Fishing Canoe

I took a camping/fishing trip up to Vermont last week. We backpacked our stuff in to a remote campsite, but the trail was horrible, so we walked out and rented a canoe for the duration of the weekend. It was the first time I fished from a boat, and I loved it! I loved having easy access to the whole lake.

So now I'm shopping for a canoe - any features I should keep in mind or avoid? I figure I'll use it mostly for fishing local water and maybe doing a camping trip kind of like what I just did. I have a couple of kids, the older of whom can probably paddle, so I figure it should be big enough for that.

Well, I don't know too much about the subject, but I have a Field & Stream Rogue River Sportsman 14 and I love it. It's actually at Bass Pro right now as the Old Town something or other (I got it at Dicks Sporting Goods). The only drawback is it's kind of heavy , but I'm average size and can carry it by myself if need be. It has 2 seats, and in the middle, a built in cooler/3rd seat, and a dry well for your keys/cell/camera. It's great for me, my wife & my daughter to go out.

When searching for a family canoe you need to keep in mind length. You will most likely want something more than 15', and you will want to purchase seats to sit on the bottom of it. You may want to invest in a trolling motor, depending on how strong you and your family is at paddling (if you do you will need a mount, and you may want to turn the canoe backwards, and have the person in the front technically in the stern, and facing backwards, so that the weight evens out with the motor). Aluminum is the strongest if your looking for sturdy-ness like on a river, but fiber-lite canoes can hold about 3 people, weigh about 40 pounds and can EASILY be carried by one person over head. I hope this helps you with your decision, and good luck!