Conference wahoo::fishing

    Although I'm sure most people won't agreee, let me put in my $.02
    for the poor maligned canoe.  I have been fishing out of my canoe
    for 10 years and have yet to turn it over.  This includes two boys
    who have grown from 6 and 4 to 16 and 14.  The canoe is great for
    float trips on rivers and is very quiet on lakes and ponds.  There
    have been many times when I caught fish in places the "pros" with
    their big fancy bass boats couldn't get to.  
    	If you decide to go canoe, make sure you get one with a deep
    keel.  The deeper the keel, the more water it takes to float the
    canoe but there is less chance of overturning.  The best thing about
    a canoe is when the fish aren't bitin' you can always paddle
    through some quiet backwater and enjoy nature.  We have paddled
    within 10 feet of deer since the canoe is so quiet in the water.

    Steve,
    Here's another two cents worth. I have a bass boat, 17' 10", and
    I can both lauch and recover by myself. Its no problem with a drive
    on trailer and doesn't take me ten minutes to put it up and five
    minutes to lauch it. The secret, if there is one, is the drive on.
    
    While I can't go everywhere a cartop can, mainly because of lauches,
    I can take it up rivers and do so in comfort. Bass boats don't draw
    a lot of water. Mine maybe draws 10 inches. 
    
    So, I wouldn't rule out a nice stable, comfortable, well equiped
    boat and trailer for fear of handling by yourself. There may be
    other reasons, but not that one.
    
    Tight lines, Ron
    

    Well Steve this is a real tough one,
    
    Canoe: Unless you have a poor sense of balance, I wouldn't call
    it unstable.  I'd say it is less stable then others.  Since you
    said lone fisherman then who's worrying about a crowd?  One, two
    or three people depending on canoe size can fish from one.
    
    Inflatable: I don't have any experience with them and would be
    concerned about punctures also; however, with today's designs and
    materials that might be remote.  With the number of chambers in
    the better ones, I don't believe your dead in the water if a puncture
    does occur.  I would have to investigate further.  I do not like
    the idea of having to spend time inflating and deflating before
    and after.
    
    Flat bottom: Agree with you.  Plenty of room and comfortable.  Not
    the ideal on open water in inclement weather.
    
    Semi-vee: Costs more? More than what?  Can't really agree with that
    statement.  Less cartoppable?  Not really, they are probably more
    awkward to handle out of the water, but I don't know about less
    cartoppable.  Can't stand up?  You can to stretch your legs, but
    not recommended for a fishing position.  I grew up fishing in a
    canoe an never once tipped it, and I would stand up in that to stretch
    my long legs.
    
    Now they all have their advantages and disadvantages.  You are
    looking for an allround boat in all types of water.  This is the
    tough part.  If you can narrow that down in any way that would make
    the decision easier.  For instance,  do you favor fishing for
    particular fish or would fish for them more often than others? 
    Do you troll more than still fish or like to keep moving along?
    If the answers are a little of everything,  I would have to say
    a manageable cartop Semi-vee, next a flat bottom jon-type boat,
    and then a canoe.  I would go for the car top because this would
    allow the greatest access to all waters.  The Semi-vee would allow
    fairly comfortable fishing and room and handles well in more open
    water under inclement conditions.  The jon boat does not handle
    the open water as well but would allow easier access to the shallows
    and streams.  The canoe is easily blown around on open waters but
    can't be beat in those hard to get places, backwaters, beaver ponds,
    etc.  All can be propelled by oars/paddles or an appropriate size
    electric motor or gas motor.  The order of the list could easily
    change though with the kind of fishing one would more likely be
    doing.
    
    By the way, I totally agree with RE:1 and RE:2 for their reasons.
    
    Steve

    Well if you really want to travel ultralight you could get a float
    tube and some waders, very comfortable and very portable. If you
    also purchase apump to insert into your cigarette lighter they inflate
    very fast (these are as cheap as $12.99 or so). The tube will run
    around $49 to $129 depending on the tube you buy and all the extras.
    Waders can be had for as little as $14 (gander mt.) for lightweight
    stocking foots.

