Kayak vs Canoe

[Hook2Jaw]

14 minutes ago, Swamp Yankee said:

I doubt you can go any skinnier than my favorite bass boat.

 

 

I should be more clear in my wording. Honestly, I was imagining what might happen if you pedaled over something unseen.

 

I knew there were ways to run in water too shallow for pedaling, given you knew you were heading into such conditions, but I worried what might happen to the rig if you hit some unseen obstruction under water. If you were going fast, I imagine you could mess those fins up pretty badly.

 

Hobie’s design change for kick up fins seems to address that.

 

Oh.  I don't have kick up fins but I've bent the stainless fin masts back straight with vices, and in a pinch, stuck them in my hitch reciever and done it by hand.  Hobie is pretty genius with their design, the masts that add support to the fins are designed to bend rather than break and to do so before they thread into the mast recievers.

 

As far as the propeller drive pedal kayaks, like the Native Watercraft offerings, they have a shear pin installed to break and allow the drive to kick up upon impact.  Those shear pins cost about a dollar.

[Swamp Yankee]

1 minute ago, Hook2Jaw said:

Oh.  I don't have kick up fins but I've bent the stainless fin masts back straight with vices, and in a pinch, stuck them in my hitch reciever and done it by hand.  Hobie is pretty genius with their design, the masts that add support to the fins are designed to bend rather than break and to do so before they thread into the mast recievers.

Good to know they’re easy to repair.

Can your fins bend badly enough so that you can’t hoist the drive assembly out of its well while you’re on the water?

[Hook2Jaw]

53 minutes ago, Swamp Yankee said:

Good to know they’re easy to repair.

Can your fins bend badly enough so that you can’t hoist the drive assembly out of its well while you’re on the water?

I've never heard of such an issue.  Normally impacts slow your kayak enough so they don't bend too terribly, if at all.

 

If they were to bend that much, the slot is very spacious, and the fins aren't that long.  You could angle it out without issue.  If not, roll the boat on its side and bend them back straight enough to remove the drive.

[TnRiver46]

4 hours ago, J Francho said:

I though this too, until I got into some better boats.  My OG Ocean Kayak PBG was like paddling a sheet of plywood.  My Wilderness Systems Commander 140 is a fast boat, and I could stand on the gunwales and fish in still water.  My current Hobie Compass, while pedal driven, can be paddled and is no dog when running paddles.  I have a Jackson Coosa, and while standable, not as stable, has lesser tracking ability, and is pretty slow.  It's really meant for bouncing down shallow rivers, in tight quarters, and excels in that area.

Those coosas are awesome! Definitely made for what you described as they are made in TN and that's what most of our water is like. I dont even worry about which line to take down rapids in a coosa, just keep casting all the way through and the boat just does its thing

[J Francho]

17 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I dont even worry about which line to take down rapids in a coosa, just keep casting all the way through and the boat just does its thing

I've learned this is why I don't like the boat.  I rarely fish the waters it was intended for.  It's a terrible flat water boat.

[TnRiver46]

Just now, J Francho said:

I've learned this is why I don't like the boat.  I rarely fish the waters it was intended for.  It's a terrible flat water boat.

Id believe it! As a matter of fact I have noticed my coosa buddies always say "man, your canoe (keeled aluminum) is fast" when we are paddling through the deep holes between rapids . But then they pass back by me when im sticking to rocks like Velcro

[Bass Rutten]

On 11/16/2019 at 2:40 PM, Goose52 said:

Well, as long as all the canoe people are checking in - I might as well too. My boat is a solo boat (11'6") but the rigging principles would be the same if I had a 14' or 16' boat.  The point is that canoes are often dismissed out-of-hand as not being suitable fishing craft.  It's true that in the shorter lengths, a kayak is probably a better fishing craft than a stripped, no rigging, canoe propelled by paddle only.  However, if the intended use if the canoe is not as a pure paddle craft, or if, as the OP was inquiring about, there is the potential for two or more people in the boat, canoes then bring advantages to the playing field.

 

As I have posted in this forum many times, for my specific purposes, in my specific water, I have yet to find a small watercraft that is better for my purposes than the below boat.  Stand up 100% of the time to fish, down/side imaging sonar, plenty of room, modular and can be rigged many ways, 34 pound hull weight, 8 to 15 minute rigging time, easy to car top, easy to store.

 

YMMV...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

34 pounds! That's pretty light, whats the make and model of that?

[Swamp Yankee]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Id believe it! As a matter of fact I have noticed my coosa buddies always say "man, your canoe (keeled aluminum) is fast" when we are paddling through the deep holes between rapids . But then they pass back by me when im sticking to rocks like Velcro

Fast is a relative term when it comes to kayaks. This is my fastest kayak 17 foot long and 21 inches wide

slicker than otter snot ...but it's wicked scary trying to fish from it

Stand in it? Fuggedaboutit...it's tippy enough just sitting in it. In fact, I took the stock seat out of it and replaced it with a slim foam seat that brings my butt about 3/4" lower in the boat...made a big difference lowering the center of gravity that 3/4"

 

 

[Goose52]

58 minutes ago, Bassjam2000 said:

34 pounds! That's pretty light, whats the make and model of that?

Radisson - 12 foot pointed. See:  http://www.bwmarineproducts.com/pointed_canoes.htm

 

The light weight is due to VERY thin gauge aluminum. It will dent if you look at it mean.  NOT a river boat but perfect for my small lakes that run from 2.5 acres to 200 acres. The factory specifies the bare hull weight at 34 pounds. Mine might weigh 38 or so due to some permanent stuff installed in the boat (primarily the cables and conduit for the trolling motor battery).  I am 67 but the boat is so light that I can just pick it up and put it on the roof of the car - easy...