Canoe Questions

[Steverino]

I had some family over for a smoked salmon Fathers Day meal (it's an annual since dad likes his salmon this past weekend and had an uncle that mentioned that he had a canoe sitting out behind his garage that he hasn't used in years and would I be interested?

My mind flashed immediately to at least a half dozen good looking small lakes, reservoirs, and ponds all within a good half hours drive from home, that I pass from time to time-all the while wondering what these small bodies of water hold within them. My own words surprised me when I said "Sure!!!Absolutely I'd be interested."

Well, yesterday after work, I went to pick up the canoe after work. After about a good half hour of dislodging it from the earthen floor that struggled with me for claim to it, I knealed down, chest pumping up and down to view my new treasure. The canoe is somewhat larger than I thought. Instead of the 10-12 feet that my uncle said it was, I measured it and it's a tad over 16' long. It's a Lowe 16 model. Have no idea of the year made since there's no serial number on the Coast Guard identification tag other than the standard maximum weight capacities, etc.

It's a real nice looking aluminum canoe. I bought one of those canoe carriers from Fulton that you can hook unto your existing trailer hitch and notched some foam blocks from my work to support the gunwales. Did a nice job and balanced well atop my pick-up while allowing full access to the bed of my truck.

The canoe only has two small bences at the very front and back of the canoe. The question that I have is should I fashion a bench and seat in the center of the canoe to balance it (I'll be fishing alone) out weight-wise? I am planning to use a transom mounted trolling motor that I have for some of the larger inland lakes but would just use paddles for all the other stuff. I'm in the process of making a bracket for the motor to mount to the canoe now. I also have one of those anchor mount-stops that you just pull to release and raise that I had on my first jon-boat, that I am planning on mounting on top of the canoe front strap.

Would appreciate any other helpful advise from those of you that fish from a canoe! Thanks a bunch.

[Jack]

Well, you may have noticed that there is a front seat and a back seat. The back seat is located very far back in the stern of the canoe. The front seat is located far enough back from the bow to allow leg room in front of the seat.
Standard regimen when you're in a canoe alone is to sit in the bow seat, facing the stern- puts your weight closer to the center of the canoe.
IME, sitting in the front seat facing the stern, when you put your tackle up in front of you, and an anchor, etc, you'll balance pretty well. I'm sure if you put the trolling motor battery up towards the stern, you'll balance nicely.

[Hawkeye6]

Jack's method works well. Or, you can be a "real" canoeist and do your solo thing without using a seat. YOu did not say, but I presume the canoe has thwarts and/or a carrying yoke/thwart. What you can do is simply take up a kneeling position amidships of one of the thwarts with your butt or lower back snugged back against it and paddle away. YOu'll be a bit lower in the canoe than in a seat and probably a bit more stable.

Hawkeye

[multibeard]

You just need to figure out what thwart gives you the balance that you need to handle the canoe. I like to have the bow a little heavy so the wind doesn't push it around as easy.

I also paddle from a kneeling position on a cushion when I am in the canoe with another person in the front. I rest my butt on the seat but my knees are on a cushion on the floor.

I can not remember a time I have fished with a partner that I set in the front.

This reminds me that my nephew will be here from Va in a couple weeks. We will make our annual float of a creek. We caught 9 different species of fish last year. It will take me a few days to recover from the 10 hour trip but it is always worth it.

[Steverino]

Thanks for the advice fellas-I didn't frequent the ol' summer camp to hone these types of skills- My experience with watercraft involves turning a key to a gasoline engine.

Who knows, I've always read some very interesting stories about fishing trips up near the boundarie waters. Perhaps learning these skills will encourage me to make a canoe pack trip over a summer.

Many thanks again folks for the sage advice!

[Jack]

Steverino, one thing I think you'll discover is that a canoe is not the best boat to fish a big reservoir- a bass boat is ideal for that. Nor is a canoe the best tool for salmon fishing on the Great Lakes.
What a canoe excels at is getting into water that big boats can't reach: either too far back from the road, or too shallow and obstructed.
The boundary waters are a fine example of 'too far from the road'.
But, you don't need to wait for that once a year trip. Start thinking of the places around home that have swamps, shallow areas, etc. Places you could never get a motorboat, you can often get a canoe easily.
There are lots of fish that see very few fishermen in some of those places.

[Steverino]

That's exactly my intent Jack-to get back in some of what looks to be some real honey holes not too far from home. I've discovered a good half dozen spots while out walking and hiking.

I'm very excited to begin exploring this new opportunity close to home in addition to learning new skill sets in fishing.

I'll be sure to report back here at HC of my exploits!

[Andy L]

The only times I ever used a canoe alone, ohter times have been on two to a boat float trips, was trapping. I used to trap all winter out of a canoe. Make 8 mile stretches to float. I got pretty good at doing it myself, even in fast water, but I had up to 120 traps, the days catch and a bucket of bait and one of dry clothes in there for weight.

It got hairy a few times, but it was great practice in handling a canoe. Havent done hardly any fishing out of one, but I would say it would be excellent in the right situation....

Andy