                    
    dave

    I have to agree with Ron on this one, you know I have had a small
    boat only to want a bigger one inside of a year. I can only add
    this theres nothing like being able to carry your lunch, beer and
    all the hight tech gear you may have and still have room to fish
    with a buddy or two. I don't have anything quite as nice as Ron
    but I can tell you a nice 14 to 16 footer with enough motor to get
    you out of a tight spot is the way to go, belive me if you get a
    small one you may regret it very soon.

    
                           Jack whos_going_fishing_soon

     I agree with an earler statement that indicated that you should
    consider the kind of fishing you intend to do most often and then look
    into a type of boat. I personally enjoy fishing small ponds for
    brookies or bass and I've been using my "Merrimack" 13' canoe for
    years. I too, do most of my fishing alone and I have yet to flip
    this "Merrimack" over. I have, unfortunately flipped over another
    narrow beamed canoe so my suggestion is that if you do decide on a
    canoe, look for the widest model you can find. There really isn't
    anything better then a good canoe for fishing those "flyfishing only"
    trout ponds. On the other hand, My father has a 12 Starcraft Al.
    vee bottom and we use this whenever we fish together or in the larger
    lakes. Good Luck with your choice.
    
    -BD-
    

    Well I was going to wait awhile to see what else everyone was going
    to write, but I haven't seen the one question yet that should of
    been asked.  Price???  How much do you want to spend?  I was in
    the same position a couple of weeks ago.  However, I didn't want
    to spend a lot of money.  I always shore fished and I was getting
    tired of being skunked too many times.  So I wanted something to
    just get me out to some places where the fish are.  Well I went
    with a Coleman 15' canoe.  It's relatively stable and it's
    car-toppable.  Best of all, you can get into one brand new for less
    than $300 bucks.  This includes the Coleman car-topper $8.95 at SPAGS, 
    oars $8.94 a piece at the FAIR, two children life-jackets $10.95 at
    the FAIR, and two adult cushion PFD's at SPAGS for $5.99 a piece
    I bought the 15' Coleman on sale last week at RICH's for $234 with 
    manufacter's rebate.  But don't worry, SPAGS sells the same canoe
    for just $10 bucks more with manufacturer rebate and it's not even 
    on sale.
    Another reason for the canoe, which someone already mentioned, "it's
    an all around fun boat for recreational activities also".  So with
    a wife and two kids it can make a great day for exploring small
    lakes and rivers.  The canoe is also inexpensive enough to just
    keep and not worry about "building up" every year.  I'm going
    to keep my canoe and when I can something enough saved up, I'll
    just buy that *real* nice boat that will have everything I want.
    
    P.S. Just remember, once you put a motor on a boat, even electric,
    you'll need to get it registered.
        
    Hope this helped,
    Mike_L
                                                   
    
                                                                   
    

    Boat,,  what is a boat?  Is it all fun or work?
    
    cartops---work  canoe--work john-boat--both
    nice ranger 17'  fun!!!!!!!!!!!!
    
    I have a john-boat with a 15hp on the back and a nice electric up
    front.  Its ok except on a real bad day.  But my partners big ranger
    is super.  There are many things you can do besides fish with a
    big boat.  SKI anyone?  But I think as Ron mentioned if you buy
    big, but DRIVE ON trailer.  But of course as re-1 said the money
    counts!
    
    bob
    

     Although I already threw my 2 cents worth in back in note 110,
     I'll do so again.

     I have a 13 foot Boston Whaler that's real easy to trailer and
     launch.  I probably use it more solo than I do when I have someone
     else with me.

     It has a very shallow draft (6 inches), so it can get into some
     pretty shallow waters for Bass fishing.  It's also a very stable 
     boat that I'm not afraid to bring out into the open water, even 
     when it's rough.

     I'm also a canoe fan, and have done a lot of fishing from canoes
     over the years.  I have never unintentionally flipped a canoe.

     Keels on canoe relate to how a canoe tracks, not to its stability
     as mentioned in a previous reply.  A canoe's stability is determined
     by its width and the shape of the bottom.  The flatter the bottom of
     the canoe, the higher its initial stability.  That's how "tippy"
     a canoe feels.  The factor that's really important, however, is
     the canoe's final stability, or its rollover point.  

     Anyways, bottom line is I think canoes are great for fishing, and
     if you pick a good model, you have nothing to worry about.
     

