Who Fishes From A Square Stern Canoe ? 2024
Jim McC reply :
As me and my back get older, I think about going to a lighter weight boat, for ease of loading and launching, etc. I fish alone most of the time, and I currently have a 1648 flat jon with a carpeted wood floor and front deck, 25 HP outboard, trolling motor, battery. When all is said and done, it's heavy. I thought about going to a 1448 maybe, but they're only about 30 lbs. lighter, so forget that. One thought I had was a wide, flat bottom, square stern canoe, with a trolling motor. I know about Gheenoes, but they are VERY rare around me(used). I want something that will accomodate 2 guys comfortably. Thanks.
webertime reply :
I have a 14' scanoe (glass) with a 30 lb Minn kota and spring creek canoe stabilizers (allows me to stand) . I can do 5-6mph on the GPS with it. It's fantastic for small waters, preferably with light traffic.
Jim McC reply :
Thanks. I was hoping for more replies. If I do get a canoe, I'm still going to trailer it. I read that Coleman's boat plans were sold to Pelican. The scanoe is now called the Pelican Bayou 160 I think. Is it awkward/difficult to turn and reach the trolling motor if you want to raise it, etc? Do you sit in the rear? I weigh about 235, so I don't know if I'd be able to sit in the rear when I'm alone. One I'm looking at is the Old Town Saranac square stern at Dick's Sporting Goods. I can't find anyone that's selling the Pelican Bayou 160.
webertime reply :
Mine is some old glass boat not a coleman or pelican. Scanoe was a term I've heard a lot for this style. It is not too awkward to steer at all, at your size (I'm 6'5" 270 myself), extending the cables so you can put the battery in the bow is REALLY nice, otherwise you have an awfully out of balance boat (unless you like being spun around at the slightest gust of wind). The stabilizers will let you stand with no problems, I toss big hudds and flip pretty gnarly stuff with no issues. The boat you are looking at is a bit wider than mine and a bit heavier, so it will be a bit more stable.
Way2slow reply :
I have had a 17' aluminum Grumman cargo (wide bottom) canoe with the square stren since about 1962 (I bought it used for $40 back then but it had a sail attachment that I never used). I don't have a clue how many miles or hours I've racked up in that thing since getting it. If you try to use it with just one person, you have to sit in the front seat but turned around facing the rear and still make sure you have plenty of weight in the back (which is the front now). It's almost impossible to fish from the rear seat unless you have a person in the front or you add about 1/2 your weight in the front. If you don't, the front goes up at about a 30 degree angle and only wants to go around in circles. However, needless to say, I still luv my canoe, after all, I've held on to it for 50 years. I have a little 1996, 4hp merc I put on the back, (which is scary fast on the thing and you have to be very careful). Until a forest fire back in 95 got the shed it was in, I had an early 60's 3hp johnson I use on it and it and you still had to slow down turning.
I personnaly would not care for a canoe any smaller without stabalizer's or outriggers on it. Back in 85, a neighbors kid that had been with me a number of times in mine, got him one of those cheap, 15' plastic canoes and I was going to show him the does and don'ts of using one. With the two of us in it, it was so unstable, it was down right scary. Even with just me in it, I didn't like it, ungodly unstable. He tried it by himself, rolled it three times in less than five minutes, load it back up and took it back and swapped it for a better 17' fiberglass.
Unless you have some seat time in one, I would strongly recommend you find one you can use before buying one, they are not for everybody.
Jim McC reply :
Thanks guys. Webertime, I was asking if it's hard to turn my body(canoe stability wise) and tilt motor up and down, with a square stern canoe? Some guys claim it's easier to use a side motor mount on a canoe. I don't know. And putting on stabilizers every time I go out sounds like a real PITA.
A-Jay reply :
I fish from a Old Town Predator square back canoe, I think it's just under 16 ft.
Been in it for 5 seasons now. Suits me perfectly.
Has a 40 inch beam and I stand to fish all day and night.
I cart it around on a trailer - It's THE ONLY WAY TO GO.
