Who's got a canoe they like for trapping? I've got a 14'6" Blue Hole canoe that I used the last couple years, and it got the job done, but with summer here I'm keeping my eyes out for a replacement, something a bit shorter in the 10-13' range that's a bit more maneuverable through the marsh. I'd really like to get my hands on a Golden Hawk 10' or an Old Town Pack. What about the Sportspals? Anything you like or don't like about your current canoe?

The one thing my Blue Hole has going for it is the seat configuration. It's a whitewater canoe, so it's got a foam seat that you sit on and straddle rather than a traditional canoe seat. It keeps me lower, although I still need to be careful of leaning too far over. I'm hoping to gain some stability with a wider canoe. Something with a color scheme outside of the primary colors would be nice, too!

I have an Old Town Pack canoe. It's light but it's treacherous to paddle. I don't use watercraft to access my trapping areas, but if I did, I'd use my kayak. Not as much room to store stuff but it is far more stable.

19' Grumman square stern. Love it ! I'd go longer instead of shorter

Depends on what you want it for,what type of water you will be on,how much gear/fur will you pack in it,and if it will be in and out of the truck bed several times a day,or on long trips on big water etc.
On big water and longer trips a square stern 18 footer with a motor is good.
Small ponds and creeks a sportspal is great,light and easy to throw in and out of the truck or bike,and fairly stable to hop in and out of.

Most of my water trapping consists of backwater sloughs where I can stash the canoe on the shore when not in use. I've paddled my canoe the last couple years, but I do like the idea of getting a square back to speed things up with a trolling motor.

I typically carry 40 or so rat traps and stakes on my initial and last trips, with a bucket or two of spares while checking. I was thinking shorter would be more maneuverable in tight spots between cattails when the huts aren't on the edges and I have to "nose in" to some spots then back out.

A trolling motor would also be a lifesaver on those chilly checks when I need to break through ice.

Good to know. It looks a little narrower than the golden hawk or sportspal, but wasnt sure how narrow. I would definitely need to be able to lean over to get the job done. All the same, those Old Town Packs are few and far between for sale on the used market. I've seen at least a half dozen golden hawks for sale within an hour or two drive from me, but no Packs.

Tha is for the tips, guys.

I had a fifteen foot square stern Old Town with a 2hp Honda outboard. That was a nice outfit. I bear baited remote water out of it. Our streams and ponds are freezing up just about the time trapping season gets underway so canoes aren't much of an option.

I hear ya on the length in short quick turns. But this 19 footer is so stable I have used it to check a set net. Easily haul a whole moose or a few hundred salmon. I have rolled the gunnel right to the waterline ...almost..... while pulling a net. VERY stable !!

21 foot Hudson Bay Freighter.....can hold over 2,000 lbs...15 HP.....that’s 40 ....50 pound beaver...lol

Nessmuck, how many muskrats to hit the 2,000 pound mark? Haha!

About 7 in Alaska

Ya'll be careful or you will get a scratch on your keel on that fancy concrete ramp Nessy.
Nice boat.

Zim

More likely he'll put his eye out !

I picked up a 12' "Genuine Indian Brand" canoe a few years ago and love it. Although it's a chore to paddle in open water it's great in the swamps and streams. Easy to jump out and drag it over the beaver dams. Mines got some beam to it and is rated for a 3hp motor so there are options out there in small canoes that are designed to be used for more than a fair weather paddle but it's nowhere near as stable as my 18'. I don't find it too tippy for trapping but that's sort of tough to judge how you might feel. If you get fiberglass make sure it is glass mat and not the sprayed in chopped glass.

Big trade offs between "initial" and "secondary" stability with length and cross-section

What part of the state are you trapping, Johnny? I'm in southern Aroostook. Speaking of swamps. Finding a place to get ashore can be a real challenge.

True with many things.

Zim

Getting to where my cross section is compromising my stability.

Sponsons on the side keep you from rolling. Have never, never rolled this canoe yet. Loaded up for short time deer camp.



Double bladed paddle makes life easier paddling a short canoe. Though this canoe does have a keel, it doesn't track as nicely as I'd like using a regular paddle.

Gear out on the bank.



Snowed that night . . .



Nice for beaver trapping. Light enough you can sling it over one shoulder and walk through the bottoms that way, or drag it like a sled. Great for muskrat trapping, you can lean over, work your set, and not have to worry about rolling it.

This is the 13' square stern. If you're looking at 'em, be sure you look at Sportspals and not Radissons.



Downsides to this type of canoe: I had a Radisson for 20 some years starting back in the 80s. Similar design, but the hull was cut and seamed and required annual maintenance bondoing these joints. Solved that problem with the bump up to the SportSpal. One piece hull.

Both have that black "blanket" of soft material that the ribs will keep in place. Over time this material compresses and the aluminum ribs want to fall out. Problem solved by drilling through hull near gunwale and bolting in place.

Primary gripe: when paddling through tight marsh, the leading edge of the sponsons want to "grab" cattails and slow passage through. Partially solved this by shaving leading edge of sponson down to an angle.

All that being said, and having paddled many different canoes over the years, I still would select this canoe if buying a new one for what I do. Coupled with my 2 hp Honda, makes a nice rig for the waybacks where others have a difficult time getting into and around.