Alex Chang

Younger man...age is relative! All jokes aside, I do appreciate the sentiment. Let me know if you have a change of heart 😄

Sad that I need to part ways with what I believe is the best smallmouth fishing canoe rig for mid to large size rivers here in the Ozarks, especially if you're into overnighters spent on the gravel bar. The last trip was on the Gasconade - two guys, two nights, and enough gear for a week. We covered 26 miles and the outboard came in clutch when we inevitably got into the slow frog water. The boat is incredibly stable at 44 inches wide; we were both fishing standing up without any issues. The rig is practically brand new. The only downside is the boat is a little heavy to car top by yourself, although it's the only way I've done it. The rig cost me a total of $3525 (not including the shipping, which was another 1k). Asking for $2600 OBO for the entire rig. If you're interested in buying just one of the items, then $2000 and $600 respectively. Esquif Cargo Length: 17 feet Width: 44 inches Depth: 16 inches Rocker: 3 inches (bow) and 1.5 inches (stern) MAX Horsepower: 3 HP Carrying capacity: 1000lb Weight: 95lb Color: dark olive Material: t-formex (the material that has replaced royalex - here's a nice write up on the material.) Condition: practically new. It's been out on two trips. More details here: https://esquif.com/en/canoe/cargo/ Suzuki 2.5 Transom height: 15 inches (short) Condition: practically new. About 4 hours runtime, so still in the 'break in' phase. Some minor scratches on the prop. More details here: https://www.suzukimarine.com/outboard/2-5-30hp/df2-5/

Good eye. Yea, the aluminum gunwales on the left side are slightly bent. A buddy was using the canoe and bumped up against a root wade pretty good. You can easily bend it back. I just haven't done it yet because it doesn't have any noticeable effect (and I'm lazy).

To be clear, they are just scratches (not punctures) that have chipped or cracked the gel coat only. No holes I didn't feel compelled to make the epoxy application look pretty, it's like the bottom of your shoe, no one is gonna see it LOL

$900 OBO Material: tuff weave Length: 16ft Weight: ~ 65lb Other specs: https://www.wenonah.com/Canoes.aspx?id=51 Location: St. Louis Condition: Normal wear and tear that you would expect from a composite canoe used in the ozarks. Various scratches on the bottom that have broken through the gel coat and exposed the tuff weave material (no punctures), all of which has been covered with west marine epoxy. I didn't feel compelled to make the epoxy application look pretty, it's like the bottom of your shoe, no one is gonna see it LOL. Also, the aluminum gunwales on the left side are slightly bent. A buddy was using the canoe and bumped up against a root wade pretty good. You can easily bend it back. I just haven't done it yet because it doesn't have any noticeable effect (and I'm lazy).

@Gavin and @grizwilson - the idea of a paddle jon is starting to intrigue me. When you both first mentioned it, I thought you were referring to the ordinary jon boats you see on lower stretches of river, often times putting canoes on the river at risk with their waves as they zip by, but I've learned the paddle jon is something different, and from the looks of one, way more special than an ordinary jon boat. There doesn't seem to be manufactures selling paddle jons. How much does one cost? Can you paddle paddle a PJ with a normal canoe paddle? Or do you need oars? What size outboard can you put on a paddle jon?

That looks interesting for sure! What has been your experience been with raft durability? As much as I would like an inflatable solo, I'm more in the market for a larger vessel that can fit two people minimum. I'm thinking more long term, like a nice family boat where I can take my wife and dog on an overnighter, or my wife and small children on a day float.

Yea, I often do multiple nights on the river with two people, the camp kitchen, cooler, fishing gear, camping gear, the whole nine. My current 16ft tandem (which is more of a touring boat) is maxed out with our current load; it's becomes harder to maneuver and we end up having to stack gear vertically, which makes things tippy. Don't get me wrong, what I have works and has put me and my fishing partners on a lot of water and fish, but the extra capacity of the Esquif would make that experience a whole lot more enjoyable. Plus, I'm also thinking long term, like a more family friendly boat. With the Esquif, I can take my wife and dog with all the gear on overnighters, or my wife and future kids on a day float (two parents and two small children on the Esquif looks very doable). Plus the motor will be clutch (trying to coordinate canoe strokes with two small children on the boat seems impossible). Appreciate the feedback.

Ah, I see your point. Yea, that would be annoying. Like the old Grumman square backs don't have a lot of space between the back seat and the transom. FWIW, I'm eyeing the Esquif Cargo, which has two back seats: https://esquif.com/en/canoe/cargo/. Sliding up one seat may provide a more comfortable experience. I appreciate your feedback.

Yea, the Gheenoe are freakin' sweet! But the skiff size needed for a multi-nights on the river with two guys would be pushing the weight to place where I would need a trailer. For example, their 15'4" is 145lb and doesn't really have the same capacity as this Esquif Cargo square back that I'm currently eyeing: https://esquif.com/en/canoe/cargo/. Appreciate the thought though!

@grizwilson I'm not entirely following you. Why was it a pain to try and run it directly behind the square back canoe? Were you running a trolling motor or a small outboard? Was there not enough space between your seat and the tiller handle? FWIW, I'm interested in a small electric outboard. The paddle john's look good, but I am trying to avoid the need for a trailer, and I have no interest in car topping a 17ft jon boat 😅

Hello folks, I'm in the fortunate position to be considering a new boat purchase. But before I pull the trigger, I wanted to get some feedback from the community. I'm not looking for opinions on specific brands/make/model per se (although I would welcome any recommendations on the topic), but more along the lines of: Does this boat style make sense as my "next boat" given context and use case? If not, why? If you where in my shoes, what other boat styles would you consider? To keep the feedback realistic, lets say I have a budget of $5,000. (a tricked out bass boat is out of the question lol) The next boat I would like to purchase 17-18 ft square back canoe with a small electric outboard (because I strongly dislike paddling the slow stretches). Currently looking at an Esquif Cargo: https://esquif.com/en/canoe/cargo/ Context and Use case Here is what I like to do with boats: Primarily fish ozark streams and rivers of all sizes for trout and smallmouth, although will begin exploring rivers up north in Wisconsin Day trips and multi-nighters camping on the gravel bars with enough gear for two people Here is what I currently have as a boat: 16ft tandem canoe Here are attributes that I like about my current boat and would like to have in my next boat: Car top transportation/no trailers Additional Notes Obviously getting a larger canoe with greater capacity plus an outboard is not a bad choice But, hoping to leverage some knowledge/lessons learned from members of the community who may have experienced the ozarks with boats other than a tandem canoe.

@mark hedger- hey Mark, is this canoe still available?

@Fishfighter - any updates on your experiences with the fox 14? I'm considering it, but I like to fish (main reason for the canoe) and a little concerned about the limited primary stability. I also plan to pack it down for over night trips as well. @Al Agnew - I know you are a big solo canoe guy. Are canoes with little primary (but more secondary) stability still serviceable as fishing vessels? I'm also considering the Esquif Adirondack. It's significantly more affordable, but only at 12ft long, which I hear is not an optimal length. https://esquif.com/en/canoe/adirondack/

Hi Everyone. I've been seeing a lot of answers about when the upper Jacks (at Buck Hollow) is too low to float. How about when is it too high to float? CFS vs. height? I'm considering a float on the Upper Jacks in two weeks. There seems to be plenty of water up there now, but when is it too high to safely float and productively fish? Thanks in advance for your input.