avid suggested getting stabilizers for my canoe, what a difference. Being able to stand and throw with authority has boated me more and better fish.

Thanks avid.

Do you walk tight ropes in you spare time?  I have a 17 Grumman wide bodie cargo canoe.  I have stabablizers for both sides and even much longer keels that attaches to it so I can install a sail that came with it (over 45 years ago).  Even with the Keel and stabalizers, I don't think you will find me standing to fish out of it.  

Stabilizers on a sporting canoe will make it more stable than the average Jon boat.  I stood up and fished in my old Town Osprey 140 for over a year before I tipped it.  It was a foolish mistake.  I had bought a "fisin buddy" depth finder, and with my two takcle boxes, oars, and 5 rods, the canoe was rediculously crowded.  I did not center myself when standing and went right over.

So then I go the stabilizers and entered a new world.  My canoe has a 36" width at the water line.  The stabilizers add up to 21" of extra width to each side of the canoe.  That is a total of 78 inches of width at the waterline. That's over six feet wide.  These are very stable and allow standing up and fising with complete confidence.  I have even installed a 55lb thrust minn kota. and group 27 trojan agm battery.  It's a beautiful thing.

http://www.canoegear.com/catalog/product.php?productid=544&cat=53&page=1

 an additional bonus is that they are the nicest people and will give you straight answers to all your questions.

good luck and have fun.

OK, different animal than what I have.  Mine are no more than two fins that go down in the water on each side of the boat. About twice as wide as a boat paddle and about two feet long.   The keels are about half again was wide and three feet long.  All they do is keep sudden moves from making the boat role over, but like I said, these were 1950's technology.

As you can see the stabilizers I use and recommend are wide enough and long enough to make your canoe, or kayak into a viable bass fishing platform.  The crossbrace is installs in a minute, is light but strong.  The arms are adjustable from flush with the hull or with settings up to nearly two feet on each side.  The saftey, and stability that these puppies add is a "must have" in my book for safely bass fishing from a canoe.

PS. Way2slolw-- I appreciate your candor.

Those do look great, Avid. Is there an easy to pop them out of the water as you're moving around from fishing spot to fishing spot? Do you slide them in as you move, or do they stay in the water as you paddle?

You can adjust them up out of the water when moving. Just turn a knob on the end of the outrigger and pull them up. They are a really simple but effective gadget.

MY paddling and rowing days are over due to arthritis and other oldmanitisis.

I have a MK 55lb thrust TM side mouted about 2.5 feet behind the centerline of the boat.  I have the stabililzers mounted about 2.5 feet past the centerline.  I load the 66lb AGM battery in the front just behind the nose and a little to the right which offsets some of the weight of the left sided TM.

I'll try to remember to take some photo's using my cannon, instad of my cell phone cam.  It works really well (knock on wood)  the motor at 43 lbs. is heavy for the canoe, but has great features that come in handy (like the 3:1 steering, and variable speed control)  I built in some supports that seem to be working.

I feel like I have a very safe and relieable craft for most conditions. (Won't find me at the stickmarsh in it   Anyway, it's what I use and I'm catching fat bassies from it on a pretty regular basis.