    Since this is my first note to this file I hope it takes.  Last
    year several of us in Colorado got different style boats.  One of
    my friends bought a porta-boat(folds up nicely). I bought a Buster
    boat (holds 2 people- resembles a pontoon type).  Mine has about
    a three inche water draw and is super for one person.  I bought
    it since it fit in my camper.  The overall size is 4'wide, 8' long,
    and 21" high(not counting seats).  It weighs 100 pounds but doesn't
    need a boat ramp.  It is super for small lakes but does get pushed
    around by the wind.  I have an electric motor up front for trolling
    and a five horse gas for moving.  This year I bought a small trailer
    to put it on for one day trips.  Cost with everything ran about
    $1100.  The mistake I made with it last year was getting a 1.2 Horse
    gas motor that was too light in rough water.  The only complaint
    I heard about the Porta-boat is that it gets tough to assemble in
    cold weather and takes two people to put it together then.  Hunter
    forgot to mention that he was happy only after he bought his 2nd
    boat--- the first one was too small and had a tendency to collect
    too much water inside.
    
    
    Jack Kromer
     

    I'm surprised no one has spoken up in favor of inflatables.  I've
    done a fair amount of fishing from them, and found that they have
    some advantages.  First, I have never even heard of a fish hook
    puncturing one -- has anyone else?  I have used only the rubber
    coated fabric boats, not the all plastic ones.
    
    The advantages of inflatables are that they are easy to store and
    transport -- I have a two man raft that fits nicely in the back
    of a hatchback.  Since they are so light, it is easy to load, unload,
    and launch them.  The major drawbacks of inflatables are that they
    get uncomfortable after a few hours, and they are difficult to control.
    Since they are light and ride high (they draw less than an inch
    of water) and have no keel, they are easily blown around and very
    difficult to row in a straight line.
    
    All in all, I'd say that they are a good choice for small ponds,
    apartment dwellers (stuff them in a closet) and where money is a
    concern (they start at less than $100).
    
    After saying all of that, I have not used the inflatable since getting
    a canoe!  Canoes are more comfortable and much more versatile. 
    Get the lightest one you can -- 70-80 pounds can be handled by one
    person, but anything much heavier is tough.
    
    Another alternative would be the Coleman Crawdad.  It is a nice
    boat for one or two people, works nicely with an electric motor,
    and cartops easily.  I have heard feedback that it isn't as easy
    for one person to load on a car as a canoe is, but can be done.
    
    Whatever you do, get something and go fishing!! You can always sell
    it and get something else later, if you need to.

    I just read this in Classified's if anyone is interested:
    
    Note 1501 - 12' alum boat w/motor => $400
    
    Note 1502 - 15' Coleman canoe w/paddles and anchor => $200
    
    Mike_L

    Well I can't let this note get by without mentioning my favorite
    car-top.  The Livingston!!!  It comes in sizes 8' to 12', has a
    tandem hull is virtually unsinkable, definately unflippable (you
    can stand on the gunwales and not raise the other side) and very
    easy to handle.  I have a 10' and use it in the high mountain lakes
    that you can only get to with a 4-wheeler and have had no problem
    with getting it of and on.  It moves good with an electric motor
    and would be fine with anything up to a 20 horse.  You may not know
    about it as it may be made on the west, but I'm sure you've seen
    it as it is used very heavily as the run-around boat on yachts.
    For what you want and for a reasonable price, this sounds like it
    might be the ticket.  You should look into it anyway.
    

I also fish from a canoe and have never tipped it.  I like it (for all 
of the reasons that have been stated already).   One thing that I've 
done to make my canoe more fishable, was to add a plastic, highback, swivel
seat - I love it.  It makes lengthy fishing much more comfortable. 

I have a 1.25 hp outboard hanging off the side, although it'll get me across 
a lake faster than most electrics, it does have it's drawbacks.  If I'm in the 
canoe alone, I can not sit in the rear seat with the motor behind me, too much
weight back there making it too tipsy.  So, when I'm alone, I have to sit in
the forward (long) seat and face the opposite way (as you do when paddling 
a canoe alone) and mount the motor closer to the middle of the canoe.  This
is very stable, but it kills your turning radius, making tight winding streams
a pain.  But, with two people in the canoe, the motor can be mounted behind the
rear seat, and the turning radius is fine.  The drawback while fishing with
an outboard, is that you cannot sneak along a bank, silently, as you can with 
an electric.

