# Canoes?



## booyahfishing (Jul 8, 2008)

I realize this is a kayak forum, but I have been looking into getting a canoe as opposed to a kayak. Does a kayak have a lot more advantages to it or do yall think I can accomplish the same type of stuff?


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## AUradar (Oct 1, 2007)

have you ever paddled a kayak? They are far more stable than a canoe. If you haven't, there are lots of stores where you can try them out.

I'm kind-of in a market for a canoe. I want to take my kids out when we go camping and kayaks don't work well for riders. Other than that I would go kayak over a canoe.


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## booyahfishing (Jul 8, 2008)

Yeah, I have paddled both many times before. I would put myself as an advanced paddler for both, I guess growing up beinga Boy Scout will teach ya a few things.


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## true-king (Oct 2, 2007)

I'd say your best bet would be a kayak. Canoes are hard to control ona windy day and don't work well in waves. I do like taking my friend's canoe out on a calm day on the sound docks. It's nice to have a lot more space and you can act like a guide in the back and paddle the front guy into the shallows/docks.


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## booyahfishing (Jul 8, 2008)

Any suggestions for the type of kayak to buy or where at? I noticed on one thread a lot of guys had fish finders and other crazy stuff on the kayaks... I was just amazed to see how elaborate setups people could get.


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## AUradar (Oct 1, 2007)

if you're ever over in Destin, I think Bass-Pro shop typically has a "loaded" kayak set for sale. Not sure how good it is though.


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## timman (Oct 3, 2007)

Check out Pensacola Kayak and Sail on Barrancas (end of Old Barrancas) Avenue. Also, I highly recommend you go to Key Sailing on P'cola Beach (on the left just past the toll booth - by Hemingway's) and check out the Hobie Mirage Drive kayaks. I can personally vouch for the Hobies - I own two of them.

Good luck!


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## SheYakFishr (Oct 1, 2007)

If I had a choice.... it would be a kayak... HANDS DOWN!!!! :bowdown


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## jake69455 (Jan 13, 2008)

One of the big advantages SOT (sit on top) kayaks have over canoes is the ability to just flip them back over and climb back on if/when you get swamped in deep water far from shore by the wave you didn't see in time (or the drunk in the speedboat coming too close). Make sure you tie EVERYTHING down you don't want to lose. Leash it or lose it is the motto to live by. There are a lot of kayak sites to try, gulf coast kayak fishing assoc. (GCKFA) mobile bay kayak fishing assoc(MBKFA). bayou coast kayak fishing assoc. (BCKFA)just to name a few. Kayakfishingstuff.com has a lot of helpful forums. Most of the kayak fishing or paddling clubs are always happy to help someone get started in the sport, so find one in your area and drop by a meeting or a demonstration day at a local boat shop. A lot of the people who own a kayak have a spare or two and probably won't mind letting you try one out. And always try before you buy if possible.


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## Framerguy (Oct 2, 2007)

I have kayaked and canoed for the better part of 50 years and it is my opinion that, if you consider yourself an "advanced paddler" in both craft, I would think that by now you would know the main differences and pros and cons of each?? Both have certain benefits and certain drawbacks, in my opinion, and alot depends on what your main use for the watercraft will be. 

I was a wilderness guide in the Quetico up in So. Ontario for 7 summers and canoed over 4000 miles in some of the most pristine wilderness in lower North America! I would *not*have taken a kayak on any of those trips if they were free and I got paid to paddle them!!! They just wouldn't do the job needed to haul all your gear andclothing needed for a 2 or 3 week's trip into the wilderness. Just the freeze dried food alone would be more than your average kayak would have room to carry. Alot can happen on a 21 day wilderness trip and the weather can change on you, wind can make lakes as dangerous as the Gulf when they blow up 6 or 7' rollers on a 100' deep lake, and you may hit a "dry" period for fishing so you usually always have to carry enough food to last for the entire trip. Plus a kayak, particularly a SOT kayak, isn't the most fun to carry across a long rocky portage through heavy woods and brush.

