@Swamp Girl have you had it in the water yet? 
Your right spray paint is cheap, and I’d stand on my head and try to drink root beer, if it I thought it would get a double digit. 

1 hour ago, GRiver said:

@Swamp Girl have you had it in the water yet? 
Your right spray paint is cheap, and I’d stand on my head and try to drink root beer, if it I thought it would get a double digit. 

 

Nope, G, too cold and windy for a test paddle. Here's a gift for you! It's worth a shot:

 

Congrats on the new boat! I've been thinking about getting something like this or a kayak to get on some of these smaller lakes that aren't accessible to larger rigs. 

I like the looks of the Old Town NEXT. It's a little lighter and longer than most Fishin' kayaks and I like its carrying capacity. I haven't paddled it yet, but it gets good reviews for both tracking and turning.

9 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

I haven't paddled it yet, but it gets good reviews for both tracking and turning.

 

I winced I wrote the above because many paddlers have only paddled one or two canoes and as I read those reviews, I understood that they were speaking from inexperience. This is true of many reviews, regardless of what is being reviewed. A boat that tracks well will be harder to turn. A boat that turns easily won't track well. You get one or the other.

 

It's like sportscars and trucks. You can build a nimble, quick vehicle (sportscar) or a vehicle that carries and pulls a lot (truck), but you can't build vehicle that does all that equally well. 

I value tracking over turning, no whitewater with my Osprey, that’s what rentals are for.

1 hour ago, padlin said:

I value tracking over turning, no whitewater with my Osprey, that’s what rentals are for.

 

Me too. I paddle miles every fishing trip and I don't want paddle even more because I'm zig-zagging everywhere. 

 

13 hours ago, NorthernBasser said:

Congrats on the new boat! I've been thinking about getting something like this or a kayak to get on some of these smaller lakes that aren't accessible to larger rigs. 

 

"Smaller lakes that aren't accessible to larger rigs" are my bliss:

 

 

See those top three bass? I had to drag my canoe a couple times over water that was too skinny to float even my canoe to reach them.

Some beautiful Maine Bass, Swamp Girl!

@Fishingmickey: Thanks, Mick! I drove past China Lake yesterday and thought of you. There's a little pond just down the road from China Lake called Beech Pond, right off 3, and I've long wanted to fish it. There's a parking lot and then a little hike down a path.

Let's test your canoe paddling skills.  Do you paddle from just one side of the canoe most the time and just change sides when in a pinch and need to make a hard move, or do paddle by constantly switching from left to right? 

If you paddle from just one side, my hats off to you for actually learning how to paddle one.

Can you barrel role one while in it.  I can but that's something I've a couple of other people be able to do.  I guess I should rephrase that, "that's something I could do" when probably 30 years younger.  Now, I won't even sit my butt in mine, and it's cargo canoe, bigger and much wider than yours.

@Way2slow: Keith, this isn't the first time I've been asked if I J-stroke.

 

My answer always disappoints: "No."

 

I can, but I choose to switch sides for efficiency and speed. A J-stroke turns your paddle into a rudder and a rudder creates drag. Drag is not my friend because I have miles to paddle before I sleep over water lovely, dark, and deep. Plus, while your paddle is ruddering, you're not paddling. Again, miles to go.

 

No one can barrel roll a canoe. It can't be done. You need a closed boat with a deck.

 

Here's my new boat. It's open:

 

 

 Now you could roll a C1 with hull-filling flotation bags, but at that point, it's a pretty much a kayak, a long ways from my NEXT canoe:

 

 

I have the Sportsman 119 from the first post which is the offspring of the NEXT, I’d love a NEXT btw, great pickup Swamp Girl.
 

On the topic of paddling, I use a kayak paddle, you may want to try one with the NEXT. It takes a little getting used to but is significantly more efficient than the single blade.

Not talking about using the J stroke.  I've never done that either, too much wasted energy.  Using the proper size canoe paddle, you just learn the proper angle to hold the paddle as you go through the stroke and maybe give it a little twist at the end.  Get it right and you can go left, right or straight without changing sides of the boat.  I found it took a lot less effort than switch sides and could paddle almost as one hard stroking side to side.  Now, there is a big difference between true canoe paddle and a boat paddle.   For non-running water like lake/ponds etc, I always preferred a long blade.

 

Understand, I didn't specify you had to be sitting in the seat, just in the canoe, and no it's not impossible to barrel role one if it will float full of water.  You sit in the middle under the center cross brace, raise your legs up and wedge yourself in with your thighs, if you roll over you use the paddle to complete the role and bring it back up. Yes, it will be full of water but you are still in it and can paddle to the bank or bail it out.    I learned this trick back when I was a teenager (many, many years ago) from a friend that lived on a section of river that had fast moving and white water we had to go through to get to the better fishing.  We strapped everything in the canoe and sat in the bottom, braced in with our thighs to go through that white water section.  Out of a couple dozen trips, I actually had to do it twice.  It is a lot harder to upright than kayak and takes some pretty good upper body strength.

 

8 minutes ago, TheSwearingAngler said:

I have the Sportsman 119 from the first post which is the offspring of the NEXT, I’d love a NEXT btw, great pickup Swamp Girl.
 

