Ksam1234 Posted February 23, 2019 Posted February 23, 2019 I have been fishing out of An old town saranac for few years and looking to upgrade a bit. I was looking st the sportspal 15 ft canoe but haven’t found many reviews. Anyone have one and what do you think? I want to be able to stand on it and have plenty of room for tackle etc.
Brad Reid Posted February 23, 2019 Posted February 23, 2019 I have the Meyers Sportspal S-15 which has a square stern. I bought it from the factory and had them add a third seat "mid-ships area" and I find that to be the optimal point to fish from solo. If I go out tandem with a partner, I give them the bow seat, and I take the back seat. For a paddle, I use a Bending Branches 280 cm length double blade. It works great for getting the S-15 up to top speed. One other trick is to bring along a simple folding lawn chair, aluminum and nylon webbing, not one with 4 pointy legs but with "blade" legs. These chairs are the ones that fold up flat. I position mine over the center seat wedged between that and the thwart bar. To say this seat is comfortable compared to any of my kayaks is an understatement. If you spend any time, long days on the water, you will appreciate having a seat with a back, sitting a bit higher making getting up and down rather easy. If you need a lower profile to cover water paddling, simply stand up fold up the chair and put it behind you. Stability? It is far better than any kayak I know of excepting the new catamaran styles. But, compared to a Big Rig or a Hobie PA 14, it is far beyond that level of stability. I was on a very windy lake on a very windy day and was fishing with a kayaker. I told him I was going to head over to an island, did so using my attached trolling motor and standing as I crossed the lake. Big wind and chop and I felt totally confident. From my current boathouse where my canoe stays all the time now, I often paddle it while standing about a mile to the boat launch area, then back. I sit down to tie on things, maybe take a break. And, last year, I fished Lake Naconiche in east Texas and both me (250+ lbs.) and my nephew, Lucas, (160 lbs.) stood and fished at the same time. Not a wiggle. In this regard, the standability issue, it is much more so than a SUP, a stand-up paddle board. I'd go square stern (S-13 or S-15) over pointed (S-14 or S-16) in the event you ever want to power up and put a small outboard motor on your canoe at times. If I were to do so, I'd go as small as possible, so a 2 or 2.5 HP, even though the S-15 is rated for up to 5. Paddle, trolling motor, small outboard, "floats in wet grass" as they say, Very heavy loading (I have had 550 lbs. in mine - - - two big men), well constructed and should last a lifetime. Some pics. Note the chair in the one, my paddle in the other. I can paddle right through heavy vegetation where most kayaks sort of bog down. Brad Tandem with Louise sitting up front and snapping a selfie with me in the background. Another with me seated, sitting high and comfortable. I can drop and anchor and for some presentations, say drop shotting and other finesses presentations, just sit and really fish slow. Brad 3
Ksam1234 Posted February 23, 2019 Author Posted February 23, 2019 Well thank you! @Brad Reid that was very in depth ! It sounds like that is the perfect canoe for me. I was looking for something a little more stable and something I could put a trolling motor on. It seems there is plenty of space for tackle and everything else to.
Brad Reid Posted February 25, 2019 Posted February 25, 2019 On 2/23/2019 at 8:02 AM, Ksam1234 said: Well thank you! @Brad Reid that was very in depth ! It sounds like that is the perfect canoe for me. I was looking for something a little more stable and something I could put a trolling motor on. It seems there is plenty of space for tackle and everything else to. K-sam, Gosh, you can take out more than you will ever want to pack. I go out with as little as one rod when I am just out for a few hours. And, I carry that folding chair often. They weigh next to nothing but for longer days on the water, most people find it more comfortable to have a seat with a back support. Just a big styrofoam ice chest is great for carrying out food, water, supplies. A good anchoring system always helps with canoes if you fish in wind or current. Brad 1
Alex Bishop Posted June 13, 2019 Posted June 13, 2019 I am waiting for Meyers to receive more aluminum in order to purchase an S-15. I would like to run a trolling motor with the battery in the bow if possible. Any estimate on the cavity dimensions? Trying to determine how much battery I can purchase. I called Meyers today and to be honest the gentleman I spoke to was not very helpful. Maybe he is just not good with measurements?
