C.M. those are some strong opinions ya got there bud!

1) All YOU need may be 1 rod 1 lure and 1 backup but what YOU need ain't the same as everyone else... Hence the entire "milk crate" aspect of fishing paddlecraft.

2) Tandem kayaks are for tandem paddling, or one person just cruising along as the other paddles and fishes, or taking your dog with you. They have many incredibly obvious uses

3) a 6-8ft bed isn't properly supporting a 12+ ft kayak in most peoples consideration. I have an avalanche that will inhale an entire pescador 12' with the middgate and tailgate down not even need a red flag, and I still wouldn't put my 14' 6" canoe in without the added support.

4) canoes don't need a trolling motor either, just paddle and go?

Speaking/thinking/hearing in absoluteles is dangerous business, try to keep an open mind and heart. Happy paddling

I feel like people just think that canoes are less stable because they don't understand them... You can kneel and paddle a canoe on its side... They have secondary stability too its just meant to be used in calm water on most of the general purpose canoes by design. I find them to be a bit more "handicapable" to paddle personally with my shoulder issues, I can't paddle a kayak the way I can a canoe with my back and shoulder personally.

As for wind... All I do in paddle craft is drift fish mostly so, drift sock, drag chain, or anchor either way is usually in play when I had my kayak I just used a smaller sack, lighter chain, and tiny anchor that worked lousy coz you couldn't fit or carry bigger on a kayak at a certain point.

The canoe just offers me all the function of my big boat with nine of the upkeep, and a nice bit of exercise, and forces me to cover water more thoroughly like all smaller pond boats and such do.

I have a canoe and two kayaks, and use both of them for fishing, but if I have to paddle against wind I take the kayak. Canoe is great for down river floats or still water. Kayak is the "all water" sport utility vessel.

Canoes & Gondalas are good taking the kids, family or ol whats her lips down the river or through the canals.


If u flip em, your in trouble though. Sit on top kayaks r easy to a up right and get back on canoes, not so much. A big advantage a canoe has over a yak however is capacity. You can take everything u need and then some in a canoe. Yaks are faster and more suited for single person fishing IMO. If u pack lighter and smaller a yak still make more sense for individuals. Some groups often use both yaks and canoes for longer trip & like Christain says where portaging will be done.

Milk crate is overhyped. It certainly appeals to packrats who buy every lure out there expecting to use them all. After you learn the area and "figure it out" you'll find yourself using literally 2-3 lures. It is also one more unnecessary thing you have to carry around and not forget to take it with you.





Ok, I'll elaborate:
- casting is plain dangerous for guy sitting behind
- both have to agree on where to go next, you have to agree *when* to go fishing next
- too big for one (probably ok for small water with little or no wind)
- when fishing freshwater (e.g. crappies) you tend to maneuver all the time to keep yourself on the spot (above brush/hump/etc)
- when fishing inshore you tend to move all the time to find fish -- check that point, check that cove, chase those birds
- standing up, taking a leak

all these tasks are way easier in single-seater. Independence on water is one of kayak selling points. I know two ppl who bought tandems against my advice -- both kayaks are gathering dust right now. Their partners lost interest and it is too much of a chore to drag that beast alone.

In case of kids (unless they are too small) you are still better with individual yaks -- they'll have more fun and you'll cover more water. But I am pretty sure you have another opinion about this ;-)


mine 5.5' (with tailgate down) supports it just fine, both 12' and 14'


Here you go -- chalk it into kayak vs canoe column :-D


Don't feel upset just because some random dude on internet prefers something different than you.


Explains your position. And yet, I doubt you'll risk taking your canoe out into Galveston bay on a windy day. Kayak is just more "universal".


Yep, when it comes to maintenance both yak and canoe are better than a boat.

One thing I like about canoes and my commander kayak (with the bench seat) is that you sit a little higher than in most kayaks.

I've always carried, years and years, several models, all 13-14 foot kayaks in a regular bed truck tailgate down without extenders and have never had an issue. Think about it. You've seen roof top mounts with even less support than a truck bed without the extender.

I like paddling a canoe with a partner, especially if I'm in the stern. You can even stick another child in the middle on many models. I have never enjoyed a tandem kayak with a partner. Maybe with a small child it could work. Two adults in a tandem is just a version of hell for me. But we are all made differently. I put my kids in their own kayak as soon as I could. Once in a while, I stuck one of mine in the kayak with me, but gave them no paddle.

