Canoe

[German Dog]

There have been a couple canoe / kayak threads here lately with lots of good info.

For me i like my Native Watercraft ultimate 14.5

[mjh]

Check out paddling dot net or canoeing dot com

The prospector canoe design is a nice hull for one or two to paddle, I like royalex but as said going to be harder to find in the future.  If you live in a canoe rich area should not be too hard to find a new or  good used canoe.  We have 3 canoes tend to keep the souris river Kevlar and the longest one off of rivers, the Wenonah Prospector 15 was purchased used specifically for river use, and I've a Old Town Pack that I use solo.  Have not hunted out of the canoe though.  See plenty of wild life though should give a try.

The Souris River prospector design in the 17.5 is one of the most versatile canoes out there, i love them, but wife hates them. Like its 16 foot brother, they feel a bit tippy when compared to the three Quetico models. My Seliga is probably still my favorite canoe of all them. Stay away from asymetric designs like the Wenonah Minnesota II, I have had a number of them.  They are rockets in the Bdub, but they do not like going with much current. I do not believe that a roylex likes bashing into rocks anymore than a kevlar Souris River. The occasional contact will not destroy either one, but repeated skidding will wear a hole in them both. A symetical canoe with a bit of rocker and some good initial stability is a requirement for floating rivers and fishing lakes. That is what was said would be the purpose of his canoe. I think the Prospector would feel a bit tender when being used for fishing by most. They are fun to paddle in whitecaps, but they react more to motions made inside the canoe by fishermen than a canoe like the Quetico Souris River models.

[Bob Moran]

Definitely you will need at least a 16 footer. There are lots of good designs out there, (stick with name brands),  but I think you should really consider ABS or similar materials. They are very quiet, slip over rocks with a minimum noise, and have less tendency to "stick" to a rock like aluminum. They aren't fast, but you don't want fast. This would be a good time of year to find a used one.  After you've used it for a few seasons you will have a better idea of what you like and don't like.

[Flingblade]

I have a 17' Old Town Penobscot I plan to sell in the spring.  It is royalex so it is light but still has about 900 lb. load I believe.  Very good secondary stability.  I can roll it out on it's side to where one gunwale is only a couple inches from the water and it is very stable.  There is a thwart right behind the front seat so it is not possible to paddle solo from the front seat which is why I am selling.  The 16' doesn't have the thwart behind the front seat.  Something you may want to consider for a tandem or solo canoe.

[bartcanoe]

The advice about 16 ft or larger is spot on.  You can always solo paddle (or row) a larger tandem canoe, but you can't get more space/capacity in a smaller canoe.

I have owned my OT Penobscot for over 12 years, and have covered 1000's of miles in it solo and tandem.  You'd be hard pressed to find a more versatile canoe.

I recently rigged up a rowing outriggers on my Penobscot, so I can solo it with my dog.  It makes a great rowboat, and it is easy to maintain 4mph with a couple of 7 1/2ft oars.

If the Penobscot has a wood seat drops it is possible to either mount it lower with a wedge shape drop support. You can also remove it and mount a supporting wedged seat drop bolted to the back rail of your front seat. Ash cut the same length as the current seat drops. A dowel in the front and the shaped one in the back with the gunnel bolt and a shorter bolt through the seat and the bracing support.  The wedge is easy to make out of one inch ash. Cut a square that equals the seat drop. Run the grain so it is either diagonal or horizontal. Measure in one inch on the top and one side and cut a parbolic sweep from mark to mark, with a flattening on the bottom and round off the corner. Drill for the seat post, the hole already is there in the gunnel and the seat, bolt it on. Then drill through the low end through of the brace and the seat. Drill a sink hole to make the bolt flush. A bit of Watco Oil and it's good to go.

[Roadkill]

Whatever material you choose, the canoe has a lot of options for you:  With just a little imagination, you can rig an outrigger so you can stand to shoot at carp, but slide out of the way quickly for loading or unloading.  Use PVC pipes and even an intertube on the water to make it solid.
I am on my sixth canoe.  I had one growing up- a Grumman 17 footer that took a beating frogging, trapping and fishing.  Had several while in the military but they got sold every PCS move.  This Al I got in a yard sale for $25 bucks-just not a lot of demand for canoes in the Nevada desert.  We will carp out of it by Fallon this spring.  an electric trolling motor makes solo moving a piece of cake-the ones that allow different depths work well and are cheap. Good advice on solo trippping from others.
 And it will take you into the back deer bedding areas in the dark so you can be in your stand at daylight when they drift in to bed.  carpet on the floor absorbs noise, some wood brackets for your daily gear also make it easy to organize.  have your life jacket and some places made me register my canoes-even if I did not use an electric trolling motor.  
You, sir, have just opened a door to fun

[SELFBOW19953]

Delaware has no naturally occurring lakes or ponds, they are all old mill ponds.  So, someone owns the pond, the pond bottom, AND the streams/creeks that feed the pond.  You cannot legally hunt or fish on the pond/creek without permission.  The State owns the majority of the ponds, and by law, they are wildlife refuges.  The only public waterways are tidal, but the shorelines to the low water mark are private, so you still can't hunt without permission. There are maybe a half dozen public ponds in the State that butt up to public hunting areas.  You will have a hard time proving to the enforcement officer that you killed the deer legally and were just transporting it across the pond in your canoe, especially if the deer is wet!!!  Not worth the risk to me.  I am so jealous of you folks with waterways you can canoe/hunt!

[B-DOG]

i have a old town tripper. it 17 ft. long and wide. you can haul a lot of gear. very stable but kinds slow. i like mine

[last arrow]

Unless you are going to use a motor do not get a square stern if used in a river with current.  Evan a small current will want to push the square stern to the down stream side making it necessary to constantly correct with a paddle.  This makes it difficult to shoot when alone.

[Tajue17]

I use a Old town Pack boat, its 12' but it only weights 38lbs.... then just get canoe out riggers for standing.

[Paul Shirek]

Try Golden Hawk canoes… Really tough, light, stable and just great for bowhunting...

[one more bow]

ive had a old town discovery 146, 14' 6". for years. it has a flat bottom and a small keel molded in the bottom full length. ive stood in it often. You cant dance around, but standing and shooting in calm water is no problem. and it moves along pretty well for a flat bottom.
Steve

[Brock]

I have a Bell Northwind 16.5 but also really like the Nova Craft Prospector 16 as well....good all around canoes...lakes, slow to mild rivers, tidal creeks, swamps....  Good compromise between load carrying, maneuverability, shallow draft, low wind disturbance, straight tracking.

[Caboo]

Google River Ridge Custom Canoes. Made in Minnesota. Sq stern for elect motor but not at water line. you can shoot from a seated position in a chair.

[tradgreenhorn]

Thanks a bunch for all the great info,all this talk has me all fired up,so off to do some tire kicking today. Keep the great info coming. I also want to add a plat form for doing some shore line carp shooting.
                               

[Nattybumppo]

I've hunted and fished out of canoes and kayaks. One of my favorites was the Old Town Guide 119. Dicks' usually has them for the high $300s. Very stable for one person with a lot of gear. If you need two people. I don't have any advice to offer.

[jeff w]

If you want to add a platform take a look at the Nucanoe Frontier;  stable enough to stand in and can be configured many different ways.

[bobman]

Nothing is as stable as a Gheenoe I stand and fly fish out of mine and I am a big tall heavy person

And it paddles nicely also