Ryan Kral Posted October 28, 2012 Report Share Posted October 28, 2012 Hey guys, anybody have any opinions on these canoes? I have a Jackson Coosa I am thinking about getting rid of, and thinking I might pick up one of these? The Coosa is great, but ridiculously heavy for it's size, and I thought I would utilize it's stability for standing while I cast flies, but I don't. I like the openess of a canoe, and it's ability to carry considerably more weight on float trips. Any advice, anybody want to trade! Ryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Posted October 28, 2012 Report Share Posted October 28, 2012 Checkout the RiverBassin.com forums. A lot of the guys have them and speak very highly of them. Some mod them with really cool stuff. Some run them bare. They are very versatile boats. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike G Posted October 28, 2012 Report Share Posted October 28, 2012 It is a recreational canoe, AKA tub, not a good paddler. 31" at the waterline is not going to let you stand comfortably without sponsons. Like all canoes it will be blown around a lot more than a kayak. I am familiar with discoveries in 16 ft lengths. They oil can. That is the hull flexes visibly when you paddle. For a small boat 43 pounds is not light. On the plus side, they are rugged, hold more gear, and are relatively inexpensive. I would stick with a kayak. Get a tandem for more room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Dodge Posted October 28, 2012 Report Share Posted October 28, 2012 I thought these looked pretty cool.... http://www.nucanoe.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonn Graham Posted October 29, 2012 Report Share Posted October 29, 2012 My father in law has had the 119 for years. Great boat. It does not oil can whatsoever. It paddles fine, especially in rivers.. Ryan: I think you would like the 119, but make sure you also consider Old Towne's Pack. 33 pounds of pure enjoyment. The very first boat I ever bought. Still have it and love it. Very wide and stable and you just gotta love a boat you can pick up with one hand. Sad to hear that you did not enjoy your Coosa. You are right that it is much heavier than a canoe of the same length. This, of course, is a function of a canoe being open inside, while the Coosa is "two sided". Sit on top kayaks are naturally going to be heavier because more material is used vs. a canoe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Kral Posted October 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2012 Yeah, I understand. The Coosa is a great fishing kayak, and I might end up keeping it yet. Really my biggest complaint was the weight. That is not a Coosa, or Jackson specific problem, as Jonn said, most of the SOT are heavier. Its nothing I cant deal with, as I have for a couple years already, but it does get annoying. I've used it a lot, mainly on the Fox, and some FP lakes, and its great if anyones considering a fishing kayak. As long as you dont plan on portaging or dragging it a long ways, its tough as hell, and extremely stable. Ryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikea Posted October 29, 2012 Report Share Posted October 29, 2012 Hey Ryan I've got a two year old Wilderness Commander 140 I'm looking to sell, I want to move to the smaller 120 model. I stand, paddle and fly cast in it with out the tippy feeling your feeling in the Coosa. PM if your interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonn Graham Posted October 29, 2012 Report Share Posted October 29, 2012 Mike: Where did Ryan say the Coosa has a tippy feeling? Standing in any canoe or kayak is something any angler has to get used to. Standing in a Coosa is no different, or more tippy, than standing in any small watercraft. I am sure your boat is a great watercraft, but let's not write stuff online about other boats that is simply not true. I am sure you have seen Drew Gregory stand up in the Coosa and fish like a mad man. Heck, he has done 360 degree jumps without tipping the boat. Let's keep things fair and honest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike G Posted October 29, 2012 Report Share Posted October 29, 2012 Here's all I shuld have said. Go to a place on the water where you can try as many makes and designs as possible. One such place is Rutabaga near Madison. It is not a bad trip from the burbs. http://www.rutabaga.com/ While you are there take a ride in this one-the Fusion 13: They have a UL Kevlar modeo on sale. http://www.rutabaga.com/Fusion-13-Kevlar-Ultra-Light_p_1654.html While you are there take a ride in a Wenonah Canak that combines a Kayak withe the High performance Pirsm canoe. If money were no object one of these would be my choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikea Posted October 29, 2012 Report Share Posted October 29, 2012 John ...calm down and take a breath. Ryan stated " I thought I would utilize its STABILITY for standing while I cast flies, but I dont" I've fished out of the coosa and the cuda they are well built boats but didn't suit my needs. I understand your on Jackson's fishing team and your opinion is severely biased. The hulls are different John, the coosa has good primary stability but poor secondary stability. The commander has poor primary stability but good secondary. I also own and fish out of a wliderness ride 115 which also has the same stability characteristics as the coosa. So it's really not about makers or brands, it's about design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikea Posted October 29, 2012 Report Share Posted October 29, 2012 I should add shouldering an open cock pit hybrid like the commander or a canoe is much easier than carrying my SOT, unless you go the cart route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Kral Posted October 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2012 Unfortunately MikeG, money is a factor. I kind of splurged on the Coosa, never thought I would ever have spent a grand on a paddle boat! MikeA, the Coosa is very stable in my opinion, I am just so comfortable in