Launching and recover could not be any easier, especially when it's a one man show.
It does fish my wife and I quite comfortably.
A few modifications here and there and I'm good to go.
A-Jay
Jim McC reply :
A-Jay, that canoe would be my first choice I think. It's just too expensive, unless I can find one used. What type and size trailer do you use?
A-Jay reply :
On 9/15/2012 at 9:15 AM, 'Jim McC said:A-Jay, that canoe would be my first choice I think. It's just too expensive, unless I can find one used. What type and size trailer do you use?
I'm dragging a CastleCraft trailer - it comes in a box and you assemble it yourself.
I took my time and I think it was a couple of days start to finish.
I was unable to locate a suitable trailer locally so I was very glad to find this on line.
This trailer has been trouble free and I'm pleased with it.
Here's the link - btw - they don't exactly give them away . . . .
A-Jay
http://www.castlecra...noe_trailer.htm
BKeith reply :
I'm not an advocate of hanging one on the side. I know two people that have lost there motors in the river doing that. The current pushed them against a tree limb and the next thing they saw was their motor going out of sight. I do that with my TM (have to if running a gas on the stern) and have knocked it off a couple of times but I have a safety rope on it and don't have it on the side when traveling in the river. Both of those I'm talking about loosing theirs thought they had theirs secured but the current tore them loose.
Yes, it can get uncomfortable having the reach back for a motor on the stern. I have arthritis in my neck and back and it bothers me a lot at time reaching around like that. On my jon boats, I use a seat that you can slide to one side when using the motor but that's not possible with a canoe.
If you have a Norther Tools close buy, you can buy one of their cheap trailer kits and just extend the tongue. I see them a lot of times for less than $300
Jim McC reply :
Yes, I do have a Northern Tool near me. I assume when you guys tow your canoes, you don't have your battery in there?
BKeith reply :
Mine is ready to fish. The only thing not in it is stuff the might blow out, and I don't think a battery is going to blow out. That's why you run a long tongue, the wheels and support is near the back of the canoe. Now, if you have one of those molded plastic looking canoes, all bets are off, some of those things I've seen don't look strong enough to support their own weight, much less motor's, (TM and Gas) battery, cooler and other stuff you have.
I guess I should revise one part of that, my TM is laying in the canoe until I get to the lake, then I hang it on the mount. I don't leave it hanging off the side of the boat to take a chance of it coming off. My mount is one of those temporary style that you just clamp onto the rails and it does get loose at times, so I have to snugg the wing nuts from time to time.
Jim McC reply :
On 9/15/2012 at 8:49 PM, BKeith said:Mine is ready to fish. The only thing not in it is stuff the might blow out, and I don't think a battery is going to blow out. That's why you run a long tongue, the wheels and support is near the back of the canoe. Now, if you have one of those molded plastic looking canoes, all bets are off, some of those things I've seen don't look strong enough to support their own weight, much less motor's, (TM and Gas) battery, cooler and other stuff you have.
I guess I should revise one part of that, my TM is laying in the canoe until I get to the lake, then I hang it on the mount. I don't leave it hanging off the side of the boat to take a chance of it coming off. My mount is one of those temporary style that you just clamp onto the rails and it does get loose at times, so I have to snugg the wing nuts from time to time.
I assumed the battery would be bouncing around when towing, and that's not good. There's no way to secure a battery in a canoe is there?
BKeith reply :
You have a point there, but I took care of that many moons ago and didn't think about it. I had plate installed in mine that I anchor the battery down on. If you don't have it anchored and roll the canoe, the battery could be gone, and take the TM with it. Anything you don't want to replace and won't float, you had better have some type of a safety device that will keep it anchored to the canoe, or make it float.
Jim McC reply :
On 9/16/2012 at 5:06 AM, BKeith said:I had plate installed in mine that I anchor the battery down on.
Exactly how is the plate installed? Do you have a pic? Thanks.