For traveling or day tripping, you cannot beat a kayak for speed and maneuverability. And they far out work a canoe for most types of fishing although, if you have to portage to or from one lake into another or from stream to stream, a canoe will be much more adaptable to carrying than a SOT kayak. I have carried SIK kayaks with little or no trouble but a canoe is easily portaged and can carry so much more gear and supplies.

Forgeneral handling, speed, versatility, and overall enjoyment though, I have to give a two thumbs up to both types of kayaks. We got to the point in our fishing group up North where we wouldn't even fish with anyone in a canoe because, if we had to paddle very far to our honey holes, we had to stop and wait for the canoes every 15 minutes or so!!! They were just too slow to run with the kayaks. We could out distance them by over a quarter mile in just about 15 minutes of paddling, they were that fast compared to most aluminum canoes.


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## rhumbrunner (Sep 27, 2007)

Come See us over here at Gulf Shores Kayaks. We can let you test ride a few and chek em out!


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## Linda (Oct 2, 2007)

I've had a OK scrambler xt since '91 , and now have a Hobie adventurer with mirage . The speed and hands free fishing of the hobie is great , but I miss the simplicity of carrying the scrambler under my arm like a surfboard and throwing it in the pick-up or in the water from a dock or seawall , check a fewholes ,and if no luck , on to the next. With the hobie at 13'6" and 70lbs., it makes it a big issue for me personally.


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## booyahfishing (Jul 8, 2008)

Based upon what I have read here, it seems the smarter and more intelligent purchase would be to go with getting a kayak, now I just have to start researching to buy a good entry level one. Once I think I have one, hopefully some people here will have some sound reviews for it. Thanks


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## FLSalomon (Oct 3, 2007)

You can check out the Native Watercraft Ultimate or Magic models - they are kayaks, but look like canoes. The Ultimate series really is closer to a canoe, the Magic is a double hulled kayak with a deeper hull. Both stable enough to stand in and have the most comfortable seat you will ever sit on - guaranteed. Speed and stabilty of a yak, storage room of a canoe...


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## thegarb (Jul 4, 2008)

I was in the market for a kayak, but ended up with a canoe. I take it on the sound and have gone down1 river so far. If you're with a buddy, it's good. But I'm hoping to get a kayak soon for the times I want to go out by myself. A big ol' canoe can be a little cumbersome by yourself. Here's a site with a whole bunch of reviews and info... http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/


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## Framerguy (Oct 2, 2007)

Canoes can be Hell in a medium to strong wind if you don't know how to load them when canoeing by yourself. It is always wise to check the weather first and stay to the more protected areas when solo canoeing in windy weather. I have been out on a large lake with nothing but a tackle box and a couple of rods when the wind kicked up and I had to put in on an island or the nearest shore and load a few large rocks in the bow of the canoe just to help keep the bow down in the water and lower to the wind. Down here, rocks are really scarce!!! If you haven't tried this yet, when canoeing solo, try paddling the canoe "backwards". In other words, turn it around so the bow is behind you and sit in the "front seat" which is further forward on the hull and will give you much better control than trying to paddle from the normal stern with that nose sticking up in the wind! It will act much like a sail and just keep tossing you around with the wind and make it very difficult to strike a course to anywhere if you are alone. 

If you haven't practiced the J-stroke or draw strokes yet, you might want to get used to using them. They take much of the work out of paddling a canoe in anything stronger than flat water. They both will help you maintain a straight course and can be used from either seat.

And those Native watercraft are well worth checking out in my opinion. They are a hybrid of a kayak and a canoe as was mentioned, and are really unique in their design and speed. If my sights weren't so set on a Hobie as my next kayak purchase, I would definitely consider one of the Native models. My prime use for a kayak is fishing so the Hobie is more suited to my use. If I were doing trips and more touring with a kayak, I probably would go for the Native over the Hobie. I don't think they are as fast as a Hobie but they have more cargo space which is important if I am going out for a week or so.