mdkelley Posted June 16, 2019 Posted June 16, 2019 I absolutely love my sportspal s13 for a lightweight, easy to launch option vs. my fishing boat that requires a trailer and deeper water to launch. I have used it for fishing small lakes, hunting and floating rivers salmon fishing here in Michigan. I don't duck hunt these days but it would be great for that as well. I considered both the 13 and 15 and went with the 13 since I usually fish alone and I figured the extra 10 lbs. weight savings would allow me to use this boat when I get old and not as strong or mobile. Looking back, I doubt the 10 lbs would make much of a difference but the two extra feet of room would be nice when I have a passenger or want a large cooler along. The 13 really works great for my needs though and is a bit easier to transport and maneuver. I bought it in 2015 and picked it up at the factory since I am about an hour north of Adrian, MI. I often stand up to fish and run the trolling motor while standing, the boat is very stable. You can take more tackle and rods than you would likely use in an outing, or enough camping and fishing equipment for a week long trip if you wanted. I use small collapsible anchors when it is windy, the boat blows around quite a bit in any wind. My canoe does not paddle well so I almost always use a motor. I use a 30lb. thrust and it works well. I have been wanting to try a double end paddle as I hear that works well with this canoe but have not tried it yet. I have rowed the boat but don't have a proper middle seat and with the oar locks so narrow it didn't work the best with 6' oars while sitting on the floor. I think some kind of bolt on yoke or outriggers with oar locks moved out another foot on each side would work much better than the factory ones. I have poled the boat through some really shallow marshy areas where you couldn't paddle or motor for getting to some remote deer hunting spots. It is light enough and has low drag so it actually worked pretty well for that. It is kind of hard to measure since the floor is curved and sides taper in. You can fit one group 24 or one group 27 battery in the front footwell area, but the front passenger would not be able to extend their feet into the compartment to stretch out. I just went out and tested mine with both a 24 and 27 battery. The 27 ends about flush with the top plate of the front, the 24 sits about 3" up in toward the front. I run mine with a group 27 battery behind the front seat in the middle and that works great, don't have to run the wires up into the front and doesn't interfere with the front passenger if I have one at the time. The canoe balances out well that way too. From what I remember, putting a battery way up front in the narrow part made the boat seem more tippy vs. running one behind the front seat, oriented lengthwise. I have the s13 so it is a little bit shorter than the s15 but I think the extra length is in the middle, the front and rear areas look to be the same dimensions. group 24: Group 27: I run mine behind the seat in front of the thwart like this: You could fit two side by side if you need that much juice: About 3" of clearance under thwart:
Brad Reid Posted June 17, 2019 Posted June 17, 2019 On 6/13/2019 at 4:25 PM, Alex Bishop said: I am waiting for Meyers to receive more aluminum in order to purchase an S-15. I would like to run a trolling motor with the battery in the bow if possible. Any estimate on the cavity dimensions? Trying to determine how much battery I can purchase. I called Meyers today and to be honest the gentleman I spoke to was not very helpful. Maybe he is just not good with measurements? Alex, I see you have a photo to go by that shows a rather standard sized battery will fit in the open bow area. An S-15, of course has the square stern and it is ready to accept a TM . . . just bolt it on and away you go. What I did to balance my canoe is I extended the wires on my TM so that I can run the TM off the stern, then keep my 55 lbs. battery much farther forward. And, I have a third bench installed from the factory so I sit sort of in the middle of my canoe. I must say that my S-15 paddles very well, faster than my old Jackson Big Rig. This, though, only if out in no to low winds. If it is windy, because of a canoe's high profile, it is tougher. There are tactics, of course, to cut through heavy winds. And, I use a 280cm Bending Branches double bladed paddle and it works great. Show us some photos when you get it rigged up! Cheers! Brad
Alex Bishop Posted June 30, 2019 Posted June 30, 2019 Mdkelly - thank you so much for taking the time to provide such a detailed response. That is exactly what I was trying to envision, but had no realistic way to measure. The information you provided allowed me to confidently have a wiring rig made up to install once I receive my sportspal. I've been renting Jon boats to fish our local lakes here in North Carolina. Although the fishing has been good, the boat experience has been cumbersome. I'm looking forward to having my own vessel to be able to launch nearly anywhere. Brad - I want to thank you for taking the time to respond to my question. I found your previous comments while researching sportspal canoes. I've never seen one in person as there are none around here in NC(it's going to be cool to have the only one, at least initially!). After a couple of weeks reading everything I could find your comments really sealed the deal for me. I'm also a larger fellow (240lbs) and will fish with my wife or friends, so the example of you and your nephew was extremely helpful. I'm excited as I should be receiving my sportspal soon. I'll share some pictures once I have it all set up. Thanks again!
