Kayak Or Canoe??

[Goose52]

Hi guys I have a question. If you had to choose between a sit in fishing kayak or a fishing canoe which one would you choose??

Really, only you can answer that question. Some types of small watercraft (canoes, kayaks, bass raiders, float tubes, pontoons, inflatables, etc.) are perfect for some people. No one type of small watercraft is perfect for all people. In selecting whether you want to get a canoe or a kayak, you need to make a list of your needs, and then determine which craft is the better fit for you. Some of the factors to consider:

• Stabililty and standing capability (moving around, landing fish, another person or kids or dogs in the boat, standing to fish, etc.)
  
• Cargo/gear storage (how much stuff do you want to take)
  
• Inboard storage & handling (canoe) versus handling things in your lap or over the water (yak)
  
• Seating position (usually, but not always more upright seating in a canoe vs. legs-out in yak - have back problems?)
  
• Vessel weight (how much can you lift/transport)
  
• Transportability - to the water and possible portaging (do you have a truck, trailer, going to car-top, need to portage, etc.)
  
• Ease of paddling
  
• Will you want the capability to motor it?
  
• Manueverability
  
• Type of water (lakes, streams, white water, etc.)
  
• Number of people in the craft
  
• Stay mostly dry or don't mind getting a bit wet
  
• Length of voyage (couple hours or a couple days)
  
• Etc.
  

Once you answer those questions based on your own capabilities and needs, you'll come closer to chosing either a canoe, a yak, or a hybrid. All are great watercraft in their own ways, you just have to find the best fit for YOU.

I faced the same decision as you are tying to make now but I was open to all types of small watercraft from float tubes up to bass boats. The best solution for ME, was a heavily accessorized canoe. I only fish my local, small (1.5 to 201 acres), no-wake lakes. Some of these lakes don't have boat ramps. I needed something car-topable without a special rack, modular, very light weight, with as much capability as possible. I wanted stability so I could stand and fish all day, lots of inboard storage, motorized, and little to no maintenance. I didn't want to have to buy a truck or other tow vehicle, I didn't want to consume a garage bay or driveway space with a boat and trailer, didn't want high expense and high maintenance, and didn't want to use gasoline power. Taking everything into account, I ended up with a canoe, trolling motor, and outriggers for stability.

[Jim McC]

Here's another possibility. You can stand in it. I have. That means just about anyone can. Plenty of room for gear, and very stable, though it is possible to fall out of it without shipping water. Don't ask how I know. It is heavy at 118 pounds, but 44 inches wide.

http://www.dicksspor...ductId=12634053

I was looking at this on Dicks' website, but it doesn't give much info. Is the floor flat? What do you think of the build quality? How did you mount the seats? That's pretty similiar to the Old Town Predator SS150, but MUCH cheaper. Thanks

[Fishing Rhino]

I was looking at this on Dicks' website, but it doesn't give much info. Is the floor flat? What do you think of the build quality? How did you mount the seats? That's pretty similiar to the Old Town Predator SS150, but MUCH cheaper. Thanks

I got the seats and swivel mounts at BPS. The swivels are mounted on 1/2" plywood that is the width of the seats and long enough to nearly reach the sides of the canoe. They are secured to the existing seats with ratchet straps. You may need to shim up the front or back edge to suit your own comfort. I used 1 1/4" square stock the length of the plywood and fasted it with screws. If you look at the photo carefully, you can see the ratchet straps at the end of each plywood panel.

I use the birch plywood that has thin layers. You can find it at Home Depot and probably Lowes. The Depot carries it in 2 foot by 4 foot pieces. It is more stable than the typical 1/2 inch plywood with fewer plies. It does not have voids in the inner layers, so it will hold screws well. Other types, except for marine plywood, is likely to have voids where knots fell out, and those areas with voids cannot dependably hold screws. It is called Baltic birch.

The build quality is what you would expect in a cheap boat. The hull is formed from a single piece of plastic, and the boat is quite "flexible". The seats add some stiffness. But it's a case of you get what you pay for. My thought is that it's good value for the money. Mine is four years old, and still functioning. At the moment that means it cost me 125 dollars per year. At the end of five years, it will work out to 100 dollars per year.

For the sake of discussion, let's say I sell it at the end of this year for 200 dollars, that will mean it cost me 60 dollars per year for fishing. How can you beat that?

[Goose52]

My thought is that it's good value for the money. Mine is four years old, and still functioning. At the moment that means it cost me 125 dollars per year. At the end of five years, it will work out to 100 dollars per year.

