Pros and cons of my canoe and my next maybe boat

[ol'crickety]

I fish a canoe.

 

Pros:

 

I can fish where bass boats can only dream of going, whether it's the wilderness or deep into local bogs.

I can launch without a ramp.

It's quiet.

If I'm plunging into the wilderness, it can carry a couple weeks worth of food and all my camping and fishing gear. 

It can carry a fishing partner too.

 

Cons:

 

I can't fish windy days with my canoe's light weight and high sides.

It's a wet boat, as my paddle drips water into the canoe.

It's a chaotic mess. It doesn't have all the places for fishing gear like a fishing kayak or the deck area of a bass boat, so my rods get tangled. 

Being 68, I only have so much energy and all the energy to propel my boat comes from me. So, at the end of a fishing session, I'm twice tired, from fishing and paddling.

It's slow. There are times I just wish I could scoot to the next honey hole.

It can tip.

Trolling is tricky, as I have to secure the fishing rod with my legs because my hands are paddling. Still, I catch a lot of bass trolling because I don't like to not be fishing while moving to the next casting spot.

 

In a few years, I'd like to buy a little v-hull with an electric motor, not a trolling motor, but an electric outboard with a little more ummpf!

[gimruis]

Have you considered a kayak? I feel like your fishing holes are limited to certain watercraft. There are a lot of yakkers here that could offer advice on size, layout, and weight that might suit you. Better stability, storage for rods/reels, storage for tackle, etc. Plus you could add a micro power pole to hold your position.

 

The only disadvantage is that you’d be going solo. But as long as you still had the canoe you could still use that instead.

[ol'crickety]

12 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Have you considered a kayak? I feel like your fishing holes are limited to certain watercraft. There are a lot of yakkers here that could offer advice on size, layout, and weight that might suit you. Better stability, storage for rods/reels, storage for tackle, etc. Plus you could add a micro power pole to hold your position.

 

The only disadvantage is that you’d be going solo. But as long as you still had the canoe you could still use that instead.

 

I have tried a kayak. I found it cramped, plus they're too heavy for me to carry. I do like all the pluses you listed and agree with them all. Every type of boat has pluses and minuses. 

[DaubsNU1]

Hi @ol'crickety. I fished a canoe years ago, and you are a complete badass @ 68 years old!

 

Little v-hull with electric motor would be a good option. If you have a tow vehicle, a little v-hull can be easy to launch and load out by yourself. I did just that for 20+ years. 

 

Surprisingly stable, and lots of room for gear. I was able to stand or sit, move around, and could get in to very shallow water. Not as stealth as your canoe, but pretty darn close. 

 

Mine was 14' and did have a 20hp on back, but the old 40lb trolling motor and one battery was more than enough to get me anywhere I wanted to go. 

 

It was nothing fancy, 1960 boat with bench seats. I put plywood in front section and installed a seat and the trolling motor. Later I added more decking and electronics. 

 

Now is probably a good time to be in the boat market, as some will want to unload rather than store for the winter. Good luck!

 

[A-Jay]

I say, stick with what you've got.

More boat means more of everything else.

Much of that will come as a surprise to you, unless you've done it before.  I f you have but that was not recently and on a consistent basis, you'll be reminded quickly.

It will also change how, where and when you fish.

Some of that will be for the better, but much might not.

Instead, perhaps continue to modify your trips as needed to match your abilities.

I realize I am preaching to the choir,

But none of this gets any easier.

The grass isn't always greener.

Finally, a quick release clamp type phone or camera mount that faces the human, would dramatically improve the quality of the memories you catch, every time out.

The long arm pics need to be a thing of the past. You're better than that. 

Good Luck.

A-Jay

 

[padlin]

I bought a plastic Bass Raider 2 years ago, mainly to take out the grandkids but also for my own use as I get older, some age as you.

