What are the best canoes out there for trapping? Focusing on weight, stability, and durability what are some recommendations for the trapline?
Thanks

12’ sportspal

I've had a few. The best one I have found is this old aluminum one. It's shallow and wide and about 17 feet long. I put it in the back of my pick up and it hauls fine. I also carried it on top of a rack and that's good too. the best thing about this one is stability. I climb in and out often and have never tipped it. Its strong. I had a brake rotor on the end of a cable drowner lastnight out n deep water. It was suctioned into the mud and I could not pull it to the bank at all. try as I might. I put the cable over the canoe and sat on the back then pushed with all I had with my feet to make the canoe a lever to pull up on the brake rotor and I finally got it off the bottom of the lake. It hauls a lot f weight too. Aluminum is durable.

I have a small fiberglass one too but it seams like I am always pulling it out and finding new leaks to patch. It's tippy but light. It's 30 years old and creaks a lot if I stand up in it. Always afraid my feet are going to go through it.

Recommendations? - have some gorilla tape in a dry bag so when you poke a hole you can patch it and keep going. Get a paddle or two that have a metal shaft and a hook on the handle end. Tie a 20' rope to the front and have a weight on it so you can toss it on the bank and it won't blow away from you. Some guys put a clamp on the end or just tie off. Get some foam pad and put it n the bottom for your knees if you like to paddle like that.

My favorite one was $100 from a guy who was having trouble. Don't need to spend a lot.

I’ve always loved the idea of floating small rivers in a canoe and trapping that way. I may have had bad experiences but I’ve never been in one that I wouldn’t be sure to flip. I’ve got a couple of Jon boats I’ve floated in and trapped. It was fun but I’m getting too old to load, unload and drag over riffles.

Cant have it all in one. You'll have to decide on wider/ more stable and heavy or sleek/less stable and light.

I went with the 14ft ram X type that's 40" wide with a keel.

I've had longer and narrower/lighter but neither worked out for trapping. Dump your stuff (and you) once in ice water and you'll wish you went wider. And the 17s are a big pain in the booty. They offer more payload buy payload that can be gained by going wider as well.

And if you're not floating a river, mount oar locks with oars. Paddles are OK for rivers but not lakes when hauling any weight.

As mentioned, you want wide if you plan on reaching over the side alot like when marsh trapping rats. Find a wenonah fisherman in royalex if you can, they no longer make this model in rx but you cn find used ones out there. You could also look for an old town discovery 133, it's a poly boat and will be about 20lbs heavier than the fisherman.

Remember that what you gain in stability with a wider canoe you lose in manueverability. So if your method is to go from point A to point B and get out and set traps, then any decent canoe 34-36 wide works fine.

17' or so aluminum with keel..

The 12 foot has always been a bit small for me, I have both 13 (not much better) and a 16 footer and the 16 gets the call for most things, both of mine have the transom back and paddle like a pregnant whale but they are stable and while not unsinkable they do come close and are light enough that even with a bad back they go up top easily on the vehicle

Most of my trapping is running several miles up oneside of a river and then floating down the other and for that I have found they work well


Lots of good canoes out there some are tippy if you’re not experienced, the sportspal is not but the trade off like I said is there not real responsive and slow to move out of where their pointed, a motor really helps but some dot like running a motor, me i am old and slow and a motor is to big a help to not have

Sportspal

14 or 15 foot aluminum has been the ticket for me. When I expect a bigger catch (30+ coon) a 17' canoe is the better choice. The shorter canoe is better solo when hauling modest loads or duck hunting and exploring.

If you're young and strong, I'd go with a wide 18' Ram X like a Coleman. If you're old and losing strength like me go lighter. I have a 12' Raddison aluminum that I can pick up with one hand. It's perfect for me.

17’ Grumman aluminum.

Osky

This one will easily carry over 2,000 pounds of beaver...

I don't think BeaverPeeler could sink my canoe....

Interesting freighter canoe, what brand and model is it ?

Scott Hudson Bay freighter..21 foot..56 in beam...triple keel

Fiberglass with Ash trim and spray rails

I've got a 17' Lowe aluminum I recieved as a high school graduation present in 1985. It's been through a lot and still going strong!

next thing you know he will be asking for a test drive and on his rivers
and can you get it to me !

That canoe is nodang good there is no wildlife blood spattered on it that I can see.

I have a 15' aluminum Browning Aerocraft that I bought back in '76 or '77.
Wouldn't trade it for anything.

I don't use one but my friend uses a 15' Grumman sport boat to trap spring beaver and he really likes it.

I have said it before I really would love to have one of those but really no need, but would still love to have one