BKeith reply :
Mine's aluminum and it has support ribs, the plate is mounted across two of the ribs like a floor plate in your standard aluminum boat. I just fastened two battery box hold down loops and strap it down. Picture is not possible. For the past couple of years I've been leaving it at the farm and using it on the farm ponds, that's 90 miles from me. My wife fell in the water getting in it a couple years ago so she will not get near it now, so I've just been keeping my 14' jon at the house and using it in the river and the few ponds I fish here.
Jim McC reply :
Thanks
Aluma-Bass reply :
I have a gheenoe and love it!
webertime reply :
On 9/15/2012 at 8:59 AM, Jim McC said:Thanks guys. Webertime, I was asking if it's hard to turn my body(canoe stability wise) and tilt motor up and down, with a square stern canoe? Some guys claim it's easier to use a side motor mount on a canoe. I don't know. And putting on stabilizers every time I go out sounds like a real PITA.
I'd agree that it is easier to tilt the motor with a side mount, my previous canoe was set up that way.
BKeith reply :
Well, talking about square stern canoe's, I guess somebody got a good deal on a 17' footer and a 12' jon. My brother called me tonight and asked if I got mine, which I hadn't. He went down to the pond that I've been leaving at it at to fish some, and the canoe was gone. He goes to the other two ponds where the jon boat stays and it was gone. He called me to see if I had gotten them. Both were on our land that's completely finced and a long way from the property line so we figure it had to be someone that knew they were there. The pisser of it, for the price scrap aluminum is getting, I wouldn't be suprised if they didn't get them just to sell for scrape
axeslinger70 reply :
I don't know if you got something yet but I bought the Old Town Square stern saranac 15.4 long canoe from Dicks and is working out great. Is very stable even with 3 people though we normally only fish with 2 and a dog. I added some swivel seats on removable mounts, a 55 lb thrust Minn Kota and transport on my roof rack
Fishing Rhino reply :
On 9/15/2012 at 9:07 AM, A-Jay said:I fish from a Old Town Predator square back canoe, I think it's just under 16 ft.
Been in it for 5 seasons now. Suits me perfectly.
Has a 40 inch beam and I stand to fish all day and night.
I cart it around on a trailer - It's THE ONLY WAY TO GO.
Launching and recover could not be any easier, especially when it's a one man show.
It does fish my wife and I quite comfortably.
A few modifications here and there and I'm good to go.
A-Jay
That looks to be the same as my square stern. I think they weigh about ninety pounds, and I have stood in mine without a problem, but knowing me, I'm not one to tempt fate. I'd find some way do end up in the drink. It is a great canoe for two people. I added these folding seats on on a piece of half inch plywood with a swivel sandwiched between The seats are much better than the folding canvas type, and the swivel works splendidly.
A-Jay reply :
On 12/24/2012 at 1:00 AM, Fishing Rhino said:That looks to be the same as my square stern. I think they weigh about ninety pounds, and I have stood in mine without a problem, but knowing me, I'm not one to tempt fate. I'd find some way do end up in the drink. It is a great canoe for two people. I added these folding seats on on a piece of half inch plywood with a swivel sandwiched between The seats are much better than the folding canvas type, and the swivel works splendidly.
My 15' 3" Old Town Predator square back weighs in at 113 - bare hull.
They rate it at being able to carry 1700lbs people & gear - I've never actually weighed all my gear but it supports the load well and stability has never been a concern. Gear includes - 2 mod 29 batteries, 55lb thrust minn kota, cement block at bow for ballast (when alone) and way too much tackle and rods. (plastic baits really weight a ton)
A-Jay
will83 reply :
I have the same sportsman as fishing Rhino, I'm 160lbs and fish standing up all the time, it's the only way I fish. I also have a friend about the same weight and we can both stand and fish, I'm actually wondering how that looks from shore. I have also had someone as large as 350 lbs in the front I swear the seat was going to snap but it held up! I have a tone of gear usually bring 6 rods, one battery and a 55 lb trolling motor.
basshole8190 reply :
On 9/15/2012 at 9:07 AM, A-Jay said:I fish from a Old Town Predator square back canoe, I think it's just under 16 ft.
