Canoe purchase

[roundtrout]

Brian,

Yeah, I've thought about it and I'll probably keep thinking about it as the one thing I've got plenty of is time. I've never used one of the personal or two-man pontoon boats and am a little intimidated by them as there appears to be a lot going on inside and out. They look great on the water. How do they handle on running water? I imagine its pretty straightforward on still water?

I've also thought about float tubes and the small, plastic bass boats. My main problem is that I can't afford to have one of each! I used to float quite a bit when I was younger so I'm fairly comfortable in a canoe. I understand the problem of paddling a larger, two-seater solo. That's why I like the solo canoe idea with the seating arrangement closer to the center. I also like the kayak idea but I've not spent any time in them. Rod stowage/access would seem to be an issue with the kayak, though I imagine its not a problem if that's what you're used to using. I do have a trolling motor and have been toying with the idea of using one of the canoe motor mounts to reduce the amount of paddling on large still waters. I've been looking at a number of canoe manufacturers including, Old Town, Mohawk, Compass, River Ridge that Fox recommended and lately Buffalo canoes in Northern Arkansas. I expect that one of these days I'll come across something I just can't live without and end up making an impulse buy. Still, I'm hoping to make an informed decision which is why I appreciate hearing from all you guys and read the different perspectives!

Bob

[Al Agnew]

Bob, I've used the pontoon boats...did a 6 day float on the John Day River in Oregon in one a few years back. Excellent fishing craft, handles any water we have in the Ozarks with the exception of true whitewater like on the St. Francis (John Day had up to Class 3 rapids). Biggest drawback is rowing it through long dead pools (not as easy as paddling a canoe through them), and it blows all over the place in strong winds. Also have to consider how you're going to haul it, whether you have to inflate it and put it together when you get there.

A good solo canoe beats a solo kayak in my opinion...it'll do just about anything the kayak can do, plus you can haul a lot more stuff and you can get in and out of it easier than the typical sit inside kayak.

Float tubes are great, but can be dangerous in heavy current. Small plastic bass boats are a royal pain anywhere you can't use a trolling motor (which includes the riffles of Ozark streams).

Now that Mohawk is apparently going out of business, the three canoe companies that I think are best as far as selection, quality, and good designs are Old Town, Wenonah, and Bell.

[roundtrout]

Al,

Thanks for the summary. I'm inclined to go with the solo canoe, too. I think I'll get more use out of it than the other options. Can you post the websites I've missed from you list? I've included a couple others I've been looking at and Fox put on the site for the hands-free canoe. Maybe we should put together a list of the personal pontoon boats and kayaks as well. It would be nice to have all those to compare and contrast and solicit comments from folks who've used each of them. Thanks again!

Old Town - http://www.otccanoe.com/

Mohawk - https://www.mohawkcanoes.com/home.htm

River Ridge - http://www.riverridgecustomcanoes.com/main.html

Compass - http://www.fishingcayak.com/models/streamer.htm

Buffalo - http://www.buffalocanoes.com/canoes.htm

[Wayne SW/MO]

Tarpon and Pamlico kayaks= http://www.wildernesssystems.com/

[ColdWaterFshr]

Don't forget Wenonah! (Kingman, Barstow, San Bernadino)

http://www.wenonah.com/