Brad Reid Posted June 30, 2019 Posted June 30, 2019 1 hour ago, Alex Bishop said: Mdkelly - thank you so much for taking the time to provide such a detailed response. That is exactly what I was trying to envision, but had no realistic way to measure. The information you provided allowed me to confidently have a wiring rig made up to install once I receive my sportspal. I've been renting Jon boats to fish our local lakes here in North Carolina. Although the fishing has been good, the boat experience has been cumbersome. I'm looking forward to having my own vessel to be able to launch nearly anywhere. Brad - I want to thank you for taking the time to respond to my question. I found your previous comments while researching sportspal canoes. I've never seen one in person as there are none around here in NC(it's going to be cool to have the only one, at least initially!). After a couple of weeks reading everything I could find your comments really sealed the deal for me. I'm also a larger fellow (240lbs) and will fish with my wife or friends, so the example of you and your nephew was extremely helpful. I'm excited as I should be receiving my sportspal soon. I'll share some pictures once I have it all set up. Thanks again! I can't recall if I mentioned that my source for info back when I bought mine in 2015 was Carl on KeepinItReelFishing. I've attached his old review below. Under the comment section, you can see a response or two from me to him. Once you get your canoe, you might refer to Carl's video for some rigging ideas. He chose a canoe knowing that he'd often need to port it to the water for some distance to the sorts of lakes he fishes. Too, if you watch his various videos, Carl is often fishing tandem with a buddy and they both stand at the same time. Worth a viewing, for sure. Brad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsPLpOHgCoU&t=1076s
Super User Further North Posted July 27, 2019 Super User Posted July 27, 2019 @Brad Reid If you had the opportunity to start from scratch, what pound thrust trolling motor would you go with?
