25 replies to this topic

[JamesD]

I don't own a bass boat, or a john-boat. So I don't have the luxury of powering off into the depth of my local lake to go hunting for the biggest & finest bass....

I DO on the other hand, have an old Mohawk canoe.... She's a two seater fiberglass deal that holds everything I need for a full day of fishing, with room for more stuff, or another person and some of their stuff!

It's fun, I've enjoyed it these last few days but have found that the area of which I've been fishing is only 3-4' deep, max. And there are some areas that are 2-3' deep.

The exception to this is the boating channel.... That's 8-14' deep, I just really have no way of knowing.

anyway, Do any of you guys fish from canoes or kayaks? How do you like it?

I haven't hooked anything big enough to drag me around yet, not to mention that I'm using a home-made anchor so I doubt I'd be drug around anyway...

[Goose52]

Do any of you guys fish from canoes or kayaks? How do you like it?

Yes - it's great! I ended up with a canoe after studying all small watercraft from float tubes up to bass boats. The best solution for ME, was a pimped-out canoe. I only fish my local, small (1 1/2 to 201 acres), no-wake lakes. Some of these lakes don't have boat ramps (like the lake in the photo below). 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. Taking everything into account, I ended up with my funky canoe...

The canoe is 34 pounds. Modular - I nealy always run it fully rigged but can just run it bare and paddle it in the smaller ponds. Lots of cabability - outriggers for standing, TM, rod holders, anchor system, DI/SI sonar - mounted on a dashboard with the transponder also attached to the dashboard - complete package in one unit (powered by the TM battery). Only maintenance is to wipe the hull down when I pull it out of the water, check the TM battery water, and clean the sonar screen. I store it on a dolly on the floor of my garage but if room ever gets tight, I can hang it from the garage ceiling. I need to improve anchor line storage (some sort of reel), and perhaps someday figure out how to hook up a "bow thruster" so I have better boat control when fishing slow along a bank. Otherwise, it's exactly what I need.

[JamesD]

And I thought I I was cool...

Wowee!! 0.0

[JamesD]

As a side note, your comment about a a bow thruster and improved anchor made me think of something else entirely.

The powerpole: http://www.power-pole.com/

http://www.power-pol.....<br /><br />I'm not sure if something like will actually work for you, or if the concept alone is enough to inspire you.

As a metal worker I am already working in cad to design something I can make at home that will fit/work with/on the canoe.

I will probably end up using either PVC or aluminum. If aluminum, I may end up using that spring loaded brass push buttons that are so commonly seen in medical equipment like walkers and crutches.

Anyway, just a thought.... I've noticed some slight movement, and rotation when anchored, this seems to be the best solution I could come up.



****Edit*** No sense in making one.... Apparently it's called the Wang Anchor, their slogan is 'Hang out with your Wang out'


www.wanganchor.com

[Goose52]

Yeah - there's quite a few "stake" anchoring systems out there. I haven't considered any of them since I usually anchor at 6 to 25 foot water depths, not to mention the occasional rock ledges that I anchor over.

I have an anchor and a Scotty anchor lock; I just need to figure out how to store the 50 feet of anchor line. Some sort of reel mechanism that I can clamp to the gunwale or thwart I expect. It has to be removable since I car-top the canoe. Right now, I coil the line and stuff it in a 3lb coffee can that I have bungeed to the inside of the hull. Not very elegant, but it sorta works. It does make paying out line a bit difficult if the line tangles or knots as I'm pulling it out of the can...

[JamesD]

Yeah - there's quite a few "stake" anchoring systems out there. I haven't considered any of them since I usually anchor at 6 to 25 foot water depths, not to mention the occasional rock ledges that I anchor over.

I have an anchor and a Scotty anchor lock; I just need to figure out how to store the 50 feet of anchor line. Some sort of reel mechanism that I can clamp to the gunwale or thwart I expect. It has to be removable since I car-top the canoe. Right now, I coil the line and stuff it in a 3lb coffee can that I have bungeed to the inside of the hull. Not very elegant, but it sorta works. It does make paying out line a bit difficult if the line tangles or knots as I'm pulling it out of the can...

Check this out, I found it after a quick google

http://www.innovativ...duct_Reels1.htm

[Marty]

Do any of you guys fish from canoes or kayaks? How do you like it?

I'm in my 6th year of canoe ownership and I like it. For various reasons a canoe was my only option for a boat and it gets me places where I couldn't otherwise fish.

It's not tricked out. There are some inconveniences, but I've been able to get out and catch some nice fish that I wouldn't have had another opportunity for.

I fish a few ponds and the shallow, weedy ends of some large lakes. If I had it to do over again I'd have made the same purchase.

[WookieeJedi]

I fish out of a SOT kayak most of the time, and switch to a canoe sometimes. I will fish like this as long as I am able, it is good exercise, very quiet, and it has made me a better angler. It is less tempting to run a mile up the lake to try a different spot when you are the motor. I switch tactics first. It has worked more often than I would like to admit. I burned a lot of unnecessary fuel in my youth.

[Goose52]

Check this out, I found it after a quick google

http://www.innovativ...duct_Reels1.htm

Thanks - interesting stuff. I need to spend some time finding both a reel/crank assembly, and a way to clamp it to the gunwale.

[jimmykm21]

I fished out of a canoe for years and it was nice to be able to get into places bass boats couldn't..
It was an Oldtown 17 foot square stern . The only complaint I had was on windy days.
Even with a 50 pound thrust trolling motor I had to fight to stay straight when fishing a shore line.