For the sake of discussion, let's say I sell it at the end of this year for 200 dollars, that will mean it cost me 60 dollars per year for fishing. How can you beat that?

I love value-based logic!

[A-Jay]

I've been fishing from the Old Town Predator square back for 5 seasons now - love it.

Suits my needs well.

Very Stable and holds a lot gear, more with some modifications.

A-Jay

[Fishing Rhino]

I've been fishing from the Old Town Predator square back for 5 seasons now - love it.

Suits my needs well.

Very Stable and holds a lot gear, more with some modifications.

A-Jay

http://www.bassresou...attach_id=19745

I'm pretty sure this canoe is the same as mine, that I got from Dick's. It says Old Town on each side at the stern, and the paperwork says Johnson's Canoe by Old Town. (Not the canoe in my avatar, which I also bought on sale at Dick's)

I was just looking at the photo of your canoe again. You've got more stuff in there than I have in my Z-8. Do you need a giant shoehorn to wedge yourself in between all that gear?

[rb56]

Okay another thing is I will be fishing sometimes with friends but at other times buy my self is there a canoe for under 400 that can do that???

i don't know if you have an academy sports near you, mostly in texas i think. they have a website though and i went with their pelican 15.5 canoe after looking at kayaks. both were new to me having had fishing boats, bass boats, i was looking for something to just paddle along the shore with to fish. i saw the pelican and at $279 when i bought it, it's the best price on the net compared at some sites for $600 +. i went with the canoe because of others with me at times. i've added a trolling motor, a depthfinder, anchor locks and i know there are better boats out there but for the money, this does what i want.

http://www.academy.c..._-1?N=670789616

[Michael DiNardo]

Depends on what you are wanting to do. If you like day trips where you'll just be hauling your fishing equipment and maybe a small cooler for water/soda/beer a kayak is great. But if you are wanting to do 2-3 day trips a solo cano can't be beat. They hold a lot of stuff and can be paddled with a kayak paddle if you so wish...

Kayaks tend to be slightly cheaper than canoes also...

Where are you shopping and what canoes and kayaks are you comparing? I find this to be just the opposite.

Mike

[moguy1973]

Where are you shopping and what canoes and kayaks are you comparing? I find this to be just the opposite.

As with most things prices vary for everything...

There are a lot of high quality canoes such at Wenonah's that cost well over $1000 for a 14' solo canoe, but then again there are 12' Old town Disco's that cost around $600. Same with kayaks though, there are 12' sit on tops like the BPS Ascends that cost around $500, or you can get Jackson's that cost $1000 or more...

Generally speaking though from what I've seen kayaks tend to cost less than canoes...

[A-Jay]

I was just looking at the photo of your canoe again. You've got more stuff in there than I have in my Z-8. Do you need a giant shoehorn to wedge yourself in between all that gear?

Yes ~ but I think you've got me there with the 30 count rod rack.

A-Jay

[Fishing Rhino]

Yes ~ but I think you've got me there with the 30 count rod rack.

A-Jay

It's only nine in the canoe in my avatar. I have a similar bolt on rack for my wider, square stern canoe that holds eleven. The avatar canoe would have been better with a rod or two less. They are a bit jammed together. Eleven works fine in the larger, wider canoe.

Those were designed when I had just gotten back into fishing. Now, four years later, I only take three or four rods with me, and that's all I carry on the deck of my Z-8, when I'm fishing my "home waters". When I go somewhere unfamiliar, I'll up that by one to three rods, with different baits.

If I fished tournaments, where time is of the essence, and I knew what I was likely to be fishing, I'd have two or three rods at the ready, rigged alike to save the few minutes it would take should it be necessary to retie.

[A-Jay]

It's only nine in the canoe in my avatar. I have a similar bolt on rack for my wider, square stern canoe that holds eleven. The avatar canoe would have been better with a rod or two less. They are a bit jammed together. Eleven works fine in the larger, wider canoe.

Those were designed when I had just gotten back into fishing. Now, four years later, I only take three or four rods with me, and that's all I carry on the deck of my Z-8, when I'm fishing my "home waters". When I go somewhere unfamiliar, I'll up that by one to three rods, with different baits.

If I fished tournaments, where time is of the essence, and I knew what I was likely to be fishing, I'd have two or three rods at the ready, rigged alike to save the few minutes it would take should it be necessary to retie.