There are some advantages besides speed, no charging - I could take a small 
gas can and go for days.

Although my canoe meets most of my present needs, I'd definatley like to have
a larger boat also.  I think having a small bass boat with 35-50hp, along with 
the canoe would be the hot setup - until we can justify a 150hp Ranger 8^)

Don Mac

    I have to update .-1
    
    Although the canoe served me well for a couple of years, I recently
    went out and upgraded to a little bit larger of a rig.  The canoe
    with the small motor is fine for most fishing.  But if you want
    to travel more than a mile or so on the water, it takes awhile in
    a canoe (even with my 1.25hp outboard).   During the last  couple
    of weeks, I found my self spending too much of my fishing time,
    getting to where I wanted to fish.   So, after alot of justifying
    to the wife, I went out and got new 14ft john boat (SeaNymph) with
    a 4.5hp Mercury, a Mecrury Thruster II (electric trolling motor),
    and a couple of padded/fold-down/swivel seats.  I couldn't be more
    satisfied with it.  I can carry it around (on the pickup) just as 
    easy as the canoe, and it's ALOT more of a fishing rig.  It get's
    me there alot faster than the canoe did.  And, so far, it's been
    very stable - accept when you go full throttle over stumps in the 
    middle of the night, right Joe T? We'd better go back and read Ron's 
    note on night time saftey 8^).
    
    Anyway, if anyone's in the market for an inxepensive fishing rig,
    I'll fill ya in on the details.  I did alot of shopping around and
    I couldn't even come close to the deal I got on this.
    
    Don Mac
                                                                 

    Chris, this is in regards to your question on the cost (15.12),
    I figured I'd thro it here with the description...
    
    The entire package was under $1,300 - but since your already the
    proud owner of a Mercury Thruster, you could knock $250 off of 
    that (it was $190 for the thruster and $65 for the battery)  It
    was the best deal that I could come up with... But if your interested,
    I'd act fast, the last time I was there, I only saw a couple of
    14 footers left, they're part of a blemished order they recieved
    (that's part of the reason for the low cost)...
    
    I spent the whole weekend on the boat, it's no Ranger, but it works.
    
    I pulled in my share of bass!
    
    Don Mac

    also, that package included alot of other stuff, like:
    3 gal external gas tank, anchor w/ rope, fire extinguisher, horn,
    oars, oar locks (in case BOTH motors fail?), registration, clamps
    for seats.... possibly more, but that's all I can think of right
    now...

    I have a Coleman Crawdad that they gave me for free when I bought
    my tent trailer a few years ago.  At first I didn't think I'd like
    it, but I borrowed a friends 5 HP outboard and took it to Sebego
    with me one weekend.  Well, now I really love that little boat!
    
    It's about 13' in lenght, and is wide enough to be fairly stable
    in most situations.  However, it is definitely -not- a big lake
    boat.  Sebego is a big lake.  So I watch my self, don't go out to
    far, and get the heck off the lake at the first sign of whitecaps.
    A real advantage to this boat is it's shallow draft - I can get
    into all the little inlets on the rivers up there.  I now have a
    4.0 Merc on it and I find it real easy to tilt the motor up and
    -paddle- into the shallow pools.  The boat is real easy to paddle
    like this.
    
    Getting it on top of the trailer is a little work, but I can do
    it alone.  It has wooden fishing deck floors and I've added two
    extra ones (ordered from Coleman) so that the whole bottom has wood
    slat floors now.
    
    I really find it to be a nice boat for the "lone fisherman".  With
    the above cautions if your going out on a big lake, I'd recommend
    it.

    I haven't been into the reading for a long time and happened to
    get into this discussion on the best boat. I am, for the most part,
    a lone fisherman and I would recommend a canoe. I agree that the
    best one would be a canoe that is wide for stability reasons. I
    have a Sportspal canoe and it's a beaut, it's about 3 feet across
    in the middle, the whole inside is foam lined with 2 long pieces
    of foam on the sides. The seats set on the floor, which would account
    for the high stability. I don't know what the cost is 'cause I won
    it at the sportsmen club raffle!