Thinking about a solo craft but really have no idea what I really want/need

[Moswimb8slinger]

A secured crate with tilted rod holders (angled not straight up like mine) on a crate adds more rod holders to your Coosa without drilling more holes in the boat.

 

If your in the Branson area, Stop by Ozark Extreme Outdoors, we'll show you what we have in Stock and let you test drive the kayak right there on Table Rock. 

[moguy1973]

The only problem of mounting your rods like that on a river is you won't have those rods very long since they will hit low hanging branches and end up on the bottom of the river or broken.  Something like that works great for open water lakes though.

 

[ollie]

So far I have been happy with my Disco 119.  After having a yak for almost 15 years I was having problems getting in and out of it.  The Disco handles just as well on the waters I fish and has more room for sure.  Also is so much easier to get in and out of.  BTW I had a Pam 100 sit in.  The only drawback so far that I have noticed from the canoe is that it is harder to port by myself.  I can still see me in the future buying another yak though.  Just for another toy!

[Gavin]

Coosa did well today on Big River. 3 rods max, but it floated great. Fish uncooperative though. River is up and falling. Thew the box at them but only hits,on top. Will go upstream ok.

[Al Agnew]

Yep, you can carry more rods and tackle in a canoe.  You can get in and out of it easier.  You can stow extra rods far, far more safely, and in a way that's much easier to reach.  Use my tackle box idea and all your lures are easier to get to.  You can handle the craft with more precision while fishing if you're using a single blade canoe paddle.  Many people find the higher seating position in the canoe to be more comfortable (that depends on the seat back and padding you use, though--still, personally I find it much more comfortable to sit in a seated position with legs bent like you're sitting in a chair, than it is to sit lower with legs out in front of you).  The higher vantage point gives you better visibility.  You can carry more camping gear for overnight trips.  And the good Royalex canoes were lighter, and any canoe is easier to portage no matter what the weight, since you can rest it on your shoulders a lot easier.

The angling kayaks have all kinds of neat bells and whistles like rod holders, drink holders, paddle holders, fancy seats, etc.  But I'd much rather make my own modifications (most of which are easily removable when you want to get the thing on and off your racks) than depend upon somebody else's idea of what's cool.

A number of kayaks these days are more stable, in that you're supposed to be able to stand in them to fish.  Yaks are less susceptible to being blown around on windy days.  Sit on tops are supposedly easier to get off of IF you are doing so in more than a foot of water (though as I said above, far more difficult to do so when you've paddled up to the gravel bar).

Ability to go upstream is a function of the shape of the boat below the waterline, and neither kayaks nor canoes have a monopoly on efficient shapes, just depends upon what the design is.  You can paddle somewhat better upstream with a double bladed paddle, but there's no law against using one in a canoe--I have a take-apart double blade that I use for paddling upstream, breaking it down and stowing it when I start back downstream.

Kayaks, and especially the ones supposedly designed for angling, are much more popular than solo canoes these days.  If you never used a solo canoe, you'll like a kayak just fine.  But I don't know of many anglers who are used to solo canoes that would trade theirs for a kayak.

[Guest]

deleted.

 

[DownStream]

Wow, class five makes some really nice canoes. I'? I'm going to be in the market for a canoe soon, and that might just be the middle ground of the too expensive for my budget royalex, and the too heavy poly canoes. Thanks siusaluki

[Al Agnew]

Yes, don't automatically reject fiberglass canoes.  They are reasonably durable on Ozark streams, and easier than any of the plastics to repair dings and scratches.  I own three glass solos and have used them quite a bit over the years.  Their only real drawback is that they are noisier than plastic.  But there are some excellent designs in glass, actually better than the plastics when it comes to speed and tracking ability, due to the fact that glass can be molded into shapes with sharper entry lines that cut through the water better.  The solo that Class Five is offering is a little heavier than I'd like (my glass solos are only slightly shorter but weigh in the neighborhood of 40 pounds), but would be a good design for our streams.

[Gavin]

My 14'8 solo canoe is a 35 year old fiberglass model. The hull is more rigid and it has better lines than any of he royaex solo's that I've paddled. Great boat if you don't mind loosing some gel coat. Would probably go with a wenonah  wilderness in Royalex if your over 220. A bit bigger and a drier ride.

 

[ness]

My 14'8 solo canoe is a 35 year old fiberglass model. The hull is more rigid and it has better lines than any of he royaex solo's that I've paddled. Great boat if you don't mind loosing some gel coat. Would probably go with a wenonah  wilderness in Royalex if your over 220. A bit bigger and a drier ride.

 

I found a slightly-used Vagabond several months ago and grabbed it. I'm about 230 (and falling) and feel like a little bigger would have been better. Haven't had it out on moving water yet, just the local lakes.