BrianSnat

I'm going to buck the trend and say canoe. I've fished from both and much prefer the canoe. I believe a canoe is far more versatile than a kayak. Most canoes are easily handled solo by moving toward the center when you are alone. With most canoes all this takes is flipping it around and paddling it "backwards" from the bow seat. If you are with your dad a canoe is more conducive to conversation because he's with you instead of 50 yards away. If you feel like mounting a trolling motor, it's quite easy to do on a canoe. You also have plenty of room for gear and your tackle box is right in front of you instead of stowed behind you. There is no need to handle your catch in your lap and you aren't stuck in the same position all day. If you want to bring a cooler with cold drinks and lunch there is plenty of room for it and if you are into camping just load it up with cooler, camping and fishing gear and go. As I see it the only advantage a kayak has over a canoe is that a canoe will be harder to handle while fishing on a windy day, but a kayak is no picnic in a strong wind either.

On bends fish the outside of the bend. Undercut banks are good places to cast.

I think you are way overestimating the weight of your trailer for a boat that size. I can pick up my trailer and lift it fairly easily off the ground so I doubt it's more than 200 lbs or so. I suspect you aren't near breaking 1,000 lbs with your setup. I have a 14 ft aluminum V hull with a plywood floor, a 9.9 Yamaha and trailer. The whole things probably weighs roughly what your setup does and I'm towing it with a 4 cylinder Subaru Forester without issues, so I'm sure your V6 can handle LT 1,000 lbs

Assuming you're taking about for fishing, first off look for a kayak designed for fishing. They will be a bit more stable and will have built in features such as rod holders, live wells, etc. You also need to decide between sit on top (SOT) or sit inside (SINK). It seems that many fishermen prefer the stability of a SOT, but they tend to be slower than SINKs and a wetter ride if there is chop.

For that money they should not only catch fish, but gut, clean and scale them for ya.

Just a reminder for NJ and other regional anglers that this is the annual free fishing weekend. If you're from out of state and want to go after some of those Merrill Creek lakers, or Monksville muskie or have a friend, family member or significant other who you want to get into fishing this is the weekend to do it http://www.examiner.com/article/fish-for-free-this-weekend-new-jersey

Well you will be using it for fighting fish so it can certainly be called a fighting kayak.

Practice is the key. When I was out in my boat for the first time with a friend last year, he marveled at how deftly I could maneuver the boat with the trolling motor. He said there were times when he swore we were going to hit a rock and he braced for impact, but the boat glided past within inches. My response was "Well I've been using trolling motors for over 40 years, I should be good at it by now." Trying to think of any tricks or tips is hard because it all second nature to me. One thing I can think of is to start your turns and speed adjustments before you think you need to (if that makes any sense).

I have a 4' 10" UL rod I use for trout. For a few years, when I was in my 20's, it was my only rod after my bassin' rods were stolen out of our boat. I caught some pretty big bass on that thing, including a 4 pounder. These days for bass the smallest I use is a 5' 6" ML . I'll use it to throw spinners and Rapalas. Nearly all of my other bassing rods are 6'6", chiefly because the hallway where I store them 6'8" floor to ceiling. I do have one 7 footer that is a pain because I have 8 rods stored vertically and one stored horizontally. I usually just keep the 7 footer by the front door during non ice fishing season.

Water is still pretty cold. Most of the northern NJ lakes still had ice on them just 2 weeks ago. I was testing the shallows for bass on Sunday but came up empty there. They haven't moved in yet, at least on that lake and I suspect most northern NJ lakes.

When using crankbaits I generally go with my 7' ML Berkley Lightning Rod. It's a cheap rod, but I think it's a darn good rod for the money.

I like Shad Raps, Rat-L-Traps, and Bombers.

For bass fishing I own 10 rods. 8 spinning and two baitcasting outfits, I usually bring 6 with me, though if I'm fishing with someone else I may cut it to 4. I like being able to go from one bait to another quickly without stopping to tie something new on. I usually bring two rigged with plastics, one unweighted and one weighted (dropshot or Carolina rig), Two with crankbaits, usually a deep diver and a floating Rapala, one with a spinnerbait and one with a jig If you add my trout rods and saltwater, I have probably 20+. My wife tells me I collect rods like some women collect shoes/

There is something to be said for this. I have a 14 ft aluminum Semi V with a tiller motor. Low maintenance easy to handle. I have to cover it though. The previous owner pulled out the seats and added a plywood carpeted floor. I like not having to climb over seats, but I have to keep it dry. Still, I don't even think I'd want a big bass boat if I could afford one. Just too many things to worry about. I like keeping it simple.

