Typically when I'm fishing out of a canoe, I have a partner in the boat and we never have issues with speed.  This year, I find myself doing a lot of solo paddling.  I can get around fine, but it's really hard for me to get enough speed to troll cranks properly.  Using a canoe paddle I'm constantly having to j stroke and/or rudder to keep it straight, bleeding speed off. I've tried using a kayak paddle and I can get the speed I want, but everything in front of me gets soaked, including my legs.  Does anyone have any suggestions?

You might consider some motorization ~

A-Jay

On 7/5/2017 at 10:01 AM, A-Jay said:

You might consider some motorization ~

A-Jay

 

They do call it a "trolling motor" ...

 

To the OP - I don't have any suggestions as that is not something that most paddlers try to do (I don't think - maybe the kayak guys).  Seems like too much to do - paddle, keep the speed up, keep the boat strait, watch the rod tip, etc.

 

Instead of trying to troll to work a lot of water, you might consider long casts with something like a lipless crank, counted down to the depth you want.  Give it a cast or two and move the boat up to the next position and repeat.  

 

Otherwise, there's always that "trolling motor" !

Properly adjusted drip rings on the kayak paddle will help keep water out of the boat.  If the water still drips into your boat it could mean that your double bladed paddle is too short for what you are doing. In  a canoe, a double bladed paddle should be significantly longer than one you would use in a similarly sized kayak.  If the paddle is too short your strokes wil be somewhat vertical, which means the water will be directed into the boat, even over the drip rings.  Get a significantly longer paddle, one that will allow you to make generally horizontal strokes.  That should fix your problem with the drip.

Learning to paddle a canoe with one paddle does require some skill with the stroke motion, the reason paddles have a flat end handle. I am not that good at it but fished with a neighbor in Canada's  Lake of the Woods and was amazing at maintaining the speed in a straight direction or holding the canoe in place, he was in his 70's at the time. 

Tom

like Goose said ur trying to use the worst possible technique for ur situation.

Maybe try:

-cast and retrieving ur crankbaits 

-buy a kayak

-rig a redneck rudder

-get an old or even broken trolling motor on craigslist to attach; it will act as a rudder