Brad Reid Posted July 27, 2019 Posted July 27, 2019 9 hours ago, Further North said: @Brad Reid If you had the opportunity to start from scratch, what pound thrust trolling motor would you go with? I have a 55 lbs. thrust TM and it works very well. But, as we all know here, a canoe or kayak under power is sort of like pushing a mattress across a lake. Hull speed limitations are firmly in control. Even a 30 lbs. thrust TM gets the job done well and I'd likely suggest choosing running time over top-end speed considerations. There are other considerations for sure. Carl, for example from the video? I believe he wanted a bit more power to punch through weeds better. And, if you go a bit toward the stronger thrusts, you can still run it at 50% or so of power most of the time, then have a tiny bit better top end speed in cases where you might need it. Say, you want to cross the mouth of a wide cove on a lake where there is a lot of boat traffic. It helps to make crossings a bit faster when you have a clear run to get across. *** Something else about an S15. It paddles a heck of a lot faster than my Jackson Big Rig ever did. This assumes no really heavy wind since an S-15 has high sides and catches wind like a sail. I have never measured my speed but on flat water coming home toward dusk back to my boat house, I think my speed is at least an average walking speed. So, 3.1 mph. This is with a 280 cm. double bladed paddle. And, it glides very well across the water since it has such a flat bottom and rides more on top of the water than heavier kayaks do. When you do encounter strong headwinds, a zig zag pattern really works well. Brad
Super User Further North Posted July 28, 2019 Super User Posted July 28, 2019 @Brad Reid Thanks, great advice! Here's the background: I bought a used S-14 a couple weeks back, it's got a motor mount, the off-center center seat and, of course the paddle lock holders...paddle locks arrived yesterday. I've got an 18 1/2 ft Crestliner CMV for bigger lakes and rivers, so the Sportspal will be the small lake and shallow river rig. I've got an older Endura 30#, but I'm concerned that it won't have enough thrust to deal with river current on the Chippewa, Flambeau, St. Croix, etc. when they are moving fast due to high water (like all season, this year). I also see the value, with a Grass Ninja, for blasting though heavy weeds with a motor with more thrust. I'm a firm believer of going big on trolling motors, because as you mentioned, I can run them at reduced thrust when I don't need it, saving battery life and not stressing the TM...but it's got the snot I need when I need it. 1
Super User Further North Posted July 29, 2019 Super User Posted July 29, 2019 (edited) @Brad Reid I'm pondering bumping up to 24 volt, wondering if 55# thrust will be enough for the rivers... Your thoughts? Considering the 2.3 HP 4-stroke gas motors too. Lighter than a 55# and a battery. Edited July 29, 2019 by Further North Non possum typus, OK? Si tibi molestum vocant qui curat.
Brad Reid Posted July 29, 2019 Posted July 29, 2019 3 minutes ago, Further North said: @Brad Reid I'm pondering bumping up to 24 volt, wondering if 55# thrust will be enough for the rivers... Your thoughts? Considering the 2.3 HP 4-stroke gas motors too. Lighter than a 55# and a battery. Hmm? If you had the square stern (S-15, S-13, S-11), then you could mount a small gas motor. I think with an S-14 I might borrow one to see if having it mounted off center is okay. Yep! You start getting big on the TM and a big battery and there is the loading issue, getting down to the water on some rivers. Issues. The ideal set-up? If the Lehr that runs on the camping propane bottles was reliable, you could carry plenty of those little green bottles and power a canoe for days. Tohatsu has one, too. It is more reliable (fuel regulator) but is only available down to a 5 HP. Brad
Super User Further North Posted July 29, 2019 Super User Posted July 29, 2019 @Brad Reid I'll look them up, thanks! I looked at the 2.3 Merc 4-stroke. They're 38 lbs, empty...much less than a 55# + battery, and 24 volt wouldn't even be close...but as you say, it's off center, a bit. ...but from what I've seen, I'm wondering if these canoes aren't stable enough to offset that? Hard to borrow a $900 motor.
Brad Reid Posted July 29, 2019 Posted July 29, 2019 1 minute ago, Further North said: @Brad Reid I'll look them up, thanks! I looked at the 2.3 Merc 4-stroke. They're 38 lbs, empty...much less than a 55# + battery, and 24 volt wouldn't even be close...but as you say, it's off center, a bit. ...but from what I've seen, I'm wondering if these canoes aren't stable enough to offset that? Hard to borrow a $900 motor. For sure on the stability. Should be no issue. You might want to load some gear forward and opposite side to make it perfect. I think some of the 2s are down to 29 lbs. And, some can be bought, last I looked, for around $700. Honda's is air cooled as I recall but it has some odd feature where when you start it, it isn't in a true neutral but lurches along at low throttle. I'm not certain that would be ideal for a canoe. Tohatsu has a strong rep. I think there are 5 or so big manufacturers in the 2 to 2.5 range. I'd avoid anything bigger. Brad
Super User Further North Posted July 29, 2019 Super User Posted July 29, 2019 @Brad Reid That's where I'm headed now, and I think your spot on with 2 - 2.5 HP. There were several older outboards with that lack of a true neutral...started in gear..."feature". More than one fisherman ended up in the water using them. I chase musky up here until I can't launch because of ice. Ending up in the water then is a killer...literally. I'm not taking that chance. Tohatsu does indeed cut off at 5HP and 55 lbs. Overkill, methinks.