Not really a close call by my wife and I were fluke fishing on the Shrewsbury river. We were anchored. I just had a sandwich for lunch and my wife broke out a big salad she had made. Just as she was about to take a bite a huge cabin cruiser went by and kicked up a big wake that hit the stern of the boat the wrong way sending a big splash that soaked the both of us, and my wife was sitting there with her salad floating in a bowl of saltwater. Not the sort of dressing she was expecting.

I'm with you on this, all reasons I much prefer fishing from a canoe. Much drier and easier to get in and out of. And what I don't like about the kayak is being basically stuck in the same position all day and when you are trying to cover a wide area with your casts you need to move the whole boat, or turn your body at an odd and uncomfortable angle. I find a canoe far more comfortable and versatile. As far as transporting I have a heck of an easier time with my canoe than my friend who has a heavy and very hard to handle SOT. He stopped bringing it along when we fish together and just hops in my canoe with me. I think his yak is almost 30 lbs heavier than my canoe.

If you are going to mostly use a gas motor, then by all means go with the square back. If you are going to mix between paddling and using a trolling motor then I'd choose a traditional canoe. Square backs don't paddle well and a trolling motor works nicely on a traditional canoe with the proper mount.

I much prefer fishing from a canoe, but if I ever went for a kayak, this looks like a really nice one.

The OT Guide is a good choice, though if you usually plan on having a partner you are probably better off with the 16 ft version/ Another option is the Bell Angler http://www.bellcanoe.com/products/default.asp?page=product&id=597&catid=195 It's a lot lighter than the OT. This should help with your decision http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showReviews.html?prod=412 http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showReviews.html?prod=1242

There is no one answer. There are many very stable shallow arch boats. You may also want to consider the distances you plan to cover while fishing. If you get a wide and super stable boat you will lose a lot speed wise, so you may want to compromise with a little more speed and a little less stability. I think good secondary stability is the important thing. It may take a while to be comfortable with less primary stability but you will eventually.

I usually have 3 6' 6" MH 1 6' 6" M 1 6' 6" ML

When I bought my boat this spring the previous owner was quite proud of the brand new transom he had installed. Solid oak he pointed out. It's an aluminum boat with a wood transom. The original transom had a dip in the middle where the motor is mounted. The new transom is flush straight across, which I prefer. Anyway one of the first times I had the boat out this spring the transom developed a small horizontal crack that followed the grain of the wood. I installed a mending plate right where the motor attaches but despite that, the crack kept getting bigger and wider to the point where It needs replacing. Obviously oak isn't a good material. What does everyone suggest? Is there a synthetic material available? Here are a few pics. It doesn't look real bad, but when the outboard is on and running the crack gets a lot wider

I was in my boat and fishing while waiting for a friend to show up. I had a Heddon Torpedo on a rod hooked to one of the guides. The rod was bowed some and I went to take it off and it slipped and the rod straightened suddenly driving the hook into my hand. I tried to push it through but due to the angle I couldn't. Friend showed up and asked me how I was doing. I showed him my predicament. He offered to take me to the hospital,but I said heck no, I'm fishing and proceeded to fish with the lure hanging off my hand. I got home around midnight and my wife woke up and greeted me. I hid my hand behind my back, then went into the bathroom to see if I could cut it out or what. Nothing doing. So I taped the lure to my hand so it didn't flop around while I slept. Next morning I went to the ER and the doc had it out in a few minutes. He told me I was stupid for waiting so long. He was probably right. He asked me if I wanted the lure back. Heck yeah, at $6 each darn right I wanted it back.

Last week I was fishing for lake trout and drifting shiners. That morning I had spooled my bait-casting reel with a new roll of Power Pro and tied on a floro leader. After catching nothing, I decided to move to another spot. Reeled in all but one line and it was my freshly spooled bait caster. Threw the motor in gear and drove several hundred yards. I stopped and went to throw my line back in and the spool was bare. I hadn't noticed the line peeling out. I know compared to losing a rod and reel or other expensive equipment, losing line is small potatoes, but that didn't make it any less annoying.