Sitting here listening to Horowitz on the TV I thought that I would enlist this forum on my question/problem.
Retirement is looming. I love to fish. A lot of the places that I want to get to can only be gotten to by floating :shock: Here’s the problem. I will be alone most of the time and dont know much about canoes (played with them as a kid) and just flat nothing about kayacs( cant even spell it) except what I saw on “Disneys Nanook of the North”.
I sure dont want a jon boat for were I plan to be fishing. Yuck!
What would be better for a 51 year old crusty, soon to retire electrician in reasonably good shape?
A canoe or a kayac? What is most manouverable? Beginner brands and models?What is safest ( I can swim , I just really hate to cause the water is always too cold :x )Please keep in mind while pondering my plight that my finances are modest and so my purchases must follow suit.Advice is what I am looking for and this seems like a pretty good place to start the search cause I’m in the dark on this matter.
Thanks in advance,
Perch
p.s. just for grins, anybody else know who Horowitz was? 8)
rent all the type boats that you think you might want to use and then buy what you like. decide what waters and conditions you want to fish. I like warm water no gas motor ponds. keeps things quiet and the wakes down. my canoe is wonderful for this. but Im looking at a SIK yak or a solo canoe for ease of loading and unloading.
If you buy used and keep it in good condition you won’t loose much money on the deal.
Just my thoughts
Eric
I have a canoe but I also have an inflatable pontoon.There are times when solo the canoe is to much to handle.Tried a kayak and spent more time wet than dry,my balance is deplorable.
Dennis
Vladamir Horowitz?
I love a kayak for solo fishing. Use a sit in model and you will stay dry. They are easier to propel and turn more sharply than a canoe.
A canoe gives you a more comfortable angle to fish from, bewing higher up you see better. They also will hold more stuff than a kayak.
My choice is a 12’ Wilderness Systems Pungo “Classic” or “Featherlite or Superlite” kayak. They have a good sized cockpit, are manoeverable and will work well in everything from a puddle to the ocean. These models are not sold anymore, they have been replaced with a pungo 120 or a duralite which are still great but just not as great. You can find these used on e-bay or elsewhere.
jed
Perch,
The following advice is for canoe buying only, since I’m ignorant about kayaks (although contemplating getting one sometime down the road).
Check out a web site called,
Look through it for the cheapest USED kevlar, fiberglass or Royalex solo canoes. Consider nothing longer than 16 feet, preferably a boat with a hull whose keel line has got a couple of inches of rocker at both ends (for easier turning).
Buy the very LIGHTEST boat you can afford: the lighter your boat the more often you’ll use it.
While you’re boat shopping, look to purchase a means to car-top the boat you buy. Lots of options in rack systems.
Buy not one but two paddles (always carry a spare paddle; don’t leave shore without one).
Buy a good Personal Floatation Device (PFD).
Ditch the woman you’ve been associating with and find a new one. Best bet: a deaf, dumb and blind beauty queen contestant whose father or brother or uncle owns a sporting goods store…so you can gear up at family discount?
Joe
“Better small than not at all.”
I’ll throw you a couple of cetns worth…
I’ve used both canoe and kayak for fishing and here’s a short ist of the features to consider:
canoe
-more room for gear
-a bit more stable during entry
-higher profile for casting ease
-newer models are very lightweight
-room to take a friend (man or beast) along
-easy to learn to use
kayak
-very lightweight
-very maneuverable
-great in shallow water
-lower profile in windy conditions
-easy to learn to use
-tandem models allow for a friend
-some models are less expensive than canoes
As you can see, the only overwhelming factor is going to be your personal preference. I highly suggest you try a kayak out (on calm water the first time) before you decide.
I bought my kayak last summer because my 16’ canoe was getting too cumbersome to load by myself. The kayak only weighs in at about 45 lbs. at 11’ long.