Been in it for 5 seasons now. Suits me perfectly.
Has a 40 inch beam and I stand to fish all day and night.
I cart it around on a trailer - It's THE ONLY WAY TO GO.
Launching and recover could not be any easier, especially when it's a one man show.
It does fish my wife and I quite comfortably.
A few modifications here and there and I'm good to go.
A-Jay
that was my first fishing vessel i loved it
fished small creeks all the way to 20,000 acre resovoirs in it and landed plenty of fish
loading and unloading by myself wasnt very difficult
fit 3 people at one time and was very stable
i'd suggest an old down square stern for the price of $500 (ballpark) and a decent 40 lb thrust tm you cant beat it
Jim Mac reply :
On 12/23/2012 at 9:56 PM, axeslinger70 said:I don't know if you got something yet but I bought the Old Town Square stern saranac 15.4 long canoe from Dicks and is working out great. Is very stable even with 3 people though we normally only fish with 2 and a dog. I added some swivel seats on removable mounts, a 55 lb thrust Minn Kota and transport on my roof rack
Does your canoe from Dick's have a drain plug? I saw it last season at Dick's, but I can't remember. If it doesn't, it wouldn't work for me. It would be sitting outside on a trailer. Thanks.
mikeg reply :
Jim Mac, Get a little bilge pump or flip it over. I keep mine in the garage but bought a hand powered bilge pump after some waves washed over the canoe. It's only happened once and it was only an inch or two of water but it was a pain none the less. I tested the pump with a 5 gallon bucket of water and it works surprisingly quick and did a good job of getting darn near all of the water.
I love my square back canoe, I do offset the TM as far to the side on the transom as possible to make it a bit more comfortable when I twist around and I do put the battery in the front of the canoe. Being a 12' Raddisson, it's ony about 40# empty but it is only rated for 450#, 500 with gear. I'm 210#, the battery, motor and gear is probably another 100#, so I'd be pushing my luck with another person my size. It's fine with my wife, daughter or 150# son though. It's a piece of cake for 2 of us to launch from the back of my truck. It's not even bad just by myself but I have to take out more of the gear before moving it.
mikeg
new2BC4bass reply :
I fish from a 14' Gheenoe when visiting Florida. Think that is the correct name. Made in Georgia. Fiberglass, square stern, 3 bench seats with water in the center for keeping your fish. These boats aren't that wide so aren't what I would call stable.
Look into a Porta-Bote....the 12.5' model. Hull weight (minus seats) is 87 pounds. 60" beam. 3 seats give more leg room than the 14 footer (has 4 seats) which is also a lot heavier (108 lbs) because it needs to be reinforced. Stability is a lot better than the Gheenoe.
Max gas motor weight is 56 lbs. Check out the specs here: http://www.porta-bote.com/dimension.php
Drafts 4". Youtube videos show it moving right along with the required small motors. Should do real well with one person on board.
I bought it because I would have to leave a trailer in my yard. This boat hangs on my garage wall. Now that I am looking at putting a gas motor on it, I will also have to look at getting a trailer. A trailer would eliminate you needing to pick it up and assembling and disassembling every time you wanted to use it. The portability and ease of assembly sounds good until you have been fishing for 8 hours in the heat, and just want to go home. Takes my daughter and me longer than the 15 minutes the 2 guys in a youtube video take to assemble.
In my case the cost of a trailer and having to leave it in the yard is not going to fly well with the wife. 
bluezed reply :
My dad and I got a 14' Scanoe. We have a 45lb Minn Kota on it and Spring Creek stabilizers. It's a good, inexpensive setup that is easy to throw on top of his SUV and get in/out of the water quickly. Very stable with the stabilizers. I stand and fish most of the time. For a cheap canoe it tracks pretty well and moves along nicely with the 45.
The only tough part about it is the trolling motor is quite a ways back from the rear seat. Even at full reach it's still a little uncomfortable to operate for long periods.
