Best canoe for Fishing

[fishnewb]

Group

I am wanting to get into some river fishing here locally.

Specifically the Ouachita and Caddo (Arkansas)

Any fishing specific canoe recommendations?

[Travlin_Man]

Try to find a Gheenoe as they are many times more stable than a canoe.

[Marty]

Have you fished from canoes before? Are you knowledgeable about them? If not, I'd suggest you educate yourself first by learning about the basics of construction, materials, etc. This information can be found on manufacturers' site and other canoeing sites.

Canoes involve tradeoffs. For example, the wider and more stable the boat is, the less efficient it is to paddle.

I bought a canoe last year for fishing ponds and a few lakes. I gave up the paddling efficiency for width and stability. However, I know nothing about using them in rivers. (In fact, sometimes I wonder if I know anything about using them in ponds and lakes).  ;D

Good luck.

[bigfruits]

kevlar is very light but more expensive. i wouldnt get a kevlar canoe if you plan on scraping rocks in shallow rivers.

check out native watercraft's ultimate kayak. its more like a canoe and super stable. you can stand and fish on it. the seats are very comfortable. you can add rod holders and electronics.

if you plan on fishing alone id look into SOT kayaks.

PM me if you have any specific questions about canoes.

[kikstand454]

pffft..

i can sit and stand and fish and run circles around anyone in a 16 ft. old town widebottom. marty, your turning the canoe around and paddling it backwards when your solo right?

fishnewb, go rent a canoe at your nearest river and fish out of it.

two things you must know. you will never have enough room.... and you will hate hate hate whoever you beleive is responsible for the wind....but you can fish deathly quiet and in places no bass boat is going to go.

[J Francho]

The best canoe is sit on top kayak.

My rig:

[Fishing Rhino]

Canoes can have plenty of room.  I've posted pics of my fishing machine before, but here are a couple again.

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q155/HomarusAmericanus/Picture021jpgedit1.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q155/HomarusAmericanus/Picture022jpgedit.jpg

I carry three tackle boxes, carry five rods rigged and ready to go (can carry up to eight as currently configured with the ability to add two more below the rails), fish finder, rain gear in a watertight bag, three additional containers, A five gallon wind anchor, a ten pound mushroom anchor, landing net, and the necessary paddle, all within the confines of the canoe.  Nothing protruding into the air, which gives me 360 degrees of casting, and fish fighting without obstructions.  None of the gear can be snagged by tree branches or shoreline vegetation.

There is still room left for a large cooler, and a few other things.  

Everything is stowed, and set up for easy access without having to leave my seat.

I absolutely love it on small ponds/lakes, and non windy days.  A breeze is ok.  I can work with that.  When it blows more than 15 knots, is when it becomes a pain.  

It has its place, like any other piece of equipment.  I don't use it in large bodies where you have to hunt the fish, because it's not practical for that.

It can all be done from the command seat, casting, fighting, landing.  No guiding or attempting to guide the fish around lower units.  No getting down on your knees to land the fish.  The low profile, especially on clear sunny days casts less of a shadow to spook fish.

In its niche, it cannot be beat.

[Turtle.]

 I have a coleman scanoe,(flat back/square back)15'8"with a 40" beam,ram-x hull,weight 90lbs and will take up to a 5hp.Got a great deal on this 10 years ago,and I love it.Over the years I have put this thing thru the paces(abused it)and it has held up great.Not my main fishing boat but I use it quite often.Rivers,small lakes,big pits and ponds.Not into paddling much while trying to fish,so I use a trolling motor most of the time.And have a small outboard for bigger waters.Very stable can easily stand to fish and move around.Not a bassboat but a great little boat for what it is.Also I can push it,drag it,or carry it to places bassboats only dream of going.

[Marty]

marty, your turning the canoe around and paddling it backwards when your solo right?

I'm always solo. Yes, I sit on what is normally the bow seat. That gets my weight a little closer to the center, but it's nowhere near enough to keep it from being high in front. I always take a 5-gallon pail with lid and wedge it between the front seat and handle, with perhaps 20-30# of water in it. That gets the boat trimmed well enough for my needs.

I've seen canoes out there with the bow about 30° above the water and don't know how those guys can stand it.

The wind drives me batty, but we've got to take the bad with the good. I deal with it because this canoe was the only boat option for me.

[bigfruits]

you could always get a solo canoe and not worry about weighing down the back...

[JKay]

I've fished from a canoe, but much prefer a kayak.  I had a buddy of mine that has a tandem kayak get me into kayak fishing a couple years ago.  I got my own kayak and love it.  Now I'm trying to get him to leave the tandem for his wife and son and get a real fishing kayak  Some of the SOT kayaks offer a really dry ride and have room enough to get the essentials on board.  

The fact that I can put the Yakima rack on the company car, load and strap down the boat in about 20 minutes can't be beat.  Wish I would have done this years ago :'(

[Jig Thrower]

old town canoes and buffalos. i work at a canoe livery the biggest one in ohio we beat those things up and they are very durable and not to mention letting drunks rent one and when they return it its still in one piece and usable i would def go with old town or buffalo