I've handled a canoe solo. It's doable. You can go to the middle of the craft or move forward to handle a headwind, but I find the Commander much easier to handle solo in any wind versus any canoe I've ever been in. Standing is a must. Any craft must be easy to stand in. Part of that equation is being seated high enough to get up and down easily. Canoes and the Commander works for this. The bench seat on the Commander makes the difference. Who cares if the kayak is stable enough to stand and fish if you have to climb out of a well to stand up?

Do you need lights around your canoe if it is motorized?

Lights are needed on anything motorized or not after dark .

Thanks a lot!

I disagree. I found only two situations when you need standing:
- sightcasting reds in marsh -- you can still catch them while sitting, but it is 10 times harder
- taking a leak while being too far from any ground (middle of bay/big lake)

There is also fly fishing, of course. I don't do it -- can't say much about it. All other types of fishing (that I know of) practiced in Texas don't require standing up.

P.S. Sitting higher is a trade off -- either sit higher or get more problems with wind and stability. So, it is nice, but really optional. And not having it improves experience in other areas.

You can toss a fly rod just fine sitting down.

I grew up in upstate NY and used canoes exclusively as a kid and later as a teenager and young adult. I even taught canoeing in summer camps while in college and the only kayak I had seen was a sit inside kayak with an eskimo in it...so the thought of using a kayak over a canoe never crossed my mind...until I came to Texas 30 years later.
I've been fishing out of kayaks in tournaments for the past 10 years and for tournament fishing...there is no comparison between a canoe and a sit on top kayak...especially if you get one with a mirage drive or one of the other pedal variations. In addition to hands free fishing...which is a no brainer...a sit on top kayak is a much more capable fishing machine than a canoe, much better in big water with huge waves and windy days with the built in self bailing scupper holes, built in depth finder installation systems are a huge advantage for a tournament fisherman and the adjustable seating in kayaks is superior to anything I experienced in a canoe. The few advantages of a canoe...ability to carry camping equipment, portaging, weight and for use in shallow rivers are of little use to me as a tournament fisherman. Like all boats...the key is the intended use. If you don't plan to use your canoe in large, rough open water lakes on windy days in tournament situations...then I'm sure you'll be perfectly happy with a canoe. For me...a canoe would be almost completely useless and like going back in time and I can't imagine getting blown around a big lake with depth finders hanging off the side of the canoe and trying to dig equipment out from all the water that would be coming in over the sides of the canoe...but to each his own.

Standing is a must for me. I fished sitting for years, but enjoy fishing and casting from a standing position much more than sitting. You can definitely cast a fly rod from a sitting position and sight fish while sitting. I just remember when I first stood up while stalking redfish it was an "ah ha" moment. From that point on I wanted to remain standing. Of course I sit sometimes, you can get tired of standing for hours, but it is hard for me to imagine getting any canoe or kayak that doesn't offer good stability while standing.

The pedal drive mavens can't imagine giving up that hands free option. I get that. I can't pedal a Mirage drive without terrible knee pain. Some folks like SINKs over SOT kayaks for various reasons. We don't all have to drink from the same pitcher of Kool-aid. All my kayak buddies sit while they fish and none use a fly rod. It's all good. I'm not trying to convert them or anyone to a particular way. Perhaps there are folks that hadn't considered standing and fishing so for them I opine on that alternative.

Yes, like I said, if you want to sighcast reds in marsh -- standing is very important. You can't really see them far enough while sitting. I've been there. But if you do any other type of fishing -- it is optional.

I can stand in my Pescador 12' and push my self around (it is very unstable and requires me to balance all time), but laying down paddle and picking up a rod is next to impossible. But, if I tie paddle to kayak and drop it in water instead of trying to settle it in the kayak -- it should work work.

I started in a canoe, too.

Canoe pros
*A good two man canoe costs less than a tolerable two man kayak.
*Generally easier to stand in.
*Easy to add and transport pontoons.
*Typically carry more gear more easily. Has higher weight limit.
*Flip it over on land and it's a shelter.

Solo kayak pros, and why I went kayak
*An acceptable kayak costs less then an acceptable canoe.
*Easier to paddle solo.
*Solo kayak weighs less than standard canoe.
*Smaller and easier to transport.
*Scupper holes.
*I've flipped a canoe. It's a bath tub.

All said, I want a canoe again for two person and camping adventures. A kayak is great for one person traveling light. I believe a canoe is best if you're going two or three up and want to carry gear. Yes, there are kayak barges out there. Bang for the buck, I think a canoe beats a kayak in that role.

I've owned a couple of canoes and five sit on tops in the past and I finally settled on a Wilderness Systems Commander 120.
It's the best of both worlds for my type of fishing. It handles the wind more like a kayak and I have plenty of space for easy to reach gear, and I can handle it with ease loading and unloading.