We did look into the Porta Bote but ultimately decided we didn't need it. For the cost of a basic Porta Bote we could equip the Scanoe with everything we wanted and still end up spending a bit less. I would still love to have one, though. They are pretty nifty.
new2BC4bass reply :
On 8/1/2013 at 12:45 AM, bluezed said:My dad and I got a 14' Scanoe. We have a 45lb Minn Kota on it and Spring Creek stabilizers. It's a good, inexpensive setup that is easy to throw on top of his SUV and get in/out of the water quickly. Very stable with the stabilizers. I stand and fish most of the time. For a cheap canoe it tracks pretty well and moves along nicely with the 45.
The only tough part about it is the trolling motor is quite a ways back from the rear seat. Even at full reach it's still a little uncomfortable to operate for long periods.
We did look into the Porta Bote but ultimately decided we didn't need it. For the cost of a basic Porta Bote we could equip the Scanoe with everything we wanted and still end up spending a bit less. I would still love to have one, though. They are pretty nifty.
I picked up 2 swivel seats and the caddy when I got mine. Seats set you up a couple inches higher, but more importantly save my old back. The wheels make it a breeze to move around. Especially considering how light it is fully assembled. Boat is also easy to row. I wouldn't mind the assembling and the disassembling so much if I wasn't an old fart.
Jim Mac reply :
On 7/31/2013 at 8:48 PM, mikeg said:Jim Mac, Get a little bilge pump or flip it over. I keep mine in the garage but bought a hand powered bilge pump after some waves washed over the canoe. It's only happened once and it was only an inch or two of water but it was a pain none the less. I tested the pump with a 5 gallon bucket of water and it works surprisingly quick and did a good job of getting darn near all of the water.
I love my square back canoe, I do offset the TM as far to the side on the transom as possible to make it a bit more comfortable when I twist around and I do put the battery in the front of the canoe. Being a 12' Raddisson, it's ony about 40# empty but it is only rated for 450#, 500 with gear. I'm 210#, the battery, motor and gear is probably another 100#, so I'd be pushing my luck with another person my size. It's fine with my wife, daughter or 150# son though. It's a piece of cake for 2 of us to launch from the back of my truck. It's not even bad just by myself but I have to take out more of the gear before moving it.
mikeg
Good idea. I do have a manual bilge pump somewhere. I haven't used it in many years.
bluezed reply :
On 8/1/2013 at 9:01 AM, new2BC4bass said:I picked up 2 swivel seats and the caddy when I got mine. Seats set you up a couple inches higher, but more importantly save my old back. The wheels make it a breeze to move around. Especially considering how light it is fully assembled. Boat is also easy to row. I wouldn't mind the assembling and the disassembling so much if I wasn't an old fart.
What seats did you get? I am usually up front and am fine with the stock seat with a cushion. I usually stand, anyways. But a swivel seat out back would probably help a lot.
We did order a cart for it earlier this week. It should be here soon.
new2BC4bass reply :
Seats appear to be white in the picture, but mine are gray.
http://www.porta-bote.com/seat
I've always had at least one other person in the boat whenever I had it out. Standing isn't a problem. The 60" hull makes it pretty stable.
Jim Mac reply :
I never did buy a square stern canoe, but I'm thinking about it again. I noticed the 15' Saranac square stern that Dick's sells went up $250 from last fall. Any ideas why? It went from $550 to $800.
Mike2841 reply :
Not sure how you feel about kayaks but the ocean kayak torque has a built in trolling motor, might be a good alternative for what you're looking for.
Jim Mac reply :
On 4/14/2014 at 7:33 AM, Mike2841 said:Not sure how you feel about kayaks but the ocean kayak torque has a built in trolling motor, might be a good alternative for what you're looking for.
Thanks. I already have a kayak. The canoe would be to replace my 16' flat bottom jon boat.