 

I took it out once by myself last year, and not at all this year. Where I like to go there are just to many weeds for a motor, and the darn thing blows around as much as the canoe. For me an anchor is a must for both.

 

My list:

Pro’s. More stable, I can stand and stretch so I can fish longer.

The motor means I can go farther and faster. 
The seats are much more comfortable.

 

Cons. Registering it, and the trailer if you use such.

Have to lug the battery and motor

A lot heavier then the canoe to load if you don’t have a decent ramp.

I just don’t enjoy it like I do the canoe.

It’s a hassle when it drifts into the weeds.

 

I’d suggest you get a boat but keep the canoe, when you find you don’t need one, sell it.

 

I use an indoor outdoor carpet runner, 28” I think, by 8’ in the canoe to soak up the water and quiet things down. Just roll it up when you are done and dry it out at home for the next day.

[gimruis]

34 minutes ago, DaubsNU1 said:

Little v-hull with electric motor would be a good option. If you have a tow vehicle, a little v-hull can be easy to launch and load out by yourself. I did just that for 20+ years

I don’t think there’s an access for a boat with a trailer. It has to be something that can be lifted and moved with one person. If she can move a v hull by herself, certainly there is a kayak out there that can be moved solo too.

[ol'crickety]

10 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I don’t think there’s an access for a boat with a trailer. It has to be something that can be lifted and moved with one person. If she can move a v hull by herself, certainly there is a kayak out there that can be moved solo too.

I'd dock the v-hull at my pond and still use the canoe at other ponds.

[ol'crickety]

@A-Jay: Andy, I actually bought a clamp and GoPro imitation last winter, but the imitation was so cheap that I elected to stay with my old waterproof Olympus. I do agree that my long-arming has limitations, starting with the length of my arms. I caught a big girl yesterday morning and to fit her into the frame, I stretched my arm as long as possible and learned back as much as possible and in the end, there's no sense of her size other than her jutting jaw. So, fingers crossed I can afford a GoPro pretty soon. See below. She looks like every other bass and she wasn't:

 

[padlin]

26 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

I'd dock the v-hull at my pond and still use the canoe at other ponds.

I thought of that after my previous post, other then you might have to carry the motor and power to the boat and you have to watch where you are going, I don’t see why it wouldn’t be worth trying. Look for a cheap used boat as you’re leaving it unattended. I imagine you could hire someone to put in a small dock and carry the boat to it from the driveway.

 A small electric motor might suck more power then a trolling motor, batteries are fairly heavy to carry.

 

[ol'crickety]

6 minutes ago, padlin said:

Look for a cheap used boat as you’re leaving it unattended.

 

My dad was worried about my leaving a canoe on my property, but there are so many unlocked, unattended boats in Maine. We're neck and neck with Vermont for lowest crime stats in the nation.

 

7 minutes ago, padlin said:

batteries are fairly heavy to carry.

 

Yeah, I think about that, but it's only about 250' to the driveway and when the path is leveled, I think I could carry a battery for a few more years.

[Susky River Rat]

If you’re going to dock it at your pond and I’m assuming you mean less than 300 acres I’d just run a trolling motor. Get yourself a little wagon to pull the TM battery and your tackle. 

[WRB]

Winter storage needs to be considered, small aluminum boat could on shore flipped over on a pair on 4 x4’s or logs, no need to cover. Moth balls in a pie pan keeps most of the critters away.

E Motor like Newport NT300, 3 hp, 36V looks interesting. 
Big tire type wagon easy to transport your stuff.

Tom

 

[ol'crickety]

6 minutes ago, WRB said:

Big tire type wagon easy to transport your stuff.

 

I was thinking the same thing, Tom!

 

1 hour ago, Susky River Rat said:

Get yourself a little wagon to pull the TM battery and your tackle. 

 

Yep!

