troutguy
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Small Boat
Thinking of possibly getting a small boat just for fishing this spring. I'm thinking either a small jon boat or a canoe. Nothing expensive/high tech, just something I could throw in the back(or on top of) the truck. I'll be mainly using it on small lakes and maybe floating rivers and streams like French, Shenango, Tionesta, Sugar, etc. I was also considering one of those inflatables, I think they're called Fish Hunter or something, but since I'll be bumping rocks and such in rivers I don't think that will be a good idea. What do you guys think? Something that would fit 2 people and fishing gear, maybe 3 at the very max. I'm leaning more towards a small jon boat and may want to eventually put a trolling motor on it for lakes, but for the most part I'll be paddleing.
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troutguy
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RE: Small Boat
2012/01/17 16:26:44
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Sorry, just noticed there's a special section just for boating, feel free to move the thread if need be..
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NeFiShNeTiMe
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RE: Small Boat
2012/01/17 16:58:10
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If you where alone I would recommend a kayak. A Jon boat is kinda heavy to put on a roof and move around by yourself. Might want to go with a canoe or even try to find a good deal on 2 kayaks.
""THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A SMALL MOUTH ON A STIFF ROD""
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anatikus
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RE: Small Boat
2012/01/17 17:34:30
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fish heads fish heads rolly polly fish heads
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psu_fish
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RE: Small Boat
2012/01/17 19:07:29
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I'd look at a 12-14 foot canoe or yak or a 10 foot jon boat
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troutguy
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RE: Small Boat
2012/01/17 19:19:39
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Thanks for the replies. How do small jon boats handle in small rivers and creeks? Would it be easy to float down a creek like Tionesta or French in them?
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psu_fish
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RE: Small Boat
2012/01/17 19:24:06
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Wider the better. Try to get a wide as jon as possible. I've never floated Tionesta, but in French we use a 2 seat 14' Old Town canoe and we usually have to walk through some riffles.
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KingKool
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RE: Small Boat
2012/01/17 22:37:09
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No matter what you try to use on the Tionesta - between mid/late June thru Sept/Oct you're gonna do a LOT of walking through riffles. It gets awful shallow in an awful lot of spots. The trip from Kelletville down to Nebraska is one of the nicest floats you'll ever take. Just be sure to hit it up when the water is high enough. (Late April thru May is usually the best time). Canoes/Kayaks are ideal for this trip. Roughly 15 miles +/-, with the chance to catch trout, smallies, perch, suckers, bullheads & if you're lucky...... the mighty Muskellunge. A low end Coleman 14/15 canoe works just as well as a top end Old Town................just depends on what you want to spend.
4 out of 3 people don't understand fractions.
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psu_fish
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RE: Small Boat
2012/01/17 22:40:48
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Keep an eye out for close-out sales. Got my Old Town for a great price cause its orange/yellow and apparently they dont sell well..but it floats and catches fish
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ridgehunter
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RE: Small Boat
2012/01/18 07:50:24
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I had a 12' jon boat with a 2.5 mercury motor that I used for many years. Used it mainly on the Yough river but I also used it many times on lakes and even the Mon and Allegheny river without any problem. Very easy to load and unload onto the ladder rack of my truck which freed up bed space for other gear, accessories and such. That 2.5 merc. was super on gas. No battery or giant gas tank to carry. 1 gallon of gas each trip was way more than enough.
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Erie Mako
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RE: Small Boat
2012/01/18 08:53:43
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Maybe check with some of the canoe rental places to see if they are selling any of their rentals. Last week when I drove past the canoe rental place in Ridgway,Pa they had 6 or 8 canoes in front of their shop with "for sale" signs on them. I've seen signs on the ones at Cook's Froest at times too.
On the internet, EVERYONE is entitled to their opinion!
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OCfisher
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RE: Small Boat
2012/01/18 20:18:39
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A good 16 ft canoe will have about 3 times the weight capacity of a 10-12ft jon...its not even close. Plus it should handle a heck of a lot better. And no, a low end coleman will not work as well as a top line Old Town (nor will it last) but if price is primary it works. Check out the old time sportsman 15
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SmMouthSeeker
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RE: Small Boat
2012/01/18 21:01:09
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I'd go with a wide base canoe such as a Sports Pal or something along that line. There are 3 different types of canoes to choose from. It depends on what you're going to use it for. One type is for sports & recreational white water type boating, another is for general use, just going down rivers etc, and the third type is what I just mentioned. It's an all around type boat ideal for hunting and fishing.
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KingKool
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RE: Small Boat
2012/01/18 22:36:53
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ORIGINAL: OCfisher A good 16 ft canoe will have about 3 times the weight capacity of a 10-12ft jon...its not even close. Plus it should handle a heck of a lot better. And no, a low end coleman will not work as well as a top line Old Town (nor will it last) but if price is primary it works. Check out the old time sportsman 15 My 20+ yr old pink (sun faded red) Coleman is doing just fine. It's a little less comfortable than the Sports Pal I own, but for the casual canoeist who doesn't want/or can afford to spend a lot of $$$ - the Coleman is the way to go. For a one day trip especially, the Coleman is more than capable. My Coleman Pros - inexpensive, durable, lightweight, inexpensive, & inexpensive Cons - used to be red, is now pink, not quite as stable as my flat bottomed Sports Pal - use your head - do not try to stand up in this one My Sports Pal Pros - UNSINKABLE (almost), comfortable, holds a ton of gear/beer, etc, you can stand up in this one Cons - more expensive than the Coleman
4 out of 3 people don't understand fractions.
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chosenfrozen1
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RE: Small Boat
2012/01/20 19:18:38
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go with the canoe light,stable handles well in rivers.i have johns,yaks and canoe is the one used most. i also use my trolling motor on it.look in some of the chain stores for last years models they can give discounts.
a jerk on one end of a line waiting for a jerk on the other!
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Erie Mako
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RE: Small Boat
2012/01/21 06:36:57
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If you do choose to go with a canoe, when you register it with PaFBC, make sure that you register it as a "normal" boat. If you register it as just a canoe, they send you a sticker that indicates "unpowered" on it and it then becomes illegal to use a trolling motor on the canoe!
On the internet, EVERYONE is entitled to their opinion!
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troutguy
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RE: Small Boat
2012/01/21 09:08:45
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Thanks for all the insight. If I do decide to get one it will probably be a canoe. Erie Mako, I'll definitely keep that in mind when I go to register it..
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pwk5017
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RE: Small Boat
2012/01/27 23:47:30
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I picked up a passage 16(16' poly canoe) for pretty cheap cause it was a previous year's model. I think I paid like $350 for it? I love the boat and it has been great on all types of water. 16' can be a lil tight to maneuver on some of the smaller backwoods ponds, but it was a blast on long floats down the yough and on cross creek. It is pretty narrow(32"), but its design makes it very stable. Just dont go with the widest possible canoe thinking it will be the most stable. There is primary stability and secondary stability and both contribute to overall stability. I have never owned a jon boat, but they seem so clunky.
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