Sportspal 14' vs Wenonah Fisherman 14' canoe

[Jonathan Dupree]

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. 

[Goose52]

As the old saying goes - "you pays your money and you takes your choice"...    It's hard to directly compare two items with one twice the price of the other, but:

 

The Wenonah is an outstanding brand of canoe that has been at the top of the game for a long time. The Fisherman model has a nice wide beam, will be stable (for a canoe), will probably paddle better than the Sportspal, and as you said, is lighter in even it's heaviest construction material (Tuf-weave Flex-Core).

 

The Sportspal is probably equally as stable as the Wenonah, will probably not paddle as well, and is heavier, but is HALF the price.

 

Both canoes probably have about the same room, about the same weight capacity, and will both seat two people. So, it basically comes down to what you want to spend and how much value you place on the lighter weight (like if you are car-topping or portaging). The only other thing I can think off off-hand is the construction material - some folks prefer aluminum over other materials if they fish in water with rock hazards (and that might not apply to your water).

 

You could get the Radisson 14' canoe (similar to the Sportspal but made of REALLY thin gauge aluminum) and get the weight down to a manufacturer's stated 41 pounds and still be half the price of the Wenonah. The Sportspal is a better constructed boat than the Radisson - but you pay a 17 pound weight penalty for that thicker aluminum.

 

For me, I fish out of a 12' Radisson right now and if I ever wear it out, the Wenonah Fisherman in kevlar is one of only two candidates I have in mind for a replacement. Wenonah makes great boats, but Sportspals are good too.

 

You pays your money and you takes your choice !

[Papabeepbeep]

Interesting post as I am going through precisely the same evaluation. I really like the 14' Sportspal for accessing the local reservoirs and rivers which have plenty of tree stumps but few rocks . Keepingitreel's YouTube videos showing off the canoe have greatly impressed me. . I also plan to use a Minnkota trolling motor on it.  Weight and stability are two critical factors for me. Price is also key. I love the Wenonah but find it hard to justify the much higher price tag.

[Jonathan Dupree]

I only hesitated because I heard there were quality issues with the sportspal 

[Papabeepbeep]

I've not heard of any problems with the Sportspal. Would you have any specifics as to the quality issues? If there are problems with it, I will fork over the extra cash and go Wenonah.  

 

Thanks.

[ClackerBuzz]

Are you spending the money on an lightweight canoe so you can easily car top it? if so my next question is: do you have a yard or driveway to keep a small trailer?  if so I would forget car topping:  buy an indestructible $300-500 polyethylene canoe like coleman or old town and spend the extra money on a trailer.  i fished from a 14' Radisson for 3 seasons and it was fragile.  i know what ur thinking: no problem, i'm very careful, and i don't fish rivers i.e. no rocks.  but bad things still happen in lakes, roads, launching, docking etc.  plus strapping mine too tight to the roof of my car would even compromise the seams and rivets.  even more bad news:  the bad design means the seam is located under a welded tracking bar.  tearing out the foam interior and paying an aluminum welder is far too much time and money. expensive fiberglass/ polyester blends will have their own inherent problems.

 

are you attaching a trolling motor?  if ur paddling only why not consider a lightweight kayak?

[Papabeepbeep]

If I had space to keep a trailer I probably wouldn't consider the Sportspal and would go with the Old Town or something similar. Unfortunately, that's not the case, and whatever I purchase has to go on top of my vehicle. I'm also taking into account I'm in my mid-60s and want to use whichever canoe I purchase to fish with during my retirement years. I will be attaching a trolling motor and kayaks do not appeal to me.

My understanding is the Sportspal is heavier gauge aluminum than the Raddison and has superior construction. That said, there is considerable food for thought presented in this thread. I'm not 100% sold on the Sportspal and am still researching but I've yet to come across any negative reviews or discussions of problems with the American made craft so far.  

[Jonathan Dupree]

I have a truck with a t bar type rack attached. I used to fish out of a wilderness systems 160 then a KC Kayak. I would like to have the ability to bring my dog, wife, and or friend when I go fishing. 

 

I want to be able to bring more gear for a paddle/camping/fishing trip. 

 

The Wenonah is light. Made of Kevlar. I'm assuming it's pretty tough as well but I'm assuming. 

 

I have heard the sportspal isn't sturdy in terms of hitting a stump etc. 

 

i did heavily consider a native ultimate propel but still leaning more towards canoe. 

[J Francho]

I have not paddled a Wenonah, but I have paddled several Swift canoes and kayak, which are similar, in that they are both hand laid, Kevlar hull, with excellent hull design.  David Yost is a local here, and most hull designs were either his, or adapted from his.  The Wenonah is a superior product, and very well supported up here.  If I had the budget, that would be mt choice of the two.  Kevlar boats seem less durable because of the weight, but I can assure you, they are much stronger.

[RPreeb]

While a Kevlar canoe would be great, for me the price is prohibitive.  At more than 2 times the price of an Old Town 3 layer poly (used to be called Royalex - don't know if it's still the same material or just similar), I have to go with the heavier but much less costly one.  If I was planning on doing some serious tripping involving portaging, then I'd shell out for the Kevlar, but not just for a fishing canoe.

 

I had an Old Town Pathfinder back in the '80s, and I can till you that it was tough as nails.  You could run it up on rocks and all it ever did was just leave cosmetic scars, never had any deep scratches or gouges - certainly nothing that threatened it's seaworthiness.  

 

Getting a canoe on top of a vehicle isn't all that difficult if you have a good roof rack (I would recommend Yakima or Thule), even one that's pushing 100 pounds.  Get one end up, then slide the boat up on top and strap it down.  I'm 70, and I'm not particularly concerned about loading or unloading a canoe from on top of my F-150 Supercrew 4x4.

[Jonathan Dupree]

I am going with the Wenonah thanks for all the input.