Vanny reply :
On 12/23/2012 at 9:56 PM, axeslinger70 said:I don't know if you got something yet but I bought the Old Town Square stern saranac 15.4 long canoe from Dicks and is working out great. Is very stable even with 3 people though we normally only fish with 2 and a dog. I added some swivel seats on removable mounts, a 55 lb thrust Minn Kota and transport on my roof rack
I'm trying to put my Minn kota v2 55 on my Saranac also. Would you mind sharing where you mounted the motor and placed the batteries.
Largemouth21 reply :
just noticed the dates in this thread. Why do people reply to old posts 
Largemouth21 reply :
zombie thread
new2BC4bass reply :
On 8/1/2013 at 12:09 PM, bluezed said:
What seats did you get? I am usually up front and am fine with the stock seat with a cushion. I usually stand, anyways. But a swivel seat out back would probably help a lot.
We did order a cart for it earlier this week. It should be here soon.
Sorry. Didn't keep track of this thread. I bought them from the Porta-Bote manufacturer at the same time I ordered the boat.
Goose52 reply :
On 8/24/2017 at 4:41 AM, Vanny said:I'm trying to put my Minn kota v2 55 on my Saranac also. Would you mind sharing where you mounted the motor and placed the batteries.
Hi Vanny - the guy you quoted (axeslinger70) last visited Bass Resource in June 2013 so you're not likely to get a response from him.
For what it's worth - most people with square sterns mount the trolling motor to the transom - that's why you have a square-back canoe I guess. Yes - it's not easy to operate the motor tiller as it's directly behind you but that's the price you pay to have thrust along the centerline of the boat. A tiller extension might help a bit depending on how far away you are from the motor.
On battery location, it's all about whether you are fishing solo or have someone else in the boat. If solo, the best way is to run extension cables up to the bow and locate the battery there. If someone else is in the boat, the the best place for the battery is midships (and again, you might need extension cables to reach the battery.
I have a double-ended canoe and run my motor in a side-mount. The disadvantage is the asymmetrical thrust, the advantage is the motor is much easier to steer than having it behind you.
......and, welcome to Bass Resource !
Way2slow reply :
Now, this is funny. Back in 2012 when this thread was started, I posted on here about my brother calling me and telling me my canoe was missing from the pond,
Well, he just called me told me he has my canoe. He was at the peoples house that have land next to ours and saw my canoe next to a shed (that old green, wide bottom, square back this is pretty easy to recognize}. He asked if that wasn't the canoe from our pond and the guy says "oh yea, his son borrowed it and just hasn't taken it back". Five years later, he just borrowed it and he hasn't taken it back????.
Jim Mac reply :
Yeah right 
Largemouth21 reply :
On 8/25/2017 at 1:58 AM, Way2slow said:Now, this is funny. Back in 2012 when this thread was started, I posted on here about my brother calling me and telling me my canoe was missing from the pond,
Well, he just called me told me he has my canoe. He was at the peoples house that have land next to ours and saw my canoe next to a shed (that old green, wide bottom, square back this is pretty easy to recognize}. He asked if that wasn't the canoe from our pond and the guy says "oh yea, his son borrowed it and just hasn't taken it back". Five years later, he just borrowed it and he hasn't taken it back????.
was the johnboat ever recovered ? better keep an eye on those neighbors
IndianaOutdoors reply :
On 8/25/2017 at 1:58 AM, Way2slow said:Now, this is funny. Back in 2012 when this thread was started, I posted on here about my brother calling me and telling me my canoe was missing from the pond,
Well, he just called me told me he has my canoe. He was at the peoples house that have land next to ours and saw my canoe next to a shed (that old green, wide bottom, square back this is pretty easy to recognize}. He asked if that wasn't the canoe from our pond and the guy says "oh yea, his son borrowed it and just hasn't taken it back". Five years later, he just borrowed it and he hasn't taken it back????.
Stealing a man's boat should be a capital offense
RPreeb reply :
On 8/29/2017 at 6:56 PM, IndianaOutdoors said:Stealing a man's boat should be a capital offense
No different from a horse thief back in the Old West.... Hang 'em all. 
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