I need advice on what type of canoe will work for me. Here are the things we will do with it.
1.fish
2.watch birds
3.maybe camp
4.easy class 1 and 2 rivers.
4.it needs to be pretty cheap.
5.it needs to be ok to paddle solo every now and then.
So thats pretty much all I want out of it. Also does anybody have any pics of rigged fishing canoes? I’m trying to get ideas for my fishing set-up.
Canoe choices
There are quite a few out there that would fit your bill. How inexpensive? You can get some new canoes for less than $500. They may not be ideal for solo paddling but you could use it in a pinch. I used to own an Old Town Guide 147 which is a great canoe for fishing and poking around. It’s heavy though and not much fun to paddle solo. A used canoe could be just the ticket and you can get a lot of bang for the buck. I recently purchased an Old Town Pack, 33 lb. solo canoe for under $300 used. Nice little boat for fishing and poking around. After selling my Guide I wanted another canoe soon after. One that would do just about all the things you’re looking for. I winnowed the field down to a Wenonah Spirit 2, Wenonah Adirondack, Bell Morningstar, Bell Drifter and the Old Town Penobscot 16. All were near $1,000. I liked all these boats after trying them and ended up with the Penobscot as it felt like the best of the bunch to me. It will do everything you want as would most of the others listed above.
As for rigging a canoe to fish, I have no pictures. I use pvc pipe couplers zip tied to the seats and thwarts to hold extra rods. I use a rubber coated 3 lb. dumbell as an anchor (cheap if you lose it). I also use a 24" drift sock to slow my drift on windy days. I will sometimes take a milk crate that I have rigged with 4 sections of 1.5" pvc pipe zip tied in the corners. These act as rocket launchers for my rods and the crate provides storage for my tackle box, lip gripper, pliers, depth finder, etc.
re which canoe
I would like a one man canoe, but that proabably wouldn’t be too good for my marriage! I am keeping mu eyes open for used canoes, but lving in AZ there isn’t a whole lot of them around. I’ll keep checking the papers
Rivers?
– Last Updated: Dec-05-04 5:48 PM EST –
I would choose the Wenonah Adirondack if there would be a bit of flatwater paddling too, but then you're getting the expense up there. If you want a RIVER canoe that you can fish out of, paddle solo or tandem (I wouldn't suggest two 250 pounders plus gear, but I'm 260) and are on a budget, I would get a Mad River 14TT. It's actually 14'6" and was called the St. Croix before this year. Also, if you have a Galyan's arround, I hear they're being "Bought out" by Dicks. You may be able to get one for $500 or less, especially this time of year. Here's a few links for you, including one of me paddling mine solo. BTW, it's a boat I owned and sold a few years ago, then sorely missed, and bought a new one this year. Hope that helps! WW
http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showReviews.html?prod=481
http://www.madrivercanoe.com/zoom_boat.php?img=Explorer_14_tt.jpg
http://community.webshots.com/photo/195406334/198270975FwHLvd
re which canoe
Those are some nice pics, I would probably be on lakes more than rivers, I do like that boat, and I weigh about the same as you, for so paddling did you flip the boat around and sit in the bow? I heard that is what a lot of people do, i paddled my friends 16ft boat solo and the front end was like 2ft out of the water! The chair you have looks good too, does that make a big difference in comfort? Is it made for canoes?
Best Way to Solo a Tandem Boat
Is to turn boat arround, paddle from bow seat “Backwards” and have a bit of weight (ballast) in front of you to balance the boat out. Works better if the boat is symetrical. The 14TT turns easily, and makes a good river boat. But this boat’s attributes that make it good on rivers, make it a poor paddling boat for lakes. I would rather have at least a 16’ boat on lakes as it will track better, and not be quite as slow as the shorter boat. My picks would be 16’ Wenonah Adirondack, 16’ Mad River Explorer, 17’ Wenonah Sundowner, or Souris River Quetico 16 or Quetico 17. Problem is, price. You would have to look for used in these boats. Mad River also makes a 16TT, which would paddle better than the 14’6 on lakes. Also, if paddling primarily lakes, I would prefer fiberglass or kevlar as they have a finer entry line, and will paddle faster. BTW, I do have a friend with a good ‘ol trusty Grumman 17’ aluminum for $350 if interested. Good luck! WW
Almost Forgot
The seat back is a “Sitbacker” chair. Those and “Crazy Creek” chairs fasten to the bottom of seat, they’re made for canoes. I pretty much have to have back support after almost 25 years in Nursing. After lifting pt’s over the years, I have the back of an 80 year old! WW
third seat
i have a third seat in my dagger 15. makes solo paddling real easy
solo paddling in a tandem boat
As someone already mentioned, you can turn a tandem backwards for solo paddling.
One thing that will help you solo paddle is a double bladed canoe paddle. I think that Mohawk makes them specifically and there are many kayak paddle companies that will make a kayak paddle to your specified length.
I’m not trying to discourage proper paddling techniques, but once you try a double paddle in a canoe, you wonder why you don’t see it more often. I still carry a single bladed paddle for finess and maneuvering through tight spots, but for sheer power, it is hard to beat a double paddle.
Kneel
When paddling, I mean actually paddling rather than drifting with current or wind, I used to kneel in the center to solo paddle a tandem. It can get hard on the knees in a rental where there’s no foam.
- Big D