I have a boat now but I have been looking at the small bass tenders they sell. They seen more comfortable than a canoe .
It would be nice to be able to throw it in back of my truck sometimes instead of hooking up and launching a boat.

[WookieeJedi]

The SOT kayak's low profile helps reduce the impact of the wind. It's still an issue, but not as bad as the canoe. I keep the anchor in a ready position so I can drop it when I need. It's a minor hassle, but when the wind is up, it takes less effort than using the paddle. I have fished out of the larger bass tenders, and they were OK if you are a smaller person, but put 250 in there, and it just doesn't feel right. Folks under 200 probably wouldn't notice. Just something to consider.

[rb56]

hello everyone...a new noob here and i'll bite...i just bought a 15.5' pelican canoe to fish with along the banks near the landings and i am loving it. i've had flatbottoms, bass boats, bass/ski and now this. i bought a minn kots to help with the paddling, i have now added a humminbird locator and am each week customizing. being new to canoes, their instability and all, i am learnig a lot. personally as i said, i'm loving it and feel like a kid on a new adventure.


EDIT: after seeing goose's ride i'll post pics of mine later. that's a fine rig man!

[rb56]

Yes - it's great! I ended up with a canoe after studying all small watercraft from float tubes up to bass boats. The best solution for ME, was a pimped-out canoe. I only fish my local, small (1 1/2 to 201 acres), no-wake lakes. Some of these lakes don't have boat ramps (like the lake in the photo below). 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. Taking everything into account, I ended up with my funky canoe...

The canoe is 34 pounds. Modular - I nealy always run it fully rigged but can just run it bare and paddle it in the smaller ponds. Lots of cabability - outriggers for standing, TM, rod holders, anchor system, DI/SI sonar - mounted on a dashboard with the transponder also attached to the dashboard - complete package in one unit (powered by the TM battery). Only maintenance is to wipe the hull down when I pull it out of the water, check the TM battery water, and clean the sonar screen. I store it on a dolly on the floor of my garage but if room ever gets tight, I can hang it from the garage ceiling. I need to improve anchor line storage (some sort of reel), and perhaps someday figure out how to hook up a "bow thruster" so I have better boat control when fishing slow along a bank. Otherwise, it's exactly what I need.

awesome boat man! mind if i ask where you got the bumpers or did you do them yourself and is the front bow seam a reinforcement of some type or part of the boat? the front bottom of mine looks a little rough from pulling up too hard on a landing and it got scuffed badly. does anyone know of a way to protect that...shy of going slower?

[Goose52]

awesome boat man! mind if i ask where you got the bumpers or did you do them yourself and is the front bow seam a reinforcement of some type or part of the boat? the front bottom of mine looks a little rough from pulling up too hard on a landing and it got scuffed badly. does anyone know of a way to protect that...shy of going slower?

Thanks. By "bumpers" - do you mean the closed-cell foam sponsons along both sides? If so, that comes with the boat on Radisson and Sportspal canoes. Some say it helps prevent rollover - I don't believe that at all. If you've listed over that far, and have any speed to the list...you're going all the way over. (Ask me how I know! ) I think all the foam sponsons add is some flotation if the boat is swamped. All of the interior surfaces are also lined with foam which also adds some flotation if you swamp the boat - the biggest benefit of the interior foam is to mostly eliminate the noise you usually have with an aluminum boat.

The front bow seam isn't reinforced - what looks like a big ugly weld is actually a lot of ugly caulking! You see it at the bow and stern, as well as three places amidships where they joined panels. This assembly method, as well as the thin gauge aluminum, is what gets the light weight.

BTW - what we're calling the "bow" in the photo...is actually the legal stern (you can see the hull number plate on the outer gunwale, right above the orange decal). I actually drive the boat backwards...

[rb56]

Thanks. By "bumpers" - do you mean the closed-cell foam sponsons along both sides? If so, that comes with the boat on Radisson and Sportspal canoes. Some say it helps prevent rollover - I don't believe that at all. If you've listed over that far, and have any speed to the list...you're going all the way over. (Ask me how I know! ) I think all the foam sponsons add is some flotation if the boat is swamped. All of the interior surfaces are also lined with foam which also adds some flotation if you swamp the boat - the biggest benefit of the interior foam is to mostly eliminate the noise you usually have with an aluminum boat.

The front bow seam isn't reinforced - what looks like a big ugly weld is actually a lot of ugly caulking! You see it at the bow and stern, as well as three places amidships where they joined panels. This assembly method, as well as the thin gauge aluminum, is what gets the light weight.

BTW - what we're calling the "bow" in the photo...is actually the legal stern (you can see the hull number plate on the outer gunwale, right above the orange decal). I actually drive the boat backwards...

thanks man...i didn't know what those were on the sides but they look awesome and hey, maybe they don't do as they say, but maybe that one time they will. maybe they stop you from going over so fast and slows you down to prepare...ahem, ok. they do look cool as does the entire boat. my pelican is a smooth material called ramx and needs some quietness about the floor...maybe indoor outdoor. i did use spray on liner to keep from slipping and right when i finished...it pours. i blotted any excess and put it on my truck and the next morning my inside was zebra striped. made me sick but i think most will come off. yes about the bow, i actually should have asked if it was a type of skid plate. thanks again and great boat.