Hope this helps…
Hi Perch;
I fish from a kayak frequently and if your going to spend more than an hour in it go for the best/most comfortable seat. Also if looking at sit in kind(sit) which I recommend for a beginer(more stable dryer,and warmer) look for a fairly large opening to make getting in and out easier. I’d recommend any of the smaller wilderness systems kayaks, pungo 10 or pamlico 10. The pamlico is usually a little less expensive but almost identical to pungo. Wilderness makes the most comfortable kayak seat and that becomes very important after an hour or so in it!
As others have suggested try renting several or look for demo days at local kayak stores. They will have many models to try and typically offer price discounts during demo. In my area march is the time you’ll start to see demo dates advertised.
Good luck;
wayneb
hi perch
1st please let us know what kind of fishing are you looking at doing with the boat. is it small stream, rivers, lakes, whitewater, saltwater. combinations most likely so in what percentages. because not 1 boat is good at all situations, there are trade offs, but for starters, i fished both canoe and kayak but have switched entirely to the kayaks. i like the stablity and resistance to wind and they easier to paddle. the draw back of room has only been an issue for serious trips of a day or 3 overnighter. this is taken care of with a slightly larger yak and prudent packing. i currently had 4 yaks but most likely will sell 2 and buy 1, that’s how commited i am to using kayaks.
Mr. Perch
While I am the same age as yourself, and sometimes I may be a little crusty, I never think of myself as old. 
I have both a canoe and a sit-in kayak. Both are old (read heavy). I like each of them in different situations.
Although the canoe weighs close to 80#, for me it is easier to lift, carry and car top. It balances better.
I like to stand to cast in the canoe, I have fallen down but I’ve never fallen in.
In the canoe I have some extra space to stretch out and on a warm summer evening I might even bring a cooler with a few happy sodas in it.
There have been times in the canoe when the wind made travel a little hairy, that would be a good time to be in the kayak.
In my kayak I feel perfectly safe. I have been in seas way above my head, and while I kept both hands on the paddle, there was no fear.
In the kayak I can travel distances that I would never attempt in my canoe. So it’s good for ranging out and sight seeing.
You’ll be able to find an affordable used canoe easier than a good used kayak. I’d start there.
Then keep your eyes open for your next boat
:roll:
I’ve got/ had a ‘few" of each style ( including that dreaded but functional jon boat) so i’ll weight in. To get specific, we’d need more infor about your weight, height, and intended use. Still, that said, A 12-14’ x 28-30" w “recreational” sit in kayak (SIK) with a large cockpit and a mini skirt should fit your bill well unless you have some unique requirements. SIKs tend to make better extended 3 season/ cold water boats than SOT’s as they protect your lower body from splashing, waves and padle drippings. They also insulate your legs and provide a lower center of gravity ( read; increased stability).
The Pungo mentioned above is a GREAT boat if your 220# or under, the loon 138’s a little better if your over that.
This style boat is VERY stable, cuts wind and waves well but will keep you warmer and bone dry ( below decks anyway). I’ve used my SIK’s in dead winter on several occasions and felt perfectly comfortable and safe.
p.s Besides, if youve gone almost 60 years without trying a Yak, you owe it to your self. it’s an eye opening experience if you get the right boat, the speed, control , stability and versitility just may make you forget that your out there to fish!
Perch,
You may want to also check out a new company - Native Watercraft. They have a boat called the Ultimate. It’s kind of a cross between a sit on top kayak and a canoe. The best thing about it is it’s stability. There are a few boats you can stand up in, but for me it is the ‘getting up’ where I tend to loose balance. I had no problems in this boat. I test drove one last weekend here on the Cahaba River. When my funds catch up with my desire I will be making a purchase. This is a new company so I don’t know how their long-term durability or custumer service will be, but the boat itself got me pumped up.
Hi perch
Look at pontoon boat you can use elec motor or oars. Sets high I love mine
I don’t know much about kayaks except that they do not mix well with my bad legs. If you have leg or back problems you are going to want something with enough room for you to be able to stretch.
I have been fishing out of canoes since I was a youngster. Last year I bought a Rogue River 14TK from Bass Pro for $299 and I love it. My canoe is a bit on the heavy side but it has good initial and secondary stability. That’s something that is important in a canoe. A flat bottom has good initial stability but poor secondary stability. Once you get a flat bottom on their side they will capsize.
