Fishing out of a canoe

[NCthompson]

Hey guys I just wanted to know what some of your thoughts are with fishing out of a canoe? Im thinking about getting one under $300 mainly due to small budget and easy to hall around and get through shallow creeks. Is it tough to fish out of a canoe and would you recommend me buying one? Also what are the advantages between an aluminum canoe to a plastic/fiberglass. Thanks!

[nboucher]

I fish out of a kayak a lot and out of a canoe some. I prefer a kayak, though there are pluses and minuses to each.

The big enemy of both is wind. If you fish alone, the greatest challenge is not getting blown out of the strike zone. Kayaks have the advantage of being lower in the water, and so are not quite as susceptible to wind as a canoe. However, a lot of people feel more cramped in a kayak.

My kayak has a fish finder hooked up to it and a rod holder for storing my rod out of harm's way when I'm paddling. I also have a drift sock I can toss over the side to help control for wind. For solo fishing, a kayak is easier to control, in my experience.

Norman

[fishizzle]

PM Tokyo Tony and ask him what brand of canoe he has.  Its really wide and stable to stand in and its not a high end one.  Plastic is better than alum or fiberglass in my opinion

[ring fry]

No offense to the canoe and yak fishermen because everyone I've met loves to fish out of them, but personally I would go with a buster type boat.  They are more stable, a lot less work (I'm old), and still light.  You can get a small trolling motor and make or buy a rudder for the back to help with the wind.  I've had two Coleman Crawdads and have had them on big lakes with no problems. JMHO, good luck with whatever youd do.

[djs fishing]

I fish from a canoe a lot.

The advantage is it is easy to get in the water and can go anywere.

Mine is wide beam so I can stand up and it is pretty stable.

It would be hard to convince me that getting a crawdad into the water is easier than a canoe (I have a few years on me also and have fished out of both). Not sure either has a big water advantage.

Not sure I would like to fish all day out of a kayak.

The wind is a disadvantage for sure in any small boat.

If you have a small budget a canoe is a good way to go.

My opinion is to get the lightest one you can afford.

Mine is a fiberglass 14' with a 43" beam. Problem is it is heavy.

[tritz18]

I used to fish out of a canoe alot, as everyone else said the wind is the hardest part about it. I used to fish with 2 other people in a medium sized canoe and it was pretty stable. My friends would even stand up alot and it would still be fine. But you have to learn how to cast sitting down cause you can't stand up all the time.

[CHBasser]

I've fished out of a canoe for years. If your going to fish solo throw some weight up front to help navigate in the wind. I'd recommend fiberglass or plastic over aluminum. I've found fiberglass to be a lot more durable than the plastic ones I have used. Once you get the hang of it canoes can be very stable. With practice standing up isn't a problem.

[Pitchinkid]

I fish out of a canoe twice a year. Ive always had another person in the boat with me and all of gear including camping gear. We have used plastic and aluminum. I , with out a doubt, prefer plastic. They are more quiet than a aluminum. I am however 6'6 280 and it is hard on my body to fish all day out of one.But to get away from civilization and camp for a few days, it is definitely worth it. I got a personal pontoon last year and it is definitely easier and way more comfortable. Very light and fishes better than a canoe IMHO. Check out CreekCompany.com. Usually get one for around $200. But if i was on a river/stream/creek and was wanting to make good time and stay a few days i would definitely go with the canoe.

[Pitchinkid]

$219.99 now. Just checked the website

[ROCbass]

I've fished out of a canoe a lot, and everyone else has covered pretty much everything. Wind makes things more difficult, especially when fishing alone, but I've been out in some pretty rough water, just make sure you have some weight up front. I use a 5 gallon bucket and fill it with water before I launch. Obviously you have to limit your gear compared to a larger boat. I always tie the handles of my tackle bag to the cross brace and make sure i zip everything up after changing lures just in case I tip so I don't lose everything, but so far that hasn't been an issue. I have also been meaning to get some rod floaters for the same reason, but haven't gotten around to it. I would also recommend getting a flatback model in case you ever want to put a trolling motor or small outboard on it, just remember if you do that you will need to get it registered with the DMV just like any other boat with a motor.

[hamer08]

Fishing from a canoe is different, but you can adapt with practice. I fish almost entirely from a canoe. You can practice casting from a low sitting position to get the feel. The best thing I like about a canoe is the ability to portage it just about anywhere. Most lakes I fish require a portage of 0.25-2 miles and the lakes are 2 to 142 acres. I have a two wheel cart that make most portages a breeze. I also have a setup that allows me to pull it behind my mountain bike for longer portages. I tend to stick to smaller lakes and locations only a canoe can go, big lakes have a problem with wind and wakes.

The best accessory is probably a padded seat with a back, like a stadium seat. My canoe is fiberglass.

[djs fishing]

One trick that is pretty handy.

Several people mentioned weight up front.

The best thing to do is to sit in the front seat facing the middle of the canoe (basically go backwards). This balances it better.

[smallmouth89]

One trick that is pretty handy.

Several people mentioned weight up front.

The best thing to do is to sit in the front seat facing the middle of the canoe (basically go backwards). This balances it better.

Definitely good advice here. I haven't spent much time in my canoe since I got into kayak fishing, but I will be taking my canoe out a bit more to rediscover the joys of flycasting while standing in my canoe. I can actually stand on my sit on top fishing kayak but I figure it's only a matter of time until I fall in. I never had any qualms about standing in my canoe and used to do it all the time.

God Bless.

Don

[A-Jay]

I fish entirely out of my canoe - should you get one - Well Yes - especially if you have access to good "canoe" waters and you will definately like it better than casting from the bank

All of the info provided here already is excellent and should not be taken lightly. As for aluminum or fiberglass - there are pros and cons for each - like anything - aluminum is lighter but may blow around a bit more - fiberglass is pretty durable but usually a bit more $$.

I fish from an old Town Predator (square back canoe) it is over 40 inches wide and very stable. It's heavy as canoe's go but it works very well for my needs. I have it rigged out with a trolling motor and I also have a cart which enables me to get into places not readily accessible to the vessels that need a ramp of some type to launch. This is The single best attribute of this kind of set up - if I chose I can go where there are usually only Bank fisherman or hardly no one

I have found a few little places where the general consensus it "that place is fish out" - sometimes that is not the case . . . .

I don't think this has been mentioned yet - but small boats like canoes allow you to be fairly quiet ( if you try that is) you can really snuggle up to fish even in shallow water. By adding a section of indoor/outdoor carpet to the floor/deck of your canoe you can make it even quieter - especially aluminum which is very unforgiving as far as amplifying all sounds made in the canoe -

Hope that helps - you might want to go to the Bass Boating, Canoeing, Tubing and more section and do a search for the same topic-You will find all kinds of info many of us have learned - some of it the hard way

A-Jay