Just purchased a canoe so i can fish from some locations not as able to get to on foot. Was out practicing the canoe and managed to swim more than canoe Now i know i'll just use the canoe for transport to the better fishing areas
Might have to get a few canoe pointers somewhere. Although i could be good bait for a bull shark in florida
It just takes a little bit of practice and time on the canoe to get used to it. It's less stable than a boat, but still very stable.
Always remember where is the center of gravity of the canoe, and place your own center of gravity over it. Always spread out your weight evenly over the seat, and I find it helps when you spread out your legs on either side to achieve even more stability.
When you turn your body around in the canoe, always remember to turn the torso instead of leaning over to one side.
Remember that most of your weight is placed directly over your butt. So if you turn your body and move your legs sideways in the canoe, you have to shift that body weight a bit to accommodate for the change in where your center of gravity is placed.
As for paddling, watch this series of paddling tips. It's for whitewater canoeing, but the principles apply to flatwater canoeing too. There are a few videos of various strokes...so search for it.
He makes it seems to easy...probably because he's in a short, light, maneuverable whitewater canoe...as opposed to a heavy 16 aluminum flatwater canoe
Maybe one day you can achieve enough balance on the canoe to stand up in the canoe and fish from a standing position. It can be done...even with fly fishing
Thank for the tips, hopefully i won't scare all the fish next time. It's a slightly older coleman with aluminum bracing. Im thinking about getting some seats that sit lower, as the seats sit level with the rails.
(06-11-2013 01:41 PM)mrclownprince Wrote: [ -> ]Thank for the tips, hopefully i won't scare all the fish next time. It's a slightly older coleman with aluminum bracing. Im thinking about getting some seats that sit lower, as the seats sit level with the rails.
If I recall correctly Colemans have a fairly rounded bottom and don't have a keel, and that can make things a bit tougher. I have a Scott Tripper, 16ft, flat bottomed with a keel and it's quite stable. A couple of years ago we rented a second canoe up at Grundy lake PP, and it had no keel and a more rounded bottom, and what a difference! Just casting can start the canoe on a slow spin as Newton's third law comes into play. Have you got an anchor?
Keel vs no keel definitely makes MUCH more of a difference when you're soloing than when you're paddling tandem. Expert soloists prefer no keel since it's more agile, but for a guy like me who's been canoeing all my life but mostly tandem with just a little solo experience in there, having a keel makes it much more manageable.
I haven't ever had issues with tipping though, just manoeverability. Keeping a canoe upright is a matter of balance. Always keep your weight either on dead centre or equally split between the two sides of centre. If you have to walk up or down the canoe keep your hands on the gunwales and as much weight as possible on your hands. If you're bringing a backpack or something, load it (centred) into the boat before you get in. In fact some weight in the boat will make it more stable. And if it feels tippy at any point, get your butt off the seat and kneel on the bottom.
Another thing about soloing a canoe is that you shouldn't be sitting as far back as you would be if you were sterning in a tandem scenario. If the canoe is set up for tandem paddling, you should paddle it backwards from the bow seat if you're soloing, since the bow seat is closer to the middle than the stern seat. If you're having trouble from there, kneel just behind the middle thwart.
Of course it could be that you know all this and you're trying to solo paddle "Classic Canadian style" with the canoe heeling over at 45 degrees like Bill Mason... that might explain the swimming
Now i know i'll just use the canoe for transport to the better fishing areas 
