canoe / kayak ideas

[chanquetas]

Open canoes have no place in exposed windy conditions.

Mind you, once the chop gets to more than six inches, you should defginitely be heading for home or the nearest shore.
Luc

Sounds like a good reason to get a kayak instead. We were out at the mouth of the Brissie River recently in 1m+ seas and 30knots wind. It was hard going but fun as well. Got soaked of course, but was never worried about stability.
Of course, our flippers hanging down help lower the centre of gravity.

[Gigantor]

Yellahunter,

The following is my slant on paddle craft. I have a canoe and a kayak.

The canoe I bought new at Roscos and is a 15 foot, 2-man, though I have a drop-in 3rd seat. It can carry up to 320kgs total. Prior to buying this canoe I did a bit of research on fibreglass vs plastic. Fibreglass is much easier to repair and has more ridgidness (is that a word?) than the Coleman plastic type. The plastic can take a hit better - but can be tougher to get repaired quickly. The plastic also flexs much more. I was looking for something that was going last a long time and also a canoe that could be resold with a small amount of touching up. Fibreglass can be touched up and polished to look new, whereas the Coleman couldn't be brought back to a new look. Pluses for the Rosco canoe are: can take a bit of gear/weight, floatation is built into the design (not attached), has a very good track record (most scouts/sea scouts use Roscos, as they can take a beating), Rosco's owner, Ross Cook, said that if I ever get a crack in it just bring it over and he'll fix it no charge (as long as I didn't do something stupid to make the crack) - can't beat that, Rosco have lots of accessories to connect to the canoe (extra seats, outboard bracket, trolly, sails, etc.). Minuses of the Rosco: can move around in the wind, as it doesn't have a keel, difficult to operate by one person paddling, weights about 27kgs (it will kill my back when I'm older).

The Kayak is a NZ brand - Pacific Kayaks. Model is Pacifica and is rated light ocean and has a rudder. I bought this second-hand via Trading Post Online. The canoe is not easy to paddle by yourself so I went for a one-man kayak so I could get out more often. I wanted a rudder, as it makes for much easier lure casting when you have the wind/tide with you. You can travel parallel to the shore line and cast lures as you go with both hands free. I'm really glad I got the rudder. The rudder also makes turning much easier when I'm trolling and I hook-up. The kayak is a "sit in" type. I bought a spray skirt and don't get soaking wet when paddling or when I hit a bit of a chop. The skirt also makes for a good work bench. It also stops my legs getting burnt. I've installed a simple rod holder just behind the cockpit for trolling, though am about to install another one just infront of the cockpit. This will help me (1) observe the lure action when trolling (previously had to use a small mirror to keep an eye on the tip of the rod behind me), (2) secure the rod when taking the hook out of a fish when landed. The weight of the kayak is less than the canoe and much easier to throw on the roof racks of my 6 cylinder car. I find that casting lures and playign a fish from the kayak is very good (in relation to the level of the water surface). Your sitting at water level, whereas you sit higher in the canoe, which can be more prone to instability.

In terms of finding a second hand kayak or canoe. Look at (1) www.tradingpost.com.au - look under "Marine". Always lots of kayaks and canoes there, though you have to be quick to get the good ones. (2) also checkout E-Bay (3) contact canoe retailers, as they often have second hand trade ins (4) contact canoe/kayak clubs, as they always know someone looking to sell.

I also have a small portable sounder/fishfinder. A Piranha P-Max 10 (Humminbird) which I can attach to either the canoe or kayak. It works a treat, though doesn't identify the Thermoclines. It runs on 8 x AA batteries, which last forever. Cost about $300. A very worthwhile investment. Occasionally I go away for holidays and hire a tinnie, which I can easily attach the sounder too. Very portable. Below is a pic of the cockpit of the canoe with the sounder and rod holders.

Happy to discuss more if required. PM me.

Cheers,

Gigantor

[Jeremy87]

I've got a little 11ft fibreglass canoe that i use for creek fishing. No brand or anything just a canoe made by a bloke with a mould in his back shed. Light as, i can chuck it onto my shoulder and go for a fair walk with it and put it onto the roof rack with ease. Sits 2 people but is not comfortable enough to go any real distance in it, 4-5 k's return is about as far as ive gone by myself. The sit on top kayaks look alot more stable and seem like a better idea if you want to fish in dams as some of them can get a bit of chop and i wouldn't want to capsize a couple of hundred metres from the bank with all your fishing gear.

[yellahunter]

i mainly fish hinze as im on the goldy, so its kinda sheltered in most parts, except up the wall end. so i think it might be ok.

anyone else fish hinze from a canoe?? if so any tips