Old Town Discovery 11'9

[Gavin]

I'd take Siusaluki up on his offer before you commit...Little solo's are really nice if they are a good fit for you and if your a large person, they might not be a good match at all.

I've owned an OT Pack, and a Wenonah Vagabond. The Pack was just too little and wobbly for me...It was plenty stable, but it didnt feel like it was..The Vagabond was allot better in that regard. I could stand in it for short periods, but not to fish...Great Flatwater boat, but it took on water every time I ran the falls on the N. Fork of the White, or ran some big standing waves on the 11pt....Thinking my next solo will be the Wenonah Wilderness. Bit bigger, and hopefully drier than the Vagabond.

[Smalliebigs]

  On 8/28/2011 at 12:02 PM, Justin Spencer said:

I think they sell them so cheaply because the product has gone to crap. Not near the quality of boat they made 10 years ago. The last few batches I have bought tend to delaminate and get big bubbles in them, and they just don't last like they used to. Would probably still be good for a personal boat, but not so for outfitters because they just don't last.

Justin, I could not agree more.....Old Town has gone to crap!!!! buy a Wenonah. My Old Town Predator SS is warped and it's a year old.....crap....they are making their hulls millimeters less thick to save money on material????....crap. I'm a Wenonah man now

[E Green]

thanks for all the info everyone and offer siusaluki. I know I am coming up that way on sept 24th to see one of my favorite bluegrass bands (leftover salmon from Colorado) who are playing just outside of Carbondale. Maybe, if the offer still stands I can swing by and check out the canoe you have just to get some idea as to what I should get based on my size/needs/interest etc.

As far as the car rack goes, Yakima is the name i have heard multiple times so I will look into that as well.

As far as what I need/am looking for....i don't plan on portaging much at all or going into any water with rapids. The thought of needing to stand up never really crossed my mind....I guess I'm not sure if I would need to be able to or not. I mostly want to use it on ponds and small lakes here in the Elsinore/Van Buren/P Bluff area. There are a few creeks/streams that I would like to go out on but I'm not even sure if they are deep enough to canoe anyways (10 mile, cane creek etc). I just assumed the smaller the canoe, the easier it would be for a single person, esp a beginner like me, to manage.

I an going to look up the wynonah brand and get some info on $, size weight etc....

[FJ80]

Some solid advice offered. Good luck in your search. My boat is no longer available. I hope you find the right fit! Thanks for your interest.

FJ80

[E Green]

fj80...thanks for sending me the pics and I'm glad you sold it. take care

[exiledguide]

The Disco 119, whether from Dick's or from somewhere else, is a good buy. It won't be the best solo canoe on the market for Ozark fishing purposes, but it's good enough for the price.

Now that I've reached 70 years old, I know I can't wade a stream for a full day anymore. Haven't paddle a canoe for at least 20 years so my question is, what is the best solo canoe on the market for Ozark fishing purposes. My idea of canoeing would be taking a fullday to canoe/fish between Delaware Town and Shelvin Rock or Shelvin Rock and Hootentown or Dogs Bluff to Mineral Springs on the Big Piney. I'm not afraid to spend money on a quality product but I have never been in a canoe shorter than 17 foot and I see all the advertisements for for solo canoes and they can't all be as good as advertised. Thanks in advance for any info any of you can give me.

[eric1978]

I love my Guide 119 for day trips, but if you plan to do any overnighters on the river, I would recommend a solo at least 14 feet long and made of Royalex. You can get all your crap in the 119, but it leaves very little space to store your rods properly to fish efficiently from the boat. If you're a stop and fish kind of guy, it might work for you, but I like to fish while I float, and I put down and pick up different rods often, and that's nearly impossible if you have enough gear to spend the night on the river.

I've still yet to paddle one, but the Vagabond seems like it's just about the perfect size and weight for an Ozarks solo, but prepare for sticker shock. If I were loaded and ready to buy another solo, that's what I'd get.

[Al Agnew]

Yep, the Vagabond would be my recommendation unless you are big and tall, with tall being more important than big. For somewhat less money, the Mohawk Solo 14 would work pretty well. For big and tall guys, the Wenonah Wilderness. The reason your height might be important is that the Vagabond, being a rather narrow, shallow arch bottomed boat, will feel a little tender until you get used to it, and if your center of gravity is higher due to your height, this wobbly feeling will be more pronounced. The Wilderness, being a longer, higher volume boat, should feel a little more stable for taller people.

E Green, I'm not sure Yakima has racks to fit a Prius, but Thule does. I own a Prius and have the Thule racks, and they work well once you get them adjusted to the vehicle. Thule and Yakima are the two major rack companies, and both put out good products.