Canoe or kayak

[TnRiver46]

You need two canoes and two kayaks. Everyone should have a flotilla 

 

windy days leave the canoe at home 

[CountryboyinDC]

8 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

You need two canoes and two kayaks. Everyone should have a flotilla

Amen.  And a junker car in front of the house somewhere.

[bulldog1935]

9 hours ago, Deephaven said:

Not sure what a kayak could ever do better than a canoe.  

 

32 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

You need two canoes and two kayaks. Everyone should have a flotilla 

 

windy days leave the canoe at home 

Both the question and the answer above.  

Distance and wind are the two things you can do better in a kayak than a canoe.  

Here, we were out in 16- gusting to 25-kt

 

 

Decades ago, a buddy and I would take a canoe to cross Aransas channel, beach it and wade Lighthouse Lakes with a fly rod.  Now we paddle kayaks all over the flats, and have crossed Lighthouse Lakes from Aransas channel to Lydia Ann channel and back.  

[TnRiver46]

Just now, CountryboyinDC said:

Amen.  And a junker car in front of the house somewhere.

Can you tell I don’t belong to a neighborhood association? I do have some fine zoiza turf though 

[Ratherbefishing75]

12 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

 

Both the question and the answer above.  

Distance and wind are the two things you can do better in a kayak than a canoe.  

With the right modifications you can stand  and do long distance in a canoe but I do I agree about the wind factor

[A-Jay]

Canoe because I can bring more gear, I can stand if I choose and I can bring my wife.

 

A-Jay

 

[bulldog1935]

@A-Jay, a bud on corpusfishing forum was picking on the amount of gear I manage to take out in a 16' kayak.  

 

[Dens228]

9 hours ago, Sphynx said:

Out of curiosity, how do you think a kayak would do for an overall adventure craft?

If by adventure/long distance/camping........I think I'd use a canoe.   

9 hours ago, Deephaven said:

Yes, owned both.  That being said your idea of a yak and mine are different.  No need for a motor IMO.  I've paddled a few thousand miles and caught 1000's of fish while holding a paddle.  If I am going to bother with all the weight of a motor or batteries it will be a completely different type of craft.

You're obviously not a kayak fan.......my motor and battery weighs a TOTAL of 9 pounds........Oh, it's still a kayak that can go through inches of water and into places even a jon boat couldn't.  

[gim]

Innocent bystander here.  Just enjoying the argument of canoe vs kayak, from the view on the deck of my bass boat.  ?

 

 

[MN Fisher]

Just now, gimruis said:

Innocent bystander here.  Just enjoying the argument of canoe vs kayak, from the view on the deck of my bass boat.  ?

 

 

[Dens228]

29 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Innocent bystander here.  Just enjoying the argument of canoe vs kayak, from the view on the deck of my bass boat.  ?

 

 

That is on my bucket list.........lol

I probably look online at various boats every single day!  But it will have to also tow a skier to justify it to my wife! 

 

[Boomstick]

Personally I like the cleanliness of the storage in my kayak. It's also much more stable when boats go by on choppy water than any canoe I've ever been in. Finally, as a big guy with bad ankles, I've never found a canoe I'm comfortable standing in, although many people do stand in theirs just fine.

 

That said you'll pay more for a decent kayak where you can get a 17' Grumman canoe for like $700 used on craiglist max.

15 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

I don't think I could ever use a kayak...I like the fact that I can take up to 12 rigs, 4 tackle-bags and a cooler with me on the canoe...and still have room to move around.

I would like to see how you have that rigged out! I managed to key my kayak so I can hold 5 rods in the back, 3 in my Blackpak and 2 in rod holders and I could add 3 more rod holders to my Blackpak I just haven't yet. I usually bring no more than 6 rods, although the ability to carry all 6 in the back would be nice.

 

I can then store 5 3700 sized storage trays in the blackpak, one more under the seat in the tray along with several bags of soft plastics and tools. I can also fit a small cooler between the blackpak and my seat, so I'm pretty well equipped.

[CountryboyinDC]

2 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Canoe because I can bring more gear, I can stand if I choose and I can bring my wife.

I forgot about that one, usually canoes are more easily converted from solo to tandem.  There are some kayaks that adapt pretty well, but the canoe rules in this regard.

 

3 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Can you tell I don’t belong to a neighborhood association?

I'm trying to get you to buy a junker car from one of my kinfolk.  I do belong to our HOA (Eudora Civic Association).  It costs $50 a year, and it's unincorporated.  So my the 2 partially buried tractor tires at the end of my driveway may bother some people, but I'm not getting violation notifications.

[MN Fisher]

4 minutes ago, Boomstick said:

I would like to see how you have that rigged out!

I posted a pic earlier in the thread - gives it a decent overview. Here's a shot of the rod-racks behind my seat when I was installing them - 6 rods per side.

 

Like I also said - I'll be shooting a vid that highlights all my changes to the 'base model' once this year's mods are completed.

[Boomstick]

11 hours ago, Deephaven said:

Not sure what a kayak could ever do better than a canoe.  

Well I can stand in a kayak much better than any canoe I've ever been in for one. Also I'm generally not affected by rough waters on my kayak but in a canoe, I've had to sit flat on the bottom before to keep it from going side to side too badly, which then brings me into comfort - yes you can get a comfortable seat on a canoe as well, but if the water is choppy then I can't even sit on it. And I've never found a canoe I'm comfortable standing in.

