it was OK. I also avoid browns and greens because I believe gators see them as something natural - a yellow kayak can’t be mistaken for an alligator’s rival.
With paddle craft, the color shirt you wear has more effect than the color boat…at least to the fish.
My canoe use to be red… now its a kinda algae/filth color
I could call it camo :rolleyes: I guess
This is the winter color of my canoe as it hangs from the garage ceiling:
Here’s my favorite color of a canoe…FISHY Colors!
Yes, that’s my spinning rod I built this summer, and IT WORKS!:rolleyes:
Joe
My choices were red and green for the Old Town Guide series I own. I was going to get the red one. My friend asked why? I told him that if I capsized in open deeper waters I could be spotted.
He said get the green one. When I asked him why he simply said that I’d be able to hide from the government a little easier.
I own a green one.
No matter which color you select for the purpose of increasing stealthiness, once your canoe is on the water the ever-changing background will help conceal you at times…and highlight you at times. (Whether by color contrast or silhouetting.)
Probably your boat’s movement, accidental noise generation and your body’s high profile while seated in the boat are factors more relevant to spooking, or not spooking, nearby fish.
Joe
“Better small than not at all.”
I’ve had a variation of colors for my canoes over the years and they have all been so-so. What I have now for my Raddison aluminum canoe/boat is old G.I. olive drab. Blends in good with the background and is easy to maintain and touch-up.
But for my pride and joy, the wood/canvas canoe, is a tutone … a yellowish beige on top and a chocolate brown for the bottom. Don’t care what the fish think of it, I love the color combination; AND … it’s a great attention getter anytime I launch it.
Dale
Mine is aluminum color, oxidized a bit so it is not so shiny. Given a choice, I would get one in a good brown camo, maybe shadowgrass…
DG
Dixieangler,
It is hard to say if color makes a difference or not. I can think of two examples that are on the opposite side of the question.
First is when bucktailing for Coho salmon at Tofino, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. One very good way to catch wild Coho is to do a trolling method known as bucktailing. This method is a great way to locate a school so you can then stop and do some casting. They have the bottoms of the boat painted black and the prop is silver colored, in other words, natural shinny Stainless steel. The prop is flashing and kicking up a little froth. You have your flies just 9 feet behind your boat in the wake of the boat. They believe that the black bottom of the boat looks like a bait ball to the salmon that are deeper than the boat and the fish come up right to the boat. It is not unusual to have a salmon surface right alongside the boat and take a look at you. They also will hit at the prop. So, in that case, the color does seem to make a difference.
On the opposite side of the point is when I am fishing out of a drift boat in a river. Sometimes the guides will anchor and we will sit next to a series of seams and I will cast, slowly casting my fly to the different seams. It is not uncommon to start having fish surface to take an actual fly right next to the boat, or at least within 3 feet of the boat. These boats have white bottoms.
Personally, I tend to have boats/rafts/pontoons that are natural colored, like tan for grasses or olive drab. The bottoms are the same color as the sides and I just always figured that it wouldn?t hurt to blend in with the vegetation along the shore.
Just a point, as a safety precaution, I always wear an inflatable PFD and I carry two different types of strong light sources with me so I can be located if I have a problem. I also have my cell phone tucked away in a small freezer bag.
I am sure that no matter what color you have for your canoe you will enjoy it and have a blast fishing.
Larry
I was wondering if anyone had any experience painting an aluminum boat/canoe. Mine is bare aluminum and I would like to paint it, but I don’t know what kind of paint to use. Any advice?
A couple of things are real important to painting an aluminum boat or canoe, besides the standard making sure it’s clean and scuffed (lightly sanded). The first is to use an acid cleaner to take off the oxidation. If you don’t want to invest in the acid cleaner, then plain ole white vinegar will work as second best. Wash the canoe, apply the vinegar solution (mix the vinegar 1 to 1 with water), wash again, scuff the canoe, wash it once more. Then second important thing is the primer. If you do not use the correct primer the best finish coat in the world will peel off. For aluminum you can’t beat a two part acid etch primer made for aluminum (available at an auto body shop store). Second best would be a two part epoxy primer/sealer (again, auto paint store). The finish coat really not too critical with a good base underneath and there’s lots to choose from. Just depends on how “fancy” you want to get. I’ve used some ole marine enamel over a good primed surface and it’s lasted a long time.
Dale
Thank you, DaleW. Now, maybe I won’t have to paint my Grumman 17ft. with the whitewater keel every year now. I didn’t know about the acid wash. I give the whole outside a coat of Forest Green. Then I take a spray can each of Brown, Olive Green and Light brown and spray a crooked line from the gunnel to the bottom of the curve in succession with an equal (approximatly) space of the base coat of Forest Green in between. I make no claims as to whether or not this is the best fishing color for a canoe but it sure beats bright red or orange. It does look sharp, though.
Thanks Dale. Now we’ve got a plan!
Green, uh, I mean…olive 
hello everybody…my 1st post…I use a camo canoe for my Biscayne Bay attack