Rec Kayak or Solo Canoe??? HELP!

[MEandJAZZY]

I am a fisherman who loves to fish rivers! I enjoy catching small bass on top water! I could catch small ones all day long and never care about a big one... (don't get me wrong... my heart pumps when a big bass grabs my plug!). I have been using an old 14' flat bottom and the Saline River is too shallow for me to be getting in and out of the boat and getting all my stuff soaked. I guess my question is... What is best for river fishing? A sit on top Kayak or a solo canoe? I would like to be able to stand up so if it were a kayak, I would get a sit on top. But if I got a solo canoe, would i still have to be gettting in and out?? I am 180 lb and 6'2" if that helps. Any suggestions out there experts?

[AR-Nimrod]

Check out Native Watercrafts boats they have some that are like canoe/kayak hybrids. Ultimate is the boat name, I think. My wife and daughter have NW Manta Ray SOT's and my daughter can stand up in hers. OOO in Hot Springs carries them. Very good boats.

[MEandJAZZY]

Thanks, I will chack that out. I am still just wondereing what would be best. The kayak or the conoe?

[AR-Nimrod]

Personally, I love fishing out of a SOT Kayak. You can turn sideways and hang your feet over the side. I carry a telesoping paddle for sculling after I get to my desired location. FWIW SOT's are nearly impossible to sink. The canoe will be roomier and allow better access to gear. It wil also carry more gear. The best thing would be to try paddling each before buying.

[strokin007]

jackson coosa sot and stand up gotta check it out, i love mine.....

[vtsquid]

hay

I am a Canoer my nature, So personally I would push for a canoe, BUT! I know of alot of fisher people that love the sityaks alot for fishing and playing in the water. I dont know about standing on them tho

You can stand in a canoe, but for fishing that could be risky,

Going solo or a two seat'r... I would stick with a two seat'r! I solo my 14' old Town osprey, ive solo'd 16 to 18 footers as well with ease, the solos are very nice and would love to have one, but I always run into one problem, once you get a solo, thats all it is, a solo canoe, with a tandem canoe you can always bring someone IF you want to

I would list the pro's and con's out on this one and make your decision from there, if you can see if you can test some boats out too!!! I know OOO in hot springs would help you out, the people at the shop are wonderful, and always a great help!

good luck
Bryan

[MEandJAZZY]

The jackson looks sweet! That would be great if I could prove to myself I would use it all the time. I am a Special Ed teacher during the school year so I have the whole summer off so I am trying to get into a new hobby.

As for the canoes I am afraid that I will just be doing a lot of getting in and out to cross shoals... so I figure the bigger the canoe the more I will have to do that. If I had the solo I would so take My chocolat lab "Jazzy" in there so I would always have a fishing budy!

I think what I will do is go buy a cheep Pelican from Acedemy to prove to myself how much I would use it and that way I will have a spare when I upgrade...

[arfish]

I was getting ready to buy a fishing kayak when it was suggested to me to look into solo canoes. I made the switch and bought a solo canoe and I am glad I did. The biggest advantage a fishing kayak has over a canoe is that they are less effected by the wind since they have lower sides. But with pretty much everything else the canoe has the advantage. You will be able to carry more equipment in a canoe, if you ever plan on doing an overnighter a canoe is a better choice. Canoes track better than a kayak(the fishing kayaks mentioned above) and will be a bit quicker. A quicker, straighter canoe is a big advantage when fishing, as less paddling means more fishing.
Check out a Mohawk Solo 14(14 feet long) or a Wenonah Vagabond(14.5 feet long. The Solo 14 weighs 44 pounds and the Vagabond weighs 43 pounds. The coosa weighs 63 pounds and is only 11'3" and the Manta Ray 12 is 63 pounds and is 12'. I would think that a longer lighter craft would have a shallower draft than a heavier shorter craft. If you want to bring the dog along, then the canoe also has the advantage there too.
Don't get me wrong, kayaks have their place and they are fun to paddle, and I would love to own one down the road, but if you are looking for one boat to fish out of on small rivers and streams I think the solo canoe is the way to go.

[MEandJAZZY]

Arfish... THANKS! What are some of the things you dont like about your canoe? I have been leaning more towards a canoe but those things are expensive! I would have to prove to myself I would use it.