 

Also while I can't store as many rods, I can say that my setup is much more user-friendly than any I've seen on a canoe.

 

[flyfisher]

Ultimately it is a preference and it also depends on what you are primarily using it for.  I do quite a few overnight trips in my kayak but I also do backpacking so space isn't a concern for a multi-day trip.  For paddling a kayak is going to be way better than any canoe.  If you throw a motor on a canoe that can help even that playing field.  Gear storage isn't really a concern between the two.  I can easily take 6 combos and more if I wanted and plenty of space for gear. I used to be able to say kayaks were lighter but not so much anymore and canoes are probably easier if you cartop them but for a trailer they are about the same.

 One of the major things to consider in any boat purchase is to be honest about your use of the boat.  I think we all like to have delusions of grandeur with multi day river trips or chasing fish in the salt or whatever and we can tend to base our decisions on that rather than what you actually will primarily use the boat for.  

For me the majority of the lakes around here are electric only, the rivers are generally not that small or steep so I went with a 14' kayak.  easier and faster to paddle and shallower draft than a 12' model while still providing flexibility on launching etc....I did just get a motor for it though to act as mu shuttle on river trips  

[Ratherbefishing75]

I will say one thing for the majority of people purchasing a canoe for fishing purposes are most likely going to put a motor on it of some type I know I did lol  and there are ways of combating the hole wind thing I just haven’t figured them out yet lol 

[MN Fisher]

2 minutes ago, Ratherbefishing75 said:

I will say one thing for the majority of people purchasing a canoe for fishing purposes are most likely going to put a motor on it of some type I know I did lol  and there are ways of combating the hole wind thing I just haven’t figured them out yet lol 

I just don't take it out if I consider it too windy - shore fish those days.

[Goose52]

This topic comes up periodically.  Here is link to a thread from 2016 that discusses a lot of pros and cons for each type of watercraft. OP - you might want to invest some time in that thread:

The following boilerplate is what I post each time this topic comes up:

 

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 trying 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.

 

So, for me, the result is:

 

This much capability, with a rigging time of 10-15 minutes (timed) from the time I pull up to the lake until I push off in the rigged boat:

 

 

Easily transported this way, and able to pull into the garage with the boat on the roof, ready to go out the next day:

 

And easily stored this way - right next to the carrier vehicle, and without consuming a garage bay:

 

Different floats for different folks...

[gim]

Hey Goose do they allow you to fish in kayak tournaments with that rig?  I noticed you have hawg trough to measure fish which is a requirement in most.

[Goose52]

No tournaments for me - I have the Hawg Trough as I measure everything I catch. My data gets turned over the the professional lakes consultant that manages our local waters (part of a 12,000 acre community) and he uses that data as one input in assessing what's going on with the bass. Also, when that photo was taken, I was assisting that guy in a bass tagging program. I caught and tagged 250 bass in that 16 acre lake and then for the following years I would record length (to the mm) and weight of all recaptures.

 

This is the same lake - it's rough duty assisting our lakes consultant, tagging and measuring bass, etc. ... ?

 

A side note - notice the wake behind the boat?  I am not only standing and fishing in a canoe, but I am also under power, working along that shoreline. My foot is on a deadmans switch so if I want to stop the boat and coast, or if I fall out of the boat, the power will shut off when my foot is off that switch:

 

 

[Ratherbefishing75]

32 minutes ago, Goose52 said:

No tournaments for me - I have the Hawg Trough as I measure everything I catch. My data gets turned over the the professional lakes consultant that manages our local waters (part of a 12,000 acre community) and he uses that data as one input in assessing what's going on with the bass. Also, when that photo was taken, I was assisting that guy in a bass tagging program. I caught and tagged 250 bass in that 16 acre lake and then for the following years I would record length (to the mm) and weight of all recaptures.

 

This is the same lake - it's rough duty assisting our lakes consultant, tagging and measuring bass, etc. ... ?

 

A side note - notice the wake behind the boat?  I am not only standing and fishing in a canoe, but I am also under power, working along that shoreline. My foot is on a deadmans switch so if I want to stop the boat and coast, or if I fall out of the boat, the power will shut off when my foot is off that switch:

 

 

You have a very nice setup  and all of your points are all valid as I was considered on getting a kayak but I think I’m going to stick with my canoe an it is all set up and I do like making new modifications to it every year as this year I think I’m going to downsize my gas motor to a 3 or 2 HP  and keep my 55 thrust pound trolling motor   I might invest in a different style of stabilization system all thought I do like what I have  right now you really can’t see it in the pic but there is a sheet of plywood between the coolers that I can stand on and cast  

[CountryboyinDC]

43 minutes ago, Ratherbefishing75 said:

I might invest in a different style of stabilization system all thought I do like what I have  right now you really can’t see it in the pic but there is a sheet of plywood between the coolers that I can stand on and cast

Looks like a Wingman https://wingmanoutfitter.com/.  It sounds like the canoe is the right solution for you.

[Ratherbefishing75]

1 hour ago, CountryboyinDC said:

Looks like a Wingman https://wingmanoutfitter.com/.  It sounds like the canoe is the right solution for you.

You are correct except I didn’t want to pay the 500$ for it lol so I built one lol