On the topic of paddling, I use a kayak paddle, you may want to try one with the NEXT. It takes a little getting used to but is significantly more efficient than the single blade.

 

The NEXT is really set up for a kayak paddle with its foot braces and I own a couple kayak paddles, but I don't like dealing with their length in a canoe while fishing. I know they make those side-mounting clips that let you store the paddle out of the way, but the inlet where I dock my canoes is so narrow that I'm already scraping bushes on both sides. So, I'll likely stick with a canoe paddle, even though I'm comfy paddling with a kayak paddle, having kayaked thousands of miles. 

 

@Way2slow: Does your magical mystery stroke have a name? Does anyone know it other than you? What make and model canoe were you rolling?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let me just say I apologize for bringing the subject up.  I really could care less how you handle your canoe and sorry I suggested something different.  After all, who am I to suggest something when my only experience has been fifty years of paddling them and jon boats.  I got my canoe when I was 13 and haven't been in it for the past 15 years so that leaves almost 50 years between those two, so I guess there's no way I would have the experience to suggest anything about them.  Mine came with a magic paddle, so I that's what I used.

They are great fishing vessels, enjoy it.  

11 hours ago, Way2slow said:

sorry I suggested something different.

 

I don't know what you suggested, which is why I asked for the stroke's name. If you'd provided it, I would have Googled it, watched some videos, and maybe learned it.

 

"the proper angle" and "a little twist at the end" didn't work for me as an explanation.

 

I asked for your canoe's make and model to shine some light on how you rolled it. I've seen C1s rolled with full hull flotation bags, but nothing rolled like the canoes most people paddle. So, I'm guessing you paddled a short whitewater C1 with big time rocker. Even then, rolling it without flotation bags and hundreds of pounds of water in it would be Herculean and remaining upright in whitewater with water to the gunnels would require balance surpassing an Olympic gymnast's. 

So how you liking the Next?

7 minutes ago, Motoboss said:

So how you liking the Next?

 

I haven't paddled it yet. It's sitting in my garage, waiting for the spring, but thanks for asking. I did order some Yak Attack mounting plates and rod holders, so when I troll as I paddle to the next spot, that will be much easier! I also bought adhesive-backed rubber strips for the gunnels, so my rods and paddle won't strike the hull and spook bass. I'll be painting the bottom of the Next in the spring before I take it to my pond and leave it there. I'm already excited to do that!

Yes unfortunately winter is here! I just finished up my Sportspal and had it out twice but now it’s in the garage too.

 I use a kayak paddle and the “rubber strips” you speak off sound like a great idea. Are you wrapping the paddle and putting them on the top gunnels or just the gunnels?

11 minutes ago, Motoboss said:

Yes unfortunately winter is here! I just finished up my Sportspal and had it out twice but now it’s in the garage too.

 I use a kayak paddle and the “rubber strips” you speak off sound like a great idea. Are you wrapping the paddle and putting them on the top gunnels or just the gunnels?

 

Just the gunnels. I am thinking of wrapping a little orange tape around my paddle, right above the blade. It's carbon and very light and the wind has blown it out of my hands a few times. On a choppy day, it can be hard to spot in the waves as I grab my second paddle to retrieve it. I always clamp on my second paddle!

 

I own a couple kayak paddles and have tried them, but I don't like their length. When I'm not paddling, they take up more space and my canoes are already crowded with rods. 

 

It's cool to talk boats and paddles with you!

I use a long double blade solo canoe paddle (280cm/110inches) because that’s what I’m used to coming from a kayak. Being 6’3” in a 40” wide canoe the length helps keep the oar in the water when stroking but I do hit the gunnel quite often. It is rather large and cumbersome but I have become accustomed to laying it out across my lap and unless the fight goes behind me I have no issues landing a fish, my reach helps a lot 😀

So yeah, your idea of rubber tape on the gunnel sounds like the likely solution!

 

In the non fishing months it is good to at least be able to talk about it, thank you.

 

3 minutes ago, Motoboss said:

In the non fishing months it is good to at least be able to talk about it, thank you.

 

I've never owned such a pretty kayak paddle as yours.

Yeah I had to buy a new one as I had never owned a double blade. It’s almost too shiny 😝

With tracks, the accessory options are wide open. I got a really great cup holder that doubles as a used lure holder, probably my most used addition to my kayak last year and it was cheap (<$20).

 

Mine is the Scotty 311, but there are many other brands and variations. That lip around the edge is super useful though if you're like me and like to hang lures to dry out prior to repacking them. I throw used plastics in the bottom, sit my water bottle on those, and hang lures on the edge. 

 

I know you don't want to go electronic, but just hypothetically 😎... the switchblade transducer mount would work great on that canoe if your track is on the edge which it looks like there is space for. Then you could throw even a minimal unit on there to check depth and water temp if nothing else. 

 

Enjoy your new setup, I know you'll have a ton of fun in it and catch thousands of fish next year that I'll be drooling over! 

Where camo matters is for duck hunters - it's no advantage for fishing.  

 

I have 10' river kayak and 16' coast razor, both orange, and always catching big fish at my knees.  

Yesterday, two longnose gar followed all the way to my boat, close enough I could have touched them.  No fish has better eyes.  

What's more important than camo is being seen by powerboats.  

(Nina and I were snapping each other in last fall's rodeo)