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Canoe or kayak

Ryanp1212

Ryanp1212

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Messages
310
Location
Illinois
Grandpa had to sell his boat due to health issues so I'm looking into canoe or kayak.. pros cons what do u guys all use. I mainly fish smaller lakes and creeks
 
I personally love my 20' canoe. its a little cumbersome for one person to move but it rides on top of the truck well. Its made for two so its easy to take a second person or just sit in the middle. It's also nice because you can attach a trolling motor to it easily. One of my favorite lakes is basically a mile long trench and the best spot for crappie is on the far end from the access. With my 55# troller I can get there in a matter of minutes. otherwise I've been able to paddle the entire lake (about 2.5 miles) in a little over an hour with me and my dog.
 
I like a yak but they lack storage and gear space. Trying to haul 150 # of carp back across the lake doesn't work well. Canoe is nice too for camping gear or hunting. Nice to haul your deer back.
 
Man, the comparison of canoe vs kayak is really getting blurred these days. Boat configurations sure are changing. With so many hull designs, it's ts not easy to define the difference these days.
I'm a life long paddler. I like canoes. But I have 3. One royalex for general river trips, another royalex for whitewater, and a kevlar for flatwater. Each has its place.
 
Ryanp1212 said:
How are they paddling on a breezy day
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I usually fish from the back seat in mine. When crossing the lake in a wind I'll kneel down on the floor which puts the center of gravity lower and seems to make it easier to steer in the wind. Each type has their trade offs but for my style of use I like the canoe. Going back upstream is not a problem.
 
I have both. My kayak is made by Nucanoe. I use it more than the regular canoe, but if I want a passenger the canoe is the way to go..
 
Ryanp1212 said:
Or back upstream
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Fine on both accounts. I actually find a canoe more maneuverable than a kayak, because you have leverage when turning the boat due to sitting at the end instead of the middle.

You can also get a longer stroke with a canoe paddle, and your pushing it more from the back. Kayak paddling is easier to learn, but not really optimal. I know I can make circles around folks in big, sit-on-top kayaks in a good canoe.
 
Blacksmith said:
I usually fish from the back seat in mine. When crossing the lake in a wind I'll kneel down on the floor which puts the center of gravity lower and seems to make it easier to steer in the wind. Each type has their trade offs but for my style of use I like the canoe. Going back upstream is not a problem.
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This is exactly what I do too. In my canoe I always make sure any extra weight is in the front before I go to cross a windy lake. If you get on your knees you'll be much more stable plus be able to make a longer paddle stroke. By myself in the long canoe the front does come up a bit which can get pushed around in the wind but not horribly.

Nutterbuster said:
I actually find a canoe more maneuverable than a kayak, because you have leverage when turning the boat due to sitting at the end instead of the middle.
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This right here. It takes a little more time to learn but once you master the different strokes steering is better than even a kayak with rudder.
 
There are way too many generalizations being made on this thread.
A canoe CAN be more maneuverable or it can be LESS maneuverable. It all depends on the hull design. My Mowhawk white water canoe turns on a dime because it has a lot of rocker.
My kevlar Wenonah go straight and is fast because it's designed to do just that. Its great to carry and portage, but I don't want to run shallow, rocky rivers.
My 2 Royalex canoes are super rugged, but they are in the 60 pound range...not pleasant to portage.
A nice thing about canoes is that they can be trimmed (weight distribution to balance the boat front to rear)in order to deal with wind or maneuvering.
Kayaks are a whole other discussion. Some of the newer boats are more of a hybrid...like a blend of kayak and canoe.
Each has its place and its attributes.
But ALL boats suck if you don't know how to paddle.
Learn proper paddling technique before making generalizations about how they perform.
 
Definitely more to it than just canoe or kayak. Hull design makes a huge difference in both. I fish a lot and have used both in many different circumstances. I have never used either for hunting. If you get a good wind chop in the ocean or open water I'd go sit n top yak. Let's water in and out the hull or if you are in a strong wind or current I've found a more stream line kayak better. For more gear calmer water and/ or another person i prefer my canoe. Width length make a huge difference in both. Longer skinnier tracks better/ quicker easier to paddle. Wider more stable less ease to paddle. Look up different hulls for both. Imo for what i do I prefer a kayak. You're millage may very. Hope is helps some.
 
I'm a fan of hobie kayaks. I've had an outback and currently have a pro angler 12. I started with wilderness systems tarpon 120 and have owned a ride 115. Still own the tarpon as well and a 15ft canoe I've had longer than both about 10 years. All serve different purposes. The pedal drive with the hobie is a game changer for fishing. Hands free unless your turning.
 
If you want to fish from your vessel at the same time as you’re controlling it then a kayak will run circles around a canoe. Especially if you poney up some dough for the peddled ones. They will way a lot more and cost a lot more though and at that point you might be better off just buying a small boat. I spent a several years kayak fishing in bay waters leading into the Gulf of Mexico and a canoe wouldn’t stand a chance. That said I recently made the choice to get a canoe instead of a kayak because of what a lot of others have already mentioned. Your carrying capacity is far greater which allows you do a little more. I’m usually going with someone so it’s a breeze to handle. Sure you could bass fish out of a canoe but I think it would be a bit of a pain. Wind is gonna knock you around a little more too. I got the canoe to be able to take my wife and dog on fishing and camping trips, perfect for small creeks and lakes (which is the type of water I’m near now). I also plan to hunt out of it this coming deer season and it won’t batt an eye at a couple extra hundred pounds.

I think you should clarify what type of fishing you want to do out of it and if you want it explicitly for fishing. That would changes things for me if I was you.

That said I might try do an experiment with my new to me canoe and see how well I do controlling it while bass fishing.

I think a canoe would be fine for more stationary types of fishing.
 
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