[jbmaine]

I fished out of a canoe for many years before buying a boat. I tried several canoe's before settling for a Radisson brand canoe. The Radisson was ( for me) the perfect fishing canoe. There are several sizes and styles to choose from. Mine was  the 14Ft. pointed .I loved it because it was light , 41 lbs., foam lined, came with oar locks for the two paddles. I used to sit on the bottom of it and row it to troll. Sit in one of the seats to cast, used a trolling motor sometimes to get around . It was light, stable, tracked well and was very quiet to fish out of. I don't know how this compares to your current canoe but it might be worth a look.  FYI -The sports pal is the heaver version of the Radisson.

Radisson Brochure:Kiwi Kayak Brochure.qxd.qxd (sportspalcanoes.com)

 

 

[king fisher]

Before you buy anything, I recommend you give a peddle kayak a try.  When I was a kid i had an aluminum canoe.  It was such a pain to fish for bass out of I usually only used it to get from one shore to another, where I would get out and fish from shore.  The wind would blow, and I would be trying to fish rip rap banks.  I would end up mostly paddling making very few casts.  When a friend would fish with me, we would take turns one person paddling the other person fishing.  Most of the time we would get frustrated and drift the lake for crappie, or fish from shore for bass.

 

When I was older I fished out of many different power boats.  I floated rivers in rafts, that I controlled by oars, and would refuse to take customers in rafts without rowing frames that were made to paddle.  I swore I would never use a paddle on any type of boat ever.  I would use oars to position john boats in rivers for fly fisherman, but my single paddle days were in my past along with my old canoe.

 

When I moved to Mexico, I wanted to buy a small boat to bass fish in, but couldn't find one I could afford.  Many people recommended I buy a kayak, and being's as I had swore off any boat that required a paddle I didn't even entertain the idea of a fishing kayak.  

 

Then a person that had a sailboat docked near the boat I captained offered to let me try his Hobie peddle kayak.  A week later I owned a Hobie Outback, and I have neve looked back.  I don't even want a boat, or even an electric motor.  I cover all the water I want to by peddling, and have zero problems efficiently fishing a shoreline, or offshore waypoint positioning the boat forward or back, all the while having my hands free to cast, hook and land fish.  I can troll all day in the ocean at 2.5 to 3 miles an hour without getting fatigued, and beach the boat in fairly large surf without damage to my gear.  Strong winds will make fishing more difficult, but nothing like the way wind blows a canoe around.  I fish in 20 knot winds often on small lakes, and while not easy, it can be done.  My kayak is light enough to easily load on top of my car by myself, but I wouldn't want to have to portage it very far.    

 

Peddle fishing kayaks are not for everyone, but comparing a quality peddle kayak to a canoe or even a paddle kayak is like comparing a tricycle to a mountain bike.  A peddle kayak may not end up being what you are looking for, but at least give one a try.    

[gimruis]

4 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

I do agree that my long-arming has limitations

 

I generally think your photos of the fish laying on the bump board are pretty good at showing how big a fish is.  I use one similar myself.  You tend to do more fishing in the early morning darkness than me though and that's when the photos aren't as good.

[TnRiver46]

Canoe is the greatest of boats 

[ol'crickety]

16 hours ago, gimruis said:

 

I generally think your photos of the fish laying on the bump board are pretty good at showing how big a fish is.  I use one similar myself.  You tend to do more fishing in the early morning darkness than me though and that's when the photos aren't as good.

 

Maybe I'll revert to that tactic. I had a few bass flop free and take a tour of my canoe, which is why I started lipping and gripping.

 

@king fisher: Thanks, King, for your informative post. I watch a YouTuber named Old Lady Angler and she fishes from a pedal kayak. Whenever she hooks a bass by weeds and then backpedals to open water, I envy her. Maybe a pedal kayak would be best for me, but right now, I spent every dollar I had on my land and the road. Remember the photos of my boardwalk made from pallets and beaver-dropped trees? That's because I had no money for anything better. 