[arfish]

The biggest disadvantage is that my canoe has sharp entry lines, and could get easily swamped in big waves or drops. I deal with this by not taking it down big waves or drops. If the water is high and the rapids are roaring I can almost always find a safer route down the rapid, and I don't like to take risks with my Shimano reels and Falcon rods. And as I mentioned before windy days can be a bear in a canoe, especially in open water. But if you plan on floating mostly rivers, you get a little shelter from the wind since you are down in a valley.

Dave Thomas with Mohawk Canoes in Ft. Smith sometimes has good deals on canoes and there is a Vagabond in the Springfield, MO area on CL that would save you some money. http://springfield.craigslist.org/boa/2458966118.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And if you can, demo some different boats and find out what you like.

[wally]

i have a 14 ft bell yellowstone solo canoe and a dagger approach 10 kayak and have fished from both. there is no comparison for fishing. with the canoe you are higher above the water which makes a big difference in a day of fishing. in the kayak you have to hold the rod up higher which tires out your arms. the canoe has more room for an ice chest to put the fish in plus room for a couple of rods in an easy to reach location, place for tackle,etc. i use a small wooden sculling paddle in the canoe for manuevering and can switch between it and my paddle easily. in a kayak, storing your double bladed paddle is a little more difficult. the only downside to the canoe is wind but in a good wind either boat is going to be affected.
the canoe draws less water although they weigh the same, 43 pounds. getting in and out of the canoe is easier. i do some fishing when the rivers are low and the fish are biting and get in and out dragging the boat along. this is easier in the canoe than the kayak.

[MEandJAZZY]

Thanks for the info wally! You gave me information that would take me dozen trips to figure out! What rivers do you fish? Do you have a problem with rough water?

[Jim Krueger]

M&J,

When I float fish, it's from one of the various sit-in kayaks I own. Regardless of whether you should settle on a kayak or canoe, I just know you'll really most enjoy how quiet both are because they're plastic rather than metal, very quite and fish-stealthy!
Wally is a long-time floating, float-fishing friend, and I can really vouch for the shorter canoe for the more dedicated fisherman. You'll certainly have more room to carry larger ice chests, if you keep any fish, as well as just more flexibility to switch between sitting on a seat in the pools, to kneeling on the floor when needed to when running rapids.
Can the canoes take on rough waters? On many occassions we both do encounter some pretty good rapids between pools on the rivers we float and fish, and they are no problem for experienced boaters of either craft.
Good luck with your boat choice in the future. I too live here in Benton and just two weeks or so ago, I kayak-fished from Riverside to the I-30 G&F access. The river is sure low right now but I could just breeze on down most of the rapids that were hanging-up the two flat-bottomed boats on the same stretch with me. I don't quite understand what you don't care for in getting out to wade or portage a rapid but regardless what craft you float the river in, there will be many times you'll have to get out, it's just a part of river fishing many times when the river is fairly low. I can say that in fishing from my kayaks versus when I fished from a bass boat, I have switched from a standard 'tackle box' to placing my extra line/ baits/ etc. in a dry bag to keep everything squared away, and no rusted hooks :) I'll also carry a few of the most-used replacements in a very small water-proof bait box. It's as good or better in the small river situation than I could ever ask for in a bigger conventional boat, except I do not stand up, unless I'm out of my boat, thigh-deep in the river wade-fishing. Good comments from all, I hope this well help. If you'd care to try a sit-in kayak here on the Saline anytime, please just let me know, we can sure take one of the extra kayaks and make the short float from Riverside to Lyle Park if you'd like to get the feel for it.. Can't help you with the canoes, but they are just as nimble, and Mo better in many ways!


Best Regards
Jim Moose

[MEandJAZZY]

The less time I spend walking a boat the more time I get to fish! And I have been fishing a flat bottom boat with a battery, trl. moter, gear... just sooooo heavy haha. I have fished the sit in before, and I just didn't feel comfortable not enough space it felt like. I also just like being able to bail out of a stuck craft...

If you ever need a fishing buddy around here hit me up. I am always down for a fishing buddy.

[okieboater]

I used to fish quite a bit.

Used a Old Town Pack Canoe.

Great for walk in farm ponds or for me the hi altitude mountain lakes that I fished for trout in. Seems like most of these ponds have a sloping bottom to the drop off that is just farther out than I could cast a lure. The Pack Canoe solved the problem and was so light I could easily carry it and fishing gear a decent distance.

Old Town pack canoes are great for fishing, not what I would recommend for cruising or camping but work great for one person and regular fishing gear. I suspect a Pack would work for fishing even on the Buffalo, but it is not a speed canoe more better for slow drift fishing.