Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: nirvana on July 27, 2007, 12:04:57 AM
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I was looking at buying a canoe just to cruise around the local lakes with, nothing too fancy just a good solid craft. Problem is, I really don't know what to look for. I was thinking of MAYBE fishing off of it after a little while but using it just for entertainment/exercise.
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Coleman put out a good all around general canoe. Nothing fancy, comfortable, affordable. Stable enough to fish from.
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Not too many glowing reviews on Coleman canoes here, http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showReviews.html?prod=837
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I have a 14' Old Town Osprey fibre glass that I bought used for $250.00 and new they retail for like $1,200.00
Wood looks nice but is as expensive as hell and not that durable. Aluminum though light is too easy to ding and dent and makes people think you rented it. So of course I prefer fibre glass and think it is the best all around.
Untill your comfortable in it and have your ballance down, leave your fish poles at home. Personally I don't like fishing in a canoe and if you have ballance issues stay away from kayaks or your going to go for a quick swim. Though I have seen an outrigger fishing kayak before but I've never tried one out.
http://cgi.ebay.com/2-5hp-air-powered-canoe-6-kt-cruise_W0QQitemZ180141718735QQihZ008QQcategoryZ23800QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Go look on ebay, lots of good canoes for cheap!
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Originally posted by LTARokit
Coleman put out a good all around general canoe. Nothing fancy, comfortable, affordable. Stable enough to fish from.
what he said they are bulletproof (well plastic bulletproof anyways) we have a sixteen footer that we ply the glades in and they are very stable especially for fishing.
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Aluminum will weigh less than Fiberglass for the same size. And if properly cared for will outlast it as well. My 16' Lund is still going strong after 30 years of service. Very few dings, but then I tend to be careful around rocks.
A lot depends on where your going to be paddling. A lake canoe will often be longer with a good keel, with less rocker, designed to paddle straight. Where one designed for rivers will have little or no keel, a lot more rocker in the hull and be more agile in fast water. But they won't paddle straight across a lake as well.
Also it makes a difference if your just paddling around your home lake or if your planning to go on trips with it. For a canoe that just stays home fiberglass would be ok. However if your thinking of hitting Minnesota's boundary waters or other wilderness you want something that is a lot easier to portage. On a quarter mile walk over stones and through tree's ever pound counts up fast.
If its just you paddling you might consider a entry level kayak instead. If you just want something to get you out on the water to fish, etc.
I have 3, all molded plastic, all about 10' in length. They sit closer to the water than a canoe does, but the feeling of freedom and mobility is awesome.
Also a good entry level kayak will run half the cost of a good Canoe, weigh less, and be easier to cartop or transport. And yes they do make them with built in points for rod holders, tackle storage etc. All reachable from the seat.
Take your time, do some research now so when you do buy your not sorry a year later.
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Originally posted by storch
what he said they are bulletproof (well plastic bulletproof anyways) we have a sixteen footer that we ply the glades in and they are very stable especially for fishing.
I have a 17' Coleman I take down the upper Delaware.
Things are damn near indestructable.
And yes very stable for fishing.
M brother in law usually take at least one trip a year fishing the delaware.
During which we dont paddle unless we get stuck.
We go through the rapids. frontwards, Backwards sideways banging on rocks, you name it. Just to keep the lines in the water.
You can flip it. if you try.
And thats the thing. uunder most circumstances yo0u actually have to try to flip it. or be incredibly stupid to get it to flip.
Had mine for some 24 years now and other then some scratches and a slight bulge in the center from a Beer cooler. It still works great
the downside. is unlike a Fiberglass or aluminum. It weighs a ton.
I can load and unload it by myself. But its alot easier with two people
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get one with a square stern so when you are all done with your "exercise", you can get a marine battery and trolling motor and continue to use it :)
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My sister in law just got my brother in law this one for Fathers Day.
Even comes with Rod & cup holders.
(http://dsp.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/p2327292p275w.jpg)
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2131645&cp=2291569&view=all&sr=1&origkw=Canoe&parentPage=family&searchId=2291569 (http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2131645&cp=2291569&view=all&sr=1&origkw=Canoe&parentPage=family&searchId=2291569)
Basically the same as my coleman but shorter
(cept my coleman doesnt have a center seat, Rod or cup holders):furious
Nice little craft. Fairly light,and swift in the water
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that's the coleman in it's basic shape
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I love canoes; but I think for many if not most applications kayaks are a better way to go. I paddle and row a lot and see many other boats on the lake that I visit most. Four out of five canoes can’t travel in a rough straight line; few people learn to paddle them correctly. I have no trouble overtaking every canoe I see; kayaks are much more efficient.
