New person looking at canoes

Fishing
#1

I am looking at various options. One is a 17’ Fiberglass 36" wide but company no longer exists. Haven’t seen it but told in good shape and it is cheap.

I am also looking at the River Ridge Custom Canoes which are made here in Minnesota and are supposedly for fishing. Does anyone have experience with them.

I will be using what I buy on a lake and not moving it from this lake.

#2

options
Riverridge canoes are good for lakes, but they are not cheap…starting at $1795. They are also less than 13’ long.



Do you have a length preference? Does it matter what the canoe weighs? Are you looking for paddling efficiency?

#3

New person looking at canoes
I don’t have a length preference. I want paddling efficiency and fishing stability.

#4

Ok
Solo use or more than one person?

#5

New person looking at canoes
Primarily solo. Because of both my age and health, I may also need an electric motor assist at times. I have my own solar panels so charging a battery is no problem. This use of a motor is why I have considered a River Ridge Custom Canoes even though they are very expensive. I am very open to suggestions and cheaper possibilities.

#6

You might want to look at the
following models:

We-No-Nah Fisherman 14’

Nova Craft Angler 15’

Old Town Osprey either 14’ or 15’5"

Any of these canoes will support a trlling motor with a side mounted motor mount.

#7

While a 17 ft canoe is certainly a
fishable craft, and probably stable, one in fiberglass is going to be heavy. My 17 ft glass Mohawk weighs about 85lbs and is sometimes a b**** to move around. Not all that difficult to load, but to get it from the back yard to the driveway is no fun. All the canoes mentioned above are good candidates. You may also want to look at kayaks, especially one of the Hobies with the peddle system, if you can use your legs without much difficulty. They’re relatively fast, good craft, and everyone who has one I’ve talked to loves them. You get to use the big leg muscles to propel you, taking the load off the shoulders and back, or you can paddle if you want.

#8

Solo use with motor

– Last Updated: Mar-27-06 10:09 AM EST –

I have an Esquif Mallard. It is 12 feet long, weighs 44 lbs. and the motor mounts on the square stern. It was about $700 less than than the RiverRidge canoe. I think that would be a very could choice for you to consider.

#9

Check this out!
Old Town Pack canoe, very light, only 40 lbs. Problem is stability is not that good… until you add a stabilizer system. My friend combined his stabilizer bar with a trolling motor bracket and rod holder. Details and photos can be found at this page:



http://www.laflyfish.com/cgi-bin/teemz/teemz.cgi?board=_master&action=opentopic&topic=28&forum=Puddlers_Forum

#10

New person looking at canoes
I am going to continue to look around but was lucky. I had put an ad in the local paper. Found an Alumacraft 17’ in decent shape that is out of alloy so is portable. $100. The Esquif interest me but there are no dealers in Minnesota. Now if the ice will just go out, I’ll be apaddlin’.

This is a wonderful resource thanks

#11

Have fun. Before you float your new
boat, if you haven’t already, you might want to fill it partly with water to see if there are any leaks. Alumnacraft makes a good metal canoe,though I haven’t paddled one in thirty years.

#12

Esquif Mallard

– Last Updated: Mar-29-06 10:55 PM EST –

How does the mallard handle in waves, and is it very stable?

#13

Mallard
I have canoe outriggers in case the water is too choppy which may or may not be needed. Just added insurance. It is plenty stable as the square stern displaces water. However, due to it’s design, you can negotiate up to class I a heck of lot easier than a jon boat. When I go to small lakes and rivers, I go to fish, not to enjoy paddling. I have a 17’ canoe, but wanted something for the days I went fishing alone. I always take a Trolling Motor and wanted something durable for the rocks that I occasially bump. I also wanted something I could carry and cartop easily yet still be able to carry a load for a day or two of fishing. I wrestled with solo canoes, jon boats, crawdads, kayaks and pontoons for over a year…researching on the internet and stores and ended up buying the mallard.

#14

Sportspal
Try Meyers Sportspal. Ugly, wide, but stable. Paddles like a pig, but a great fishing platform.

#15

Wenonah
has some real nice ones.I like their Vagabond and the Solo Plus I recently demo’d.If you go with a “fisherman” focused model you’ll have great stability but paddeling efficiency goes out the window.The two I mentioned have plenty enough stability but not to the point of losing to much efficiency.