My canoe has a semi-round hull. That means less initial stability than a flat bottom but much better secondary stability. Even if I ship water over the gunwales my canoe will right itself. The semi-rounded hull with keel allows for easier paddling, more speed, better tracking and turning. I added a center seat to my canoe and use my gear for ballast to balance for and aft of me. A canoe that is tapered and sharply pointed on both ends will move through the water much easier and track better.
Johnson Outdoors owns most of the major manufacturers of canoes and kayaks including Old Towne and Water Quest. Here is their web site:
http://www.johnsonoutdoors.com/
A trip to that big Bass Pro Shop out your way should help you as they carry both yaks and canoes. They also deal the nice little Water Quest boats.
I should have been more accurate in the description of my canoe. It is referred to as a Shallow Arch Bottom not semi-round. My canoe also has flared sides that add to secondary stability. Here is a good link on canoe anatomy from Old Towne:
So that the folkes good enough to impart some wisdom onto me can get a better idea what /where I figure to kayak/canoe and my size(if its relavant) here goes.
Im 5’9" and comming in at a rather fluffy 185-190lbs.(Im also bald and devilishly handsome too :lol: ). I am going to be spending most of my training/learning time down in southern Mo. on little rivers and streams. Class 1-3 at most , so there wont be any real fast water except seasonaly(thank goodness cause I dont want leave the boat and walk out off where Im going). Any one familiar with so. Mo.will recognize these names:Meramac, Currant, Gasconade,Northfork of the White, Niangua, and any other little rivers in the area that hold trout.
Thankyou all very much for taking the time to answer my questions. You have given me much to ponder. Now to figure how to get all of the gear (floating thing included) onto the back of my motorcycle!!!
Just kidding about the bike.
Thanks more, Perch
hi perch
sorry but another question or 2, do you plan to use the boat more for getting from hole to hole and getting out and fishing or to fish from the boat. i’m from PA and do not know those streams, but the topography looks similar to our central PA hill/mountains, so how wide are these treams? and you make note of class 1-3, is there substantial class 3 radpids in the sections you fish?
I am planning to both fish from the “mode of conveyence” and to use it to get to and from.
Mostly though to get from hole to hole.
Also , the class three would be in small , small patches and even then on a seasonal, and after heavey rain sort of thing.
These are pretty mellow waters in general.
Really good places for a beginner.
Thankyou again for the help.
Perch
p.s most of these places are not too wide somtimes 10’ and up to 75’.
Of course as the river gets wider it slooooooowwwws down(good thing for me 
).
p.
There is something failed to mention here.
Just remember 1 very inportant fact of life.
If you paddle down stream y MUST either paddle or hike back up UNLESS a secound vehicle is involved.
This is very important fact for paddling!!!TRUST ME!!! 3 miles of river equals about 6-8 miles of walking by way of the road :evil: ohhhhhh lest we for get upstream against ANY RAPID is a VEEEEERRRRRRRYYYYY interesting experiance :shock:
Dennis
This is easy.
If you want to cover distance, have a virtually unsinkable craft in all weathers and seasons, be able to handle all types of water from the ocean to small trout streams, if you want to tackle any aquatic creature from Orcas and Bull Elephant seals to bluegills, to boldly go where no one has gone before…then SIK Yak is the only way to go. I have a Wilderness Systems Victory Bravo that has been in the ocean, Class 4 rapids and many long treks up and down rivers and lakes. I carries my basic needs for extended camping, mainly a poncho, Bow and Arrows, sheath knife, sjambock, and a hammock. It is infallable. I even bow fish, hunt and frog-gig from it.
If you want to sit on a bench, don’t have to worry about time, bad weather or covering a lot of distance in a day, and have lots of gear handy and accessable at all times, possibly getting in and out a lot to explore, then a canoe is the way to go. I have an Old Towne Penobscott that I use for those more civilized trips I take with the wife, with tons of camping gear and ammenties peculiar to the feminine psyche. It carries her version of essential camping gear…mainly the whole house!!!
Semper Fi!