Many sporting goods stores sell entry level 10’ kayaks. These things are stable, easy to tote, easy to load on a car, easy to paddle and cost as little as $200. I see people fishing out of these things quite often. I’ve talked to many of them and they all love their boats. The drawback is that they are slow for a kayak, but still a bit faster than a canoe. You’ll pay more for longer boats, but you won’t regret the extra cost. 14’ or more and not terribly wide will usually give you a pretty decent hull speed.
You can consider two basic types; sit-on-tops and kayaks with holes. Sit on tops allow an easy entry and will fit any paddler. You can even fall/dive off and re-enter the boat without much difficulty. Some sit on tops have scuppers that drain water, but the paddler is always sitting in a bit of water. Many sit-on-tops keep the paddler’s butt dry unless a wave washes over. Scuba divers often use these. Holed kayaks provide weather/wave/splash protection for the paddler’s lower half. Make sure the boat fits before purchasing, however! A new trend is a hybrid. These are holed kayaks with big holes for easy entry. Most fishermen opt for these.
Rowboats are a great way to go as well. The rowing action is much more efficient than paddling; the drawback is that the hulls are typically slower and you paddle backwards. I have a POS aluminum skiff that I can easily carry by myself.
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I kayak.... fishing from a kayak is great and you can maneuver very easily to get to that hidden fishin' hole. I have a Dagger Charleston like below but in a green/yellow/blue coloring.
(https://www.highlandgear.com/catalog/images/charleston_14-04.jpg)
Dry storage front and rear, hold down bands for fishing gear.
I have been on 5 day trips carrying all supplies with this and highly recommend it. I also do white water in it... good all around.
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Canoe are so 70"s a kayak is the way to go. I just came back from a fishing trip down the Llano river and almost didn't make it because i decided to take a canoe. The guys in kayak didn't have any problems.
With a kayak you just have better maneuverability and lower center of gravity.
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Ebay:
(http://i3.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/ab/e2/f14a_1.JPG)
Used Perception Corsica Matrix Proline whitewater kayak. Fair condition, normal scratches and scrapes on the bottom. Lacks back band. Has adjustable bulkhead with footrests. Comes with bow and stern flotation. Local pickup in Denver, CO ONLY. I will travel to meet you a reasonable distance (30 miles or so).
link (http://cgi.ebay.com/Perception-Corsica-Matrix-Proline-Kayak_W0QQitemZ170133813177QQihZ007QQcategoryZ36122QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)
He also has this one:
(http://i13.ebayimg.com/03/i/000/ab/e4/5b0a_1.JPG)
Starting bid on each: US $150.00
They go in 3 days
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Originally posted by FX1
Canoe are so 70"s a kayak is the way to go. I just came back from a fishing trip down the Llano river and almost didn't make it because i decided to take a canoe. The guys in kayak didn't have any problems.
With a kayak you just have better maneuverability and lower center of gravity.
My last multi-day trip was on the LLano..... had a great time. Saw maybe 5 other people the whole trip. Since it's open range there all I did in the evenings is move and cattle out of the area I chose as camp. Did my run NW of Fredricksburg.
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Originally posted by nirvana
I was looking at buying a canoe just to cruise around the local lakes with, nothing too fancy just a good solid craft. Problem is, I really don't know what to look for. I was thinking of MAYBE fishing off of it after a little while but using it just for entertainment/exercise.
If you are moslty going to paddle around alone i would highly recomend getting a kayak and not a canoe. I have both, and the canoe is collecting dust.
-edit- This one looks cool tho
(http://img.alibaba.com/photo/11451092/Transparent_Two_passenger_Kayak___Molokini.jpg)
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Originally posted by Shuffler
My last multi-day trip was on the LLano..... had a great time. Saw maybe 5 other people the whole trip. Since it's open range there all I did in the evenings is move and cattle out of the area I chose as camp. Did my run NW of Fredricksburg.
We did our run from Mason to Llano.. It was 6.2 ft out of its banks that day.