I hear ya - I'm fishing 9 out of the rack I built into Old Ttown and I like having multiple rigs at the ready.

A-Jay

[Goose52]

4 to 6 rods for me...the back of my canoe looks like a porcupine with only that many....

[Fishing Rhino]

4 to 6 rods for me...the back of my canoe looks like a porcupine with only that many....

That brings up a memory. In my lobstering days, this time of year we were fishing on Cox Ledge, and the dropoff at its south edge. Party boats from Montauk and Point Judith would take their charters there to fish for cod. Some of these were big boats, 80 feet or more. Fishermen lined up side by side along both gunnels. We nicknamed them the Porcupine Boats because of all the rods dangling over the sides of them.

[NMarotta28]

I prefer a stand on top kayak

How much did you pay all together for this beauty... Man i'de love one of those. Anything beats off the shore fishing

[J Francho]

Around $1200.

[Jim McC]

Here's another possibility. You can stand in it. I have. That means just about anyone can. Plenty of room for gear, and very stable, though it is possible to fall out of it without shipping water. Don't ask how I know. It is heavy at 118 pounds, but 44 inches wide.

http://www.dicksspor...ductId=12634053

I recently saw this canoe at Dick's, but I didn't like the fact that the bottom was not flat. It's what they call shallow arch, correct? Is there much difference in stability in this hull and a flat hull like the Scanoe at Dick's? Thanks.

[Fishing Rhino]

I'm not sure that "shallow arch" is a design feature. There is no reason I can think of to have a "hook" in the keel. It has a plastic tube in the keel which I would assume is to stiffen the keel so it does not belly up or down in the middle. In spite of that, the canoe is comfortable, and can take a pretty nasty chop head on. To me, it's a cosmetic thing more than a structural weakness.

There is one possibility for that shallow arch. With the bow and stern deeper in the water than they would be were the keel straight, the boat will hold a course better, and will not have the tendency for a breeze to spin it like a saucer. The canoe in my avatar has a straight bottom with no keel. The wind raises holy heck with it, especially gusty swirling winds. I've had it anchored and the wind has literally swung it around the anchor in shallow water.

The square stern is much nicer to fish from. It's the same length, but more stable, and has more room for gear. Nothing wrong with the paddlin' canoe. It's just different.

[Jim McC]

Thanks Tom. This is the canoe you have, correct? http://www.dicksspor...4413993.4417832. This is one I'm considering, but I'm wondering about the stability. How would you describe the stability, sitting and standing? I would use a trolling motor with it and trailer it. Is there a bow eye on front to attach to trailer strap? Thanks.

[Nashua Nev]

canoe for me, but i have both. i have pulled my canoe 3/4 of a mile thru the woods i keep the wheels on if it is not too weedy. and pop them off it is weedy.

i can stretch and stand up in the canoe or have room for another person.

my kayak is only about 35 lbs so i can throw it on my shoulder but i find my shoulders hurt after an hour or so of fishing from having to hold them up higher. i also feel i see the waters surface better from the canoe as i and the canoe sit so much higher up above the water.

this is my canoe when i fish alone.

temp and depth finder, anchor ,paddles , padded seat troller and battery , lots of room for stuff including 5 rods (i buy a new cheap one every year when they go on clearance) spinner , crank , rage craw, zara spook or black jitterbug , top water weedless white mouse are usually what i have on . , also the net for big pickerel or pike, i dont use the net for bass

[Fishing Rhino]

That is the canoe I have. It is quite stable. I can stand and cast without any problem of it feeling uncomfortable. Having tried it, I still do most of my fishing while seated.

[Jim McC]

That is the canoe I have. It is quite stable. I can stand and cast without any problem of it feeling uncomfortable. Having tried it, I still do most of my fishing while seated.

Thanks Tom. I'm sending you a PM.

[rb56]

Okay another thing is I will be fishing sometimes with friends but at other times buy my self is there a canoe for under 400 that can do that???

i have this pelican 15.5 and usually am alone and have had my brother go and i love it. i also have an 80 pound hound so he can go too. the canoe is not top of the line or one of the best. it is well made, a few things came up but nothing major. i added a transom and a minn kota, it came with a kayak paddle and it will scoot. i'm in the process of adding a dash now that is removable. it weighs about 70 lbs. and i load mine on a rack on my pickup. i don't know how academy sells it at this price, look else

where and it's at least $400 plus.

http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_242901_-1?N=670789616