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New to the site... I'm from the Cap District and was curious to know if there are any smaller lakes or ponds that people recommend or what you've caught or heard reported. I usually fish for largemouth, smallmouth, pike...walleye if present. Fishing out of a Coleman crawdad so the larger bodies of water are kind of out of its league.

I’m looking to buy a small to medium sized canoe. Mostly going to use it for solo fishing but also the occasional family camping trip. I need to be able to wrangle it in and out of my truck on my own and also be able to carry 2 adults, our kid, and some camping gear. I noticed an Old Town Sportsman at the pond yesterday and that looked like it could work. Seems like they’re hard to find though. Also considering the Old Town Saranac 146 or Guide 147. What canoes do you guys use for solo fishing?

Hey everyone! Let me give you a little background so you know what experience I have and maybe some incorrect assumptions I have. I'm sorry for all of the length, but I want to explain the context because I think my situation is a little uncommon. I am getting into fishing after a pretty long hiatus; after I graduated high school I didn't touch a rod for probably 9 years, until last year when I went on a canoe trip to the Boundary Waters. I was never that big into fishing, but I usually enjoyed it. When I did go fishing, it was usually with my dad, and we'd vertical jig for walleyes from an anchored boat (no trolling motor, not specifically a fishing boat). He used to fish for pike and muskie when he was younger, but I never went fishing for these with him, and he wasn't big into catching bass either. Of course I caught little panfish like sunnies and crappies on tiny little rods as a kid as well. Now that I am older, have more freedom and disposable income, and have gotten back into outdoor activities (like hiking and canoeing), I found that I really do enjoy fishing and I really want to do more of it. Before my canoe trip last year, I went to Cabela's with a friend with more experience, and he and the salesman got me a 6'3" St Croix Eyecon, Medium power Extra Fast action, vertical jigging spinning rod, and I paired it with a Pfleuger Presidential XT spinning reel. The line I chose (based on recommendation) was 15lb PowerPro braid to 10lb P-Line fluoro leader (but intend to switch to 10lb Sniper fluoro for a little more stretch). The reel could be smoother for sure but the drag seems to work well, and the rod was used for everything obviously. I've caught some lake trout on it (vertical jigging and casting lipless cranks), walleye (casting lipless cranks), and a single smallmouth trolling a crankbait. I didn't think it did particularly bad for anything, though the smallie while trolling wasn't immediately obvious due to the lack of bend deeper down in the rod. I picked up a bunch of lures (probably too many lol), with a handful of spoons (five of diamonds, red/white stripe), medium depth Shad Raps, some Husky Jerks, some Jointed Minnows, a couple lipless cranks in various colors and sizes, 5" tubes, a couple size 3-5 Mepps, soft plastics (ShadZ/ZToo), and a few topwaters like a Super Spook, Torpedo, and Skitter Pop. I want to catch everything I can catch up in northern Minnesota, which is mostly gonna be SMB/LMB, pike, walleye, and lake trout. I enjoy eating walleye and lake trout so they are sometimes a focus if my friends and I want a fish fry in the wilderness. Largely, though, I intend to focus on SMB and walleye, knowing I will probably get hit by plenty of pike using the lures I typically would for those two species. SO.... there is my fishing experience, the gear I currently have, and what I want to catch. Here are the caveats that limit the rods I can use (or so I think): * Most lakes in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) are super clear, with 12-30ft visibility. I have not been on a BWCA lake that had less than 10ft visibility unless the lake itself was really shallow and muddy, and even then, there was maybe 6-8ft of visibility. I intend to use braid to fluoro 100% of the time due to the water clarity and responsiveness of braid. * Sitting low in a canoe is like being in a kayak, so long rods are unwieldy. Walking the dog would be rough with a long rod while sitting - heck it already seems less than ideal with my 6'3" rod, and most are much longer than that. * I have yet to paddle a solo canoe, and plan to do trips in tandem canoes, which means I have to share the space and won't be able to pivot my body much, so I need a shorter rod for that reason as well. * I also need a short-ish handle because of the sitting position; I'm concerned about the rod being so long that it requires careful handing around my friends when fishing in the canoe, and the handle getting in the way of me handling it properly (like having clearance for good hook sets). * Due to wind and no motor, I've done more trolling than casting in the canoe, but want to do more casting, and am getting an anchor bag. Still, trolling will be frequent for me as we paddle around a lake or on travel days. I'm willing to invest a decent chunk of change to have TWO or THREE decent rods and reels. I have been watching lots of videos and doing lots of reading and here is what I THINK I want my setup to look like: * Soft plastics, tubes, vertical jigs St. Croix Eyecon 6'3" MXF spinning + Shimano Stradic CI4+ (I grew up with spinning, haven't learned baitcasting yet, figured I'd invest into a nice spinning reel) * Crankbaits, jerkbaits, tubes (for quick switching), spinners, spoons Dobyns Sierra 683 6'8" MHF casting + Shimano SLX (would go 6'6" Fury but the handle is shorter on Sierra + more sensitivity for $40 more) * Backup and hiking rod (all purpose) Shakespeare Ugly Stik GX2 Elite 2-piece MF/MHF + Pfleuger Presidential XT (not sure which length of the Ugly Stik but on the short side) I don't know that the Eyecon is the best finesse rod but I found it very sensitive with bottom dragging and rocks feeling like bites and I'd rather not replace it right now if I really don't have to. The Sierra seems nice but it's more expensive than I want, and slightly longer than I want, but has a shorter handle than the 6'6" MHF Fury. I'm willing to step down a little if I can get a shorter handle/rod but I really don't want to go above the price tier of the Sierra (~$150 max) especially since I'm very inexperienced with casting rods and may end up using the spinning setup more. If anyone knows the perfect short casting rod with a short handle, that has a decent backbone for hook sets, but is sensitive enough for lighter/finesse baits (without being a specialty finesse rod), and won't break the bank, please do let me know. I looked at many but I can't find many with less than a 13.5" handle and even then they're usually 6'8" or 6'10" at a minimum, and I absolutely want to stay under a 7' rod. If you made it this far, THANK YOU for reading!!! I appreciate any and all criticism you have. I have 2 BWCA canoe trips coming up this year, one going hunting for brook trout for a few days, and one for grand slams (SMB/pike/walleye/lake trout) for a week. I really want to slay 'em, and I know I don't have to spend a ton of money to do so, but I want to invest in some setups that I can grow into. P.S. If anyone knows if a good float solution, in case the canoe tips or the rod goes overboard, to keep it from sinking, I'm all ears. I was thinking some dense foam plus a short Dyneema wire or something, tied/rubber banded to the bottom of the handle.