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## scm67 (Feb 9, 2008)

Check outa Gheenoe. It'smore stable than a canoe or kayak. And you can put an outboard on them. I use a 34 lb thrust trolling motor on mine and it will push it at 7 knots.Easy as a canoe to paddle. Deckit out as much as you want. I have one and I love it.


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## Linda (Oct 2, 2007)

Damn, Im diggen the native ultimate, twin hull. Its stable enough to stand and fish in and your feet sit lower than your butt. Howawsome is that?


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## FLSalomon (Oct 3, 2007)

yeah - Native has some very nice kayak designs. I don't try to stand up in may yak but I tested the Ultimate 14 and it was easy to stand and it paddled well. But it gets better - they are now selling the Ultimate with a bicycle-like pedal drive - pedals turn a prop. You can go in reverse with it. Prop swivels up out of the way in shallow water or launch/recovery. Very sweet looking design.


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## Linda (Oct 2, 2007)

Hey Flsalomon, who's a dealer and where to demo if so?


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## 60hertz (Oct 1, 2007)

i've only kayak fished from a Hobie w/ Mirage Drive system, so I have no other Kayaking experience. I enjoy the stealthiness of a kayak and the ease of launching it and especially the maintenance (as compared to my Key West 17' skiff).

But, I HATE having to really go "light" when Kayak fishing. I hate having to re-rig my lures in the kayak and twisting around to reach stuff behind me is less than desirable.

I have also thought of a canoe, but like everyone has said - they are not stable and they can not handle sloppy conditions very well. But, it would be nice to have "something" that was the best of both worlds.

I'm currently thinking about building one of these: http://www.unclejohns.com/boat/. The cajuns have used them for duck hunting and fishing in the shallow swamps for years. I've been thinking of one of these for just launching and hitting docks or paddling VERY near shore (in the sound or bay). These might be aviable option. Plus, I'd enjoy building one just for the sake of doing it.

If it is sloppy or windy thenI'd rather be in the boat anyway.


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## FLSalomon (Oct 3, 2007)

Ernie, I just checked the Native site and they are coming out with an Ultimate with a trolling motor designed to fit where the pedal drive goes - really cool. The pedal drive looks sweet and it goes backwards... Go to Pensacola Kayak & Sail, they are the local dealer. They have all of the Native models to try out.

http://www.nativewatercraft.com/ult_14_propel.cfm


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## biehnfishin (Apr 30, 2008)

This is my first post, and I was motivated to reply because I have a Native Ultimate 12. I have a serious obsession with flyfishing and wanted something stable enough to stand in, but not so bulky that it would be a pain in the butt to maneuver. Most of my fishing is done in the bay around Big Lagoon chasing anything that swims and in the fresh/brackish water ponds around the Perdido Key area chasing Large Mouth Bass.

Positives: Very good primary stability (I stand in it more than I sit); outstanding seating system; hauls all your gear; can fit smaller children both fore and aft; good maneuverability even though it's more of a canoe/kayak hybrid; it comes with a retractable skeg that allows for better tracking; the seating system can be set up on the gunwales giving you a higher perspective of the surrounding water; tons of great accessories available.

Negaitves: My skeg only worked for a few times out. The guy at P-cola Kayak and Sail said that that is a common problem. I haven't motivated myslef enough yet to tinker with it. I can still mannually deploy the skeg before getting in the water...so it's not a big deal; Sit on top kayaks typically have sculper holes that allow for watter drainage, the Ultimate does not. If water comes in over the sides, or drips in from your paddle, the water stays in the watercraft until you sponge it out or bail it out with a cup; obviously, it's not as fast as other kayks, but it's certainly not a lug in the water.

Before I finally decided on the Ultimate, I test paddled the Tarpon 120, Tarpon 140, Redfish 14 and a few Ocean Kayaks. I almost purchased the Redfish but the Ultimate really impressed me.

Tight lines.

Jb


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