 

 

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Canoe is the greatest of boats 

 

They are largely forgotten. People are sheep and flock to the newest toy. For a while, that was sea kayaks. Then sit-on-top kayaks. Now it's stand-up paddleboards. Meanwhile, the old canoe gathers dust, despite it's strengths. 

[Alex from GA]

Never fished from a canoe but fish from a kayak, in rivers, always downstream.  Otherwise I have a small, 16', tin bassboat that I use all the time.  With a bow trolling motor it can be placed anywhere and kept there.  Fairly shallow draft to get to places a larger boat can't, can stand up, has comfortable seats, room for tackle and rods and is easy to tow.  What ever you choose, a lithium battery will make it better.

[herder]

I'm biased, have been kayak fishing here in the northeast for 20 years.

I've been using an Eddyline Caribbean 14' for the past 8 years.

It paddles really well, is light weight as it's thermal molded instead of roto molded.

It's been on ponds, rivers, tidal rivers, reservoirs, big lakes, saltwater bays and the big pond (Atlantic Ocean)

I'm 71 years old, and cartop this on a Subaru Forester.

I switched to this due to the weight, my kayak before this was a Wilderness Tarpon 12' which was over 70 lbs.

I can bring 4 rods comfortably and 3 to 4 plano boxes in a milk crate with 3 rod holders on it.

Also have a Wheeleze cart if I need to walk to a launch, have the Wheeleze cause some of my launched I have to travel over sugar sand, their the only cart that works on that stuff.

I only paddle, so I do have several carbon fiber paddles which make a huge difference.

My fishing trips are usually between 6 to 7 hrs, yeah my butt gets sore after that long, sometimes interesting getting out of the kayak after that long on the water, legs are a little rubbery 😃

Pedal kayaks work well, but a lot of them are pushing 100 lbs.

    

[Dwight Hottle]

Katie get a small camera tripod & set it up in the front of the boat. You can put a camera on it or your phone. That is what I used on Erie when I fished by myself. You can either set the phone or camera to take a pic on a 15 or 30 second delay or buy a blue tooth hand held trigger that takes the pic for you. I used to use the delay method but switched to the blue tooth device & it was very slick. Total cost would be around $50. Take a look at my profile albums & you can see all the smallies pics I took by myself where I'm sitting in front of the big motor. 

[gimruis]

25 minutes ago, Dwight Hottle said:

Katie get a small camera tripod & set it up in the front of the boat. You can put a camera on it or your phone. That is what I used on Erie when I fished by myself. You can either set the phone or camera to take a pic on a 15 or 30 second delay or buy a blue tooth hand held trigger that tales the pic for you. I used to use the delay method but switched to the blue tooth device & it was very slick. Total cost would be around $50. Take a look at my profile albums & you can see all the smallies pics I took by myself where I'm sitting in front of the big motor. 

 

I recently added a clip phone holder to use when I'm fishing solo so I can take action shots while holding a nice fish.  It attached to the wind shield of my console and I face it forward towards the bow.  I will admit though, it takes some getting used to.  And the bigger the fish, the more difficult it is to take a decent photo.  I use the 3 second delay photo option on my phone for it.  Not sure if a tripod of clip holder would work for her canoe though.  I could see that being an issue.

 

Of course, the easiest, most effective way to take a good photo is just have someone else do it.  Many of us fish solo so alternative options are needed.  I asked my dog to take a photo back in July and she just looked back at me and said "sorry, no thumbs." 😂

[MN Fisher]

On 9/1/2024 at 10:25 AM, ol'crickety said:

So, fingers crossed I can afford a GoPro pretty soon.

No need to go to that expense....all the shots below were take with a cheap $50 action camera

 

This is the camera - I plug it into a USB port connected to my house battery, and put a 256gb card in it...it'll record an entire day of fishing, then I just take screenshots of the vid.

 

[Bankc]

Sounds like you want a WaterCar. 

 

https://www.watercar.com/