I frequently fish from my 16’ canoe with electric motor. I’ve found that managing more than 3 rods, in my half of the boat, is really a pain. Currently carrying a 7’1” m/h a 7’10” m/h (that needs to be repaired or replaced) and a 6’6” med. spinning setup. Curious to know what other people carry in their small boats. Also interested in any small boat tips/tricks you all may be willing to share. TIA. -Mackley

I recently acquired a 17' fiberglass canoe. No idea of the make or age of it, other than it needs major sanding and painting, its a great canoe. I wanted to mod it and turn it into a nice little fishing canoe for exploring Colorado waters this year. Send some inspiration my way fellas!

I need a cartop setup for weekends with the woman. She lives in an apartment complex with no room to park a trailer. Tried a canoe and a kayak, didn't care for either. I could maybe go for a shorter wider canoe but kayaks are definitely out for me. Currently I am using a very narrow flat bottom Jon boat that I haul on top of my Jeep Cherokee. It's very light, easy to load, easy to row, comfortable to sit in and was very cheap. My only problem with it is the stability when standing. The floor is only 24" and it's 12ft long. Thinking of getting a 1236 or wider if I can find it. Need to stay under 12' so it can be used at the cartop launch sites that are limited to <12' or canoes. So while I deliberate about what I want... I would like to know if any of you have had a cartop jon boat or similar boat that you liked. Tell me what you liked about your rig and what you didn't. Thanks for sharing.

Do you have problems in your small boat with the back end doing what it wants to? Wanna fix that? I custom made a rudder that has easily adjustable length, angle, cant, is easily removable, and made out of all urethane for long life. I searched for hours and hours trying to find something to fix the tail of our plastic bass boat from swinging and there's just nothing good out there. My rudder fixes it. If there's any interest just let me know.

I am getting a canoe to fish out of. I am choosing between these two. There's not a way for me to demo either. I dont know know too much about canoes. If you were picking between the two, is one brand better than the other? The fisherman is more than twice the price but lighter. I will be fishing ponds, lakes, and the atchafalya basin.

