canoe / kayak ideas

[yellahunter]

Guys, i want to get a canoe / kayak which will be able to fish two people, I only have a lancer coupe with roof racks, and intend on fishing smaller dams like hinze, and creeks.
What do people reccomend as far as canoe v kayak, size, material etc

any ideas apprecaited

oh yeah and places to get them at a reasonable price

[yellahunter]

cmon guys somebody must have some ideas

[chanquetas]

Well, Im biased towards Hobies, because of the Mirage drive mechainsm. But they're not cheap. they do make a 2 seater version, but I like being in control of my own machine. Just a thought.
A canoe would be fine, and you can pick up 2 or 3 person canoes pretty cheap. If you are only going into impoundments/creeks then anything cheap would do I would imagine.

[yellahunter]

ok , i was thinking a coleman canoe, might be the best idea, that way can upgrade to an electric etc,
does anyone knwo how smaller car they will go on, ive only got a lancer coupe?

[The_Walrus]

The problem with canoes and smaller car is that you can't have the roof racks very far appart. The lenght of canoes can introduce some interesting seesawing effects on rough roads.

With a lancer coupe, I'd make certain that apart from tying down to the roof racks, you alway tie the ends of the canoe to the bumper bars.

I've seen a pair of canoes tear the racks completely of a car when it hit a hollow at speed on the highway. Impressive sight and I was glad to be a good distance behind.

Said the driver, we were only travelling a short distance so I did'nt want to bother tying down the ends.

Luc

[Jim_Tait]

Yellahunter,

I have a long history of canoe fishing - can't beat it in my opinion - access skinny water, silent, environmentally friendly and still catch large fish check out some of the recent fishing mag articles guys are catching striped marlin out of them - as the oil crisis / climate change issues gets more in our face - I think their popularity is going to soar.

Regards canoe type i'd reqally suggest looking at a two seat molded plastic kayak - they're much easier to paddle with one person than a traditional canoe shape - go down skinny water (rapids/ races) better and molded plastic handles scraping over rocks way better than fibreglass.

I got myself a Feelfree dolphin 2 a couple of years ago and I love it - stable, easy to paddle and fishes two people well and one person can lift it on and off a roof rack easy check out the link below - there is a dealer in the gold coast hinterland (who I bought mine off at the markets in Brunswick) but I've lost his contacts - you could probably find it with a bit more web searching.

Best of luck - Jim


http://www.activewatersports.com.au/feel_free.htm

[Jim_Tait]

Here's a picture

[d-man]

If you go for a canoe you'll be looking at the 12 - 14 foot range. Two seater kayaks are a bit shorter and lighter. I have a 9ft sit on top kayak that I fish when on my pat malone. and a canoe for two-up. I've used the kayak in rivers, dams and even the Broadwater. You can get a two up sit-on-top that can double as a single. Its called an Ocean Kayak Malibu Two. Available from Goodtime Surfboards in Brissie. Don't know the cost - it was going to be one of my considerations but I found a second hand canoe first.

[d-man]

And it only weighs 27 kg.

[macca]

Yella

Take a look at this site.

Australian site devoted to fishing from Kayaks.

http://www.akff.net/forum/

Cheers

Macca

[codcatcha]

Gday Yella
Ive got an Australis Bushranger for sale
It takes two people plus has a storage bay in the middle
My wife made a canvas skirt so the gear in the middle wont get too much water on it
not sure of its weight but at a guess its about 25kg
Ive bolted on a bracket so when I choose I can put on the Electric
There is also a bolt on outrigger that takes four bolts to put on or off
great spot to put one of those plastic Shells that kids have for sandpit or pool, Great for extra gear for over night stays
It come with a couple of paddles
Email me at guru7961@yahoo.com and Ill send you some pics

[Dodge41]

Yella

I've also been researching on info to buy a kayak and was given the link that macca gave earlier.

AKFF is brilliant and sorted confusion out to my satisfaction in about 3 days by my reading existing postings, and also asking questions of my own.

Tomorrow I'm ordering a Viking Espri as a solution for my needs, and subject to her having a paddle a Stingray for my wife.

Highly recommend the help you will get on the forums, they also have a for sale area.

Goodluck
Richo

[yellahunter]

great info guys,

thanks heaps,
hey what i also want to know is hoe stable the canoes tend to be in impoundments when the wind comes up?

have many of you guys fished the lakes with any success??

[chanquetas]

Yella,
I cant talk for the canoe brigade, and my experience in kayaks is really limited to the Hobies that I have, but I see no reason that the kayaks suggested by others would handle the weather much different.

Anyway, we regularly go out into the bay and we have seen much more severe weather than you will get in an impoundment. I know the wind can really roar across a dam, and Ive been in Lake MacDonald in about 25 knots wind. I had the sail up at the time, and that is the closest I have come to being tossed out.

Basically stability is great. With swells it is best to take them at an angle. Beam on is not recommended, and bow straight on can see you get pretty wet, but about 30° - 35° off the bow is good (or about 3 points for the more nautically minded).
Now as for the wind itself....it wont upset the stability, but I find that the wind will blow the stern around, which can create a bit of work for you at times when you are trying to cast accurately into a snag. So you have to work harder to keep your kayak orientated the way you want.

Hope some of this is useful. Hurry up and get a yak!
Cheers,
Jake

[The_Walrus]

Before getting my tinny, I used to fish Somerset from a 16ft Roscoe fibreglass canoe powered by a 2hp evinrude.

Given the open expenses on the dam, once the wind starts to raise whitecaps, I head for home.

Open canoes have no place in exposed windy conditions.

Having said that, there were a few occasions when I had to travel in rough conditions to get back to shore using a zigzag course to avoid travelling beam on to the chop. In those conditions, sitting in the bottom of the canoe improves stability a great deal.

You can increase the stability of a canoe by using one outrigger or for the ultimate twin outriggers. Mind you, once the chop gets to more than six inches, you should defginitely be heading for home or the nearest shore. Twin outriggers may preven a canoe from turning over but they won't stop it getting full of water.

Once returning from the upper Noosa, the group I was with had to cross lake Cootharaba in 25knots+ wind to return to Borreen Point. That was one hairy ride The only reason we made it was due to our experience in using canadians in rapids.

Luc