the Coosa's seat I choose to stay seated I guess. I appreciate the offer, but if I got rid of the Coosa, it would probably only be for a solo canoe of some type. I appreciate the info guys. I have a 3 day float in northern MI in two weeks, I may just take the Coosa, see how it handles with the hull loaded with camping equipment, and base my decision off that experience. Thanks, again. Ryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonn Graham Posted October 29, 2012 Report Share Posted October 29, 2012 If my opinion is so "severely biased", why would I have spoken so highly on the Old Town Pack and 119? You can count on one thing about me, my opinions are not based on bias. My opinions have absolutely nothing to do with being on the Jackson Team. I have been floating and fishing a long time and utilized many different boats. Some I liked, some I did not. I don't like the Coosa just because I am on the Jackson Team. If I did not like the Coosa, I would not own and promote it...............period. My fishing time is too valuable to be floating in a boat I don't like just because I am on some "team". I have always simply reported on this board what I have found to be successful. I guess I should have simply not replied to Ryan's initial post. Thought I could help Ryan, but it just turned into a mess............... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted October 29, 2012 Report Share Posted October 29, 2012 I have the Disco 119. Great little boat, that has probably 500 miles of paddling on it on everything from the Mississippi to the boundary waters, but mostly ozark creeks in central Missouri. It is a great introductory solo canoe. Paddles well, never oil cans, weighs 40 pounds, and the price can't be beat. It paddles great with a 270 cm kayak paddle. I can easily carry enough gear for about 3 days on the river, and it handles mild whitewater well. I have run up to class II, and I have even taken it over a couple of low head dams for fun. That being said, I wish it was 2 feet longer, and have a little better tracking ability. I have never had to stand up to fly fish, but it would be difficult for any length of time in this boat. The seat sucks, replace it with a cane seat before you even use it. It is definetly a pain in the rear....I have paddled plenty of kayaks, including the coosa and I have always preferred solo canoes, but I do a lot of extended camping trips and I like to carry too much beer and other creature comforts that would be impossible in a kayak. My next boat will be a wenonah vagabond or a mohawk solo 14. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Buric Posted October 29, 2012 Report Share Posted October 29, 2012 My little red canoe is a mohawk solo 14 and I can honestly say that I love it. It does oilcan a bit when it is empty but that is really not a problem at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eugene f collins Posted October 30, 2012 Report Share Posted October 30, 2012 Ok... ok...... ok..................... The phrase " oilcan" what does that mean? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Buric Posted October 30, 2012 Report Share Posted October 30, 2012 It means that the bottom flexes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted October 30, 2012 Report Share Posted October 30, 2012 Is oil canning a bad thing? My Wenonah 14 ft. fisherman model has a flat bottom for stability but it definitely flexes as you go over rocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Buric Posted October 30, 2012 Report Share Posted October 30, 2012 I've put a lot of miles under my canoe and I can honestly say that the bottom flexing has never caused a problem of any kind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike G Posted October 30, 2012 Report Share Posted October 30, 2012 I said, "I am familiar with Discoveries in 16 ft lengths (15' 8"). They oil can. That is the hull flexes visibly when you paddle." We should call this beer canning since oil comes in plastic bottles these days. You know how you can pop the sides of a can in and out. That is what the hull of some canoes do under the stress of paddle strokes. Sometimes you can hear it, "Flup-flup." It is not the flex caused by going over rocks. I suppose it is a fine point in regards to performance because the "bad" is that it causes a little extra water drag which can become significant over a day of paddling. You either spend more energy or get there later. On the other hand, the hull that flexes is better at rebounding off of rocks. Andy said, "That being said, I wish it was 2 feet longer, and have a little better tracking ability." In my experience longer tracks better. I test paddled the Old Town 11 6 Discovery and the Pack at Rutabaga and decided against them because of tracking-a real plus on smooth water. On the other hand shorter is more maneuverable-a real plus in rapids. As Andy points out, canoes hold more stuff. The trade off is that they get blown around being higher in the water. In the end one has to pick a boat that best fits one's needs. Lots of good ones out there No matter what it is best to know the pros and cons going in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mannym Posted October 31, 2012 Report Share Posted October 31, 2012 Check out the Old Town Penobscot 16' roylex. It is a tandem canoe that can be paddled solo if you use the other seat and face the other way. It does beer can a little bit when I am solo but I can keep up with my buddy in his fancy two thousand dollar boat. I have used this boat in the BWCA on my solo camping trip a few years ago. I also paddle this boat in all the rivers around here. It takes a beating and has held up well. It weights in at 49 pounds and has had up to two people and about 130 lbs of gear for week long trips. Used they can be found for 400-500 bucks. Fishing kayaks do not have the versatility that a nice canoe does. You can always bring somebody along in a canoe. Not so much in a yak.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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