This is more of a review than anything and figured this would be a good place for others that are looking for a great fishing canoe to gain some info. Last year I picked up my first canoe. A Mad River Adventure 16. It was a good craft, nice seats and paddled easy. Ran some creeks with it and had a blast. However, it had inherently weak initial stablity and that combined with a bigger sized (270+ lbs) co-paddler made for some uncomfortable and wet lake outings. After dumping into a lake last year, losing two rods and a tray of tackle, I went on the search for something better. I wanted something that I could really fish out of and use to access some electric only lakes where a canoe is really the best option. A jon boat is a bit heavy to take out myself if I need to drag it to the water and I would lose my garage. I needed something I could car top. The Sportspal meets every expectation I had and then some. Weighing in at 68lbs or so it was already 20lbs lighter than the Mad River. I can car top by myself and shoulder it to walk it to the water. The stability is amazing. My 270lb co-paddler and I took it out for the maiden voyage, as that was going to be its true test. Within the first 15 minutes I was standing and fishing. Literally taking steps and pitching baits into cover. On the Mad River I could, with exteme caution, stand for a moment to stretch my legs or look downstream. On this canoe I can literally do jumping jacks. By the end of that first trip out, my co-paddler stood up to stretch while we were powered by the trolling motor. Not the smartest idea, but it does go to show how confident we were in the boat. The square stern is close enough to the rear seat that you can easily work a trolling motor (or outboard, the S-15 is rated up to 5hp) and not so close the handle is jammed into your back. The foam liner makes everything nice and quiet and the gunwale seats are very comfortable without any additional seating pads (although i will pick up some seat backers so my passengers can relax and lay back a bit). As for paddling, the included paddles were comfortable to use and moved the canoe very nicely. The keel on the boat helped track it well and with some conscious reminders to myself not to follow the gunwale while paddling the boat stayed well on track even in wind. I had done my research on the Sportspal for over a year before buying. Mainly because I couldn't test paddle one at the time and I could never get a real determination anywhere as to whether it really was that stable. Some other forums talking about this canoes stability had some die hard purists that refused to accept that someone would want to stand in a canoe. Well I did want to. I want to put it out there that the Sportspal is absolutely stable. Going from a canoe that would nearly roll while someone picked up a split shot, to being able to stand and work a jig is absolutely worth it. Time will tell on the durability, so far I picked up a few scratches here and there and as this was a 'return' at the place I bought it I got a great price for it having a dent in the rear thwart. I really can't say how well it will hold up over years of use. I will definitely not be taking it on my creek bombing runs that I took the old Mad River on. Although it will more than likely withstand some bumps and dings, I am not a paddling expert and from my past experience know that I will hit some rocks. Hahaha, last time I went out on the Mad River my brother in law and I hit a rock so hard we slid off the seats. So, minus the creek runs, by far this canoe is my ultimate fishing vessel. If you are in the market for a highly stable, lightweight, car-toppable boat. The Sportspal will not let you down.

As a bit of a preface, I wanted to get rid of my kayak because I've outgrown it. Too much gear, not enough space or comfort... It was time for an upgrade. I didn't, however, want to break the bank nor did I want to compromise in what I got next. I considered kayaks in the $1k range, but then eventually decided that I could do and get more out of being patient and buying a used canoe to build up myself. (Disclaimer: I'm a lifelong custom metal fabricator with a full shop at my disposal) I ended up finding this 14' OT Sport canoe on Craigslist for $225, snatched it up as fast as I could and started brainstorming. The basic idea was for four ultra-secure rod holders, room for a livewell, custom brackets all over for of my growing cache of gear and that it could support a real, actually comfortable boat seat. The rest of the details I can dial over time, but these were my most basic requirements. This thread will continue to be modified as projects get wrapped up, and I'm really looking forward to getting this beast finished up and out on the water! The first order of business was rod holders. I only use 4 combos on any given day. I have a few more, but these are my 4 horsemen. I wanted to design rod holders that would keep them in front of me and out of the way of my casting, have enough room between them so I wasn't knocking them into each other all the time, keep them super safe and locked in (in case of a rollover), also I wanted the tips below the bow line and make sure they're fully supported and not just bowing out all day in the sun. I also wanted to leave enough room in the middle for a livewell cooler. This is what I came up with after standing on the shoulders of giants (Fishing Rhino, 00 Mod, A-Jay and a few other guys too) and used a few ideas from just about everybody's design and came up with this so far: The bracket itself is made from I believe 11 gauge carbon steel 2" strip, has six 3/16" aluminum rivets on multiple facet reinforcements and all the faces that touch were gobbed to the max with marine epoxy to make sure I have the maximum adhesion humanly possible. The rubber clamps are fastened securely by 1/8" aluminum rivets as well. That's the only piece I've fully completed so far today, but I am loving how it keeps those rod handles locked in nice and tight and it is really easy to use with one hand. The tips will be supported by fixed golf club separator tubes (Thanks Mod 00!) held in place by similar bracketry so they can't fall out, knock into each other or anything else undesirable. Below I've shown how they lock the handles in but the angle is a bit off, as the tip tubes aren't installed yet and they are resting really low so the butts are a bit high. I'd say it's off to a solid start in any case, but what do you guys think? I love hearing peoples' opinions, and the input of others is literally how I came to finalize any of these ideas in my head. The brainstorming power and experience that can be had here is invaluable in putting together a project like this, so thanks to everyone who posted in my other thread, as well as a 'thanks in advance' to anybody who participates here. You guys are the best. I'll do my best to keep working on it & updating as I can! Cheers!! Matt