I really didnt think i was going to make it after hitting the first tree....
We have done that run before in the past and it took us 6.5 hours. This time it took us only 3 hours. Needless to say we didn't get much fishing in and i sunk the canoe 3 times before the day was done.
Beautiful area and our ranch is 6 miles from our pick up point so we made a weekend of it..
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Here's most of my fleet:
(http://hallbuzz.com/images/2007/jun/kayak_fleet_640.jpg)
The two hole spotty one is a freeking battleship. I added a foot-steered motor.
The white/green one is my winter boat; I take this one out when it’s really cold and icy.
The blue one is an old glass boat; I added two kid sized holes.
The red one is my summer sit on top. It’s 17’ and tipsy but very fast. The blue Tupperware thing is an extra seat for a kid; this makes it even tipsier.
(http://hallbuzz.com/images/2007/jun/3_hole_handle_and_rudder.jpg)
Homemade rudder. The vertical hinge support and handle is made of polycarbonate (Lexan) plastic and is crudely fiberglassed onto the hull. The rudder is also made of polycarbonate and automatically folds back (inset) when it strikes anything shallow.
(http://hallbuzz.com/images/2007/jun/3_hole_rudder_pedel.jpg)
The rudder pedals are the original cotter-pin adjustable aluminum footrests that have been modified for rudder duty. The rudder pedals in the white/green boat are pretty much the same. I also added a vertical wooden support between each hole. When entering and exiting the boat it's hard to not put weight on the center topside of the boat.
(http://hallbuzz.com/images/2007/jun/moto_yak_notes_640.jpg)
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LOL eskimo :D
All it needs now is this (http://www.kongsberg.com/images/artikler/32978/finland.jpg)
and you have a littoral warfare superweapon
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I have a Coleman Journey that my son and I fish from and it's very stable and a good all around canoe.
If you plan on fishing from a lake, do yourself a favor and get a canoe anchor. There are few things more irritating than having to paddle back upwind after every cast.
Nice fleet you have there eskimo. Your modifications are inspiring.
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Eskimo... what kind of beer do you drink :aok J/K
I love to run up to the Guadalupe and run it at flood.... I prefer moving water but lakes are nice and quiet. Paddling is just plain relaxing to me.
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Originally posted by ChickenHawk
I have a Coleman Journey that my son and I fish from and it's very stable and a good all around canoe.
If you plan on fishing from a lake, do yourself a favor and get a canoe anchor. There are few things more irritating than having to paddle back upwind after every cast.
Nice fleet you have there eskimo. Your modifications are inspiring.
LMAO!
Been there done that alot.
the wind can move you pretty quick too.
Went to a big lake by us called "Round Valley Reservoir"
We decided to paddle across (against the wind) to check out and fish the other side.
Took 1/2 hour hard paddling ot get there.
Wind blew us comletely back to where we started in 5 minutes.LOL
Anothr hint if Canoring on a lake.
when you head out. Paddle into the wind.
Nothing sucks quite like having to paddle against a decent headwind when you are ready to go home.
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So, what are you going to do nirvana?
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Heed what Ghosth said about keels... very important.
I practically grew up in a canoe... love them dearly. :aok
ps. I'm a wood and canvas purist, too... but those are big bucks. :(
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Originally posted by Dux
Heed what Ghosth said about keels... very important.
I practically grew up in a canoe... love them dearly. :aok
ps. I'm a wood and canvas purist, too... but those are big bucks. :(
you aren't Bob Hardy are you?
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Still looking, there was a free one on craigslist but needed some "tlc". Someone picked that up already though. I'm actually going 50/50 with my friend on one....maybe. Thanks for all your advice though, I assure you I've taken it all into account and will do so when (if) we purchase one.
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Originally posted by storch
you aren't Bob Hardy are you?
Bob Hardy of Hardy Marine, Marathon, Florida?
(had to Google him, never heard of him)
No, that's not me. :)
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Originally posted by Dux
Bob Hardy of Hardy Marine, Marathon, Florida?
(had to Google him, never heard of him)
No, that's not me. :)
you may have just helped me locate a friend from my youth. guess what? it's him!! he builds small boats and does repairs on others. what an amazing thing this intardnet is. I just got off of the phone with him and I'll probably drive down to marathon to say hey and have lunch.
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That's too cool... it was either him or some UK singer. :)