Brad Reid Posted July 29, 2019 Posted July 29, 2019 If someone would perfect the 16 oz. Propane canister approach, make a 1 HP outboard, bring it in at < 20 lbs, < $700, what a winner that'd be for kayaks and canoes! It'd weigh less than a TM, less than a battery, for sure the two of them. You could grab 3 or so of those camping size Propane canisters and cruise up and down rivers for days on end. Brad
Super User Further North Posted July 29, 2019 Super User Posted July 29, 2019 29 minutes ago, Brad Reid said: If someone would perfect the 16 oz. Propane canister approach, make a 1 HP outboard, bring it in at < 20 lbs, < $700, what a winner that'd be for kayaks and canoes! It'd weigh less than a TM, less than a battery, for sure the two of them. You could grab 3 or so of those camping size Propane canisters and cruise up and down rivers for days on end. Brad Yep. But terribly small market, so we need to adapt... I'm lucky to be in a place where I can afford a big water boat, and a small water/river boat/canoe/whatever...and to be in a place where I can afford to experiment. I don't have to get it right the first time, which means I'll wind up in a better place, down the road (river?). You've helped shine the the light on some possibilities the look fun to try, we'll see where they take us. It'll be a fun journey. Keep kicking in your experience, I appreciate it! 1
GeekOutdoors Posted July 29, 2019 Posted July 29, 2019 Do they still make the sportspals in "transom" ?
Super User Further North Posted July 29, 2019 Super User Posted July 29, 2019 2 hours ago, GeekFisher said: Do they still make the sportspals in "transom" ? They do. The "odd length" models (S-11, S-13, and S-15) are squared off in back. The "even length" models (S-12, S-14, and S-16) are traditional on both ends. They can be configured with a motor mount off to the side. The X-13 has a full width transom (Looks like an S-16 cut down) for a motor. With a canoe, I'm not sure I don't like the offset mount better, most of the time. You have to sit centered back there, so not having the motor directly behind you is a good thing, IMO. It also makes it easier to lean over and tilt it out, or adjust depth rather than having to twist/turn around. The X-13 might make that easier, with a wider transom, but I wasn't lucky enough to find one of those.
Super User Goose52 Posted July 30, 2019 Super User Posted July 30, 2019 22 hours ago, Further North said: ......... With a canoe, I'm not sure I don't like the offset mount better, most of the time. You have to sit centered back there, so not having the motor directly behind you is a good thing, IMO. It also makes it easier to lean over and tilt it out, or adjust depth rather than having to twist/turn around......... For those reading this thread, that is an excellent point for prospective canoe purchasers to consider if they are thinking about motoring their boat. I briefly considered getting a square-stern boat because I knew for certain that I was going to motor the boat 99.5% of the time. However, as mentioned above, the stern-mounted TM or gas engine limits your seating position to the rear seat, and it is difficult to steer with the tiller directly behind you and also difficult or not possible to tilt the motor when getting in skinny water or to clear weeds from the prop. After thinking everything through, I opted for a double-ended boat, with a side-mount for the TM (which is actually part of a crossbar that also accommodates the outriggers, rod holders, and anchor lock). This gave me the option of moving the motor to where I would be sitting (rear seat facing forward or front seat facing aft), it puts the tiller right next to my right elbow, and allows me to easily tilt the motor. The only down side is the off-center thrust (just add some steering correction) and off-center weight (sit or stand a little bit to the opposite side of the boat. The first photo below shows the mounting. The second photo shows how close/convenient the motor is to my standing position (I stand 100% of the time to fish). Lots to think about when considering the desired boat configuration and how to rig it...
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