Looking for other bass anglers in Idaho, Western Oregon, Northern Nevada or Northern Utah that want to get together for some kayak or motorless bass fishing. I am always looking new people to fish with. I fish out of a Hobie Pro Angler 14. If you have a small boat with a trolling motor on it I would be happy to go out and keep up with you that way also. Send me a PM if you ever want to get out and do some fishing. I fish in all types of weather. Jeremy

question... I need some help here guys, I'm in the way to add a double paddle blade for my canoe... actually I have one for solo trips, but the day that I try the paddle for some reason was some water dripping inside the canoe, from the blade in the air at the time of the stroke. The BIG question... is the water dripping inside of the canoe because I have a short paddle or is a normal way with the use of the double blade, for you guys in the kayak the water dripping form the blade by any chance goes in the kayak ?... I need your help guys, do I need a bigger paddle ?....is this a normal routine with the water dripping ? thank you guys, please let me know if I need to add more information to help Me.

My dad and I are thinking about getting 2 kayaks or a canoe for fishing in bugger lakes. Which is better for two people fishing?

We bought a three-person canoe in January and have fished from it several times this year at Lewisville Lake (Pelican Dakota 15.5 ft.). We are keeping it simple -- paddles and no electronics -- the way it was done for millennia. I'm curious -- what do others with canoes, kayaks, or jon boats, do for the livewell situation? Tow a stringer behind the boat? Five-gallon bucket?

1) Anyone know anything abouthe Kay-noe canoe poling platform and casting deck? I've tried contacting the company, but they're extremely unresponsive. It makes me question if I should buy from them if they do decide to answer me. 2) Anyone made their own casting deck and poling platform for a canoe? I was thinking about just sticking a Yeti or Engel in the front for the casting deck. The poling platform is another story though. Thanks, Al

I bought a 15.5 foot Mirrocraft last spring and figured I'd fish some prime smallmouth waters, like Sturgeon Bay in Lake Michigan and the upper Mississippi. I used it once and liked its speed and stability. Stepping onto its deck is like stepping onto the deck anchored to my house. Stepping into my canoe can be tricky and especially if it's a frosty morning and I'm stiffened by sleeping on granite. Nevertheless, I'm selling the big boat because I didn't like fishing that far from the water. I like being close to the fish and the water and most of all, I like that my canoe goes places no big boat can go. I also like how quiet my canoe is and that I don't have to fiddle with gasoline, launch ramps, a motor, and a battery. I fished from Old Town royalex canoes for years for their sturdiness, but as a concession to my 50s, I now fish from kevlar Bell boats. I have a solo and a tandem. Any others who prefer canoes? Of course, I have regrets with my choice of boats. I look at pics of your Lake Erie bass and understand it's unlikely I'll ever catch bass as big as you big water fishers catch, but lawdy, I sure do catch a lot of bass on those lovely, pristine lakes from my little boats.

I am getting ready to adapt a new 15 foot Wenonah Backwater (square back, Royalex) canoe for smallmouth river fishing and canoe comfort. I plan to rig it with front and rear remotely operated anchors, 55# electric trolling motor, oars and removable padded swivel seats. I want to make all these adaptations without undue damage to the canoe. The bass-type seats are my greatest concern. I don't want to add too much weight to the canoe. I want to secure them (7 inch base) to the 6 inch webbing canoe seats without drilling holes. There was a pretty good discussion of bass seats in a canoe on this forum in May 2007, but no photos. I am sure that some well cut pieces of 3/4 inch marine (?) plywood would be of use. Has anyone recently installed bass type removable seats in a canoe recently? I found some good, but pricey, complete seat units on the NuCanoe site. Mike Creel SC