I just got back from up in that area that you are going to in the Q. I've got a SR 17 and it worked great. I'm 230#s and my bow man is around 170# plus we had 4 good sized packs. The canoe was easy to handle and very stable. Went over to Chatterton lake one day for a day trip to fish and had no problems with handling while it was empty. I'd say go with the 17 ft . But depending on how much gear you have in the boat you may want more room for the dog.

Ah, but Puckster, that's because the Northwoods is a Yost design and there is no one who has ever designed more "sea friendly" small craft than DY.  My wife and I paddle a Northwind (16'-8") and it is the finest tandem (flat water) canoe I have ever paddled - incomparable.

Ranger wrote on Aug 2^nd, 2014 at 4:34am:


Interesting.  My old 18'6" Bell Northwoods is actually more stable for fishing than my 17'6" canoe! 

Have a great trip! 

puckster

Spring creek canoe stabilizer......what's the debate? Smaller canoe, inexperienced bow paddler, a dog and an empty canoe base camping on big water.......of course you bring the stabilizers. I like 'em......if the weather is fine they sit in camp, if the weather is a bit snotty and you don't have them you will be kicking yourself.........just don't get overconfident. Who gives a rip what others might think about it?

Be prepared to land your own fish.......the stabilizers will preclude helping each other. If your newbie is also an inexperienced angler this could be problematic without the right tools. Did I mention the shimano Brutus needle nose pliers. 11" of peace of mind direct from amazon.  Heavy but perfect for keeping your digits and hands away from harm. If you get a pair make sure they have a soft landing pad......quiet please.

What do you have for the dog to lay on? You need something that will insulate from the coolness of the lake. Thin closed cell foam might be the ticket.....something like a yoga pad. If the dog is comfy it will do a lot of sleeping, uncomfy and it will rebel (I'm not getting in THAT thing again)

Puckster wrote on Jul 28^th, 2014 at 9:46pm:


The opinions are fairly well divided. I'm thinking that we'll most likely use the Q17. I know that everything will fit in it, and I think it'll minimize the sail affect when empty.

I'm also debating on whether or not I want to bring my Spring Creek canoe floats/stabilizers too. The dog is really good in the canoe, but for the amount of time we'll be fishing from an empty boat, with a novice bow paddler, and a dog, on some big lakes, with a bunch of spendy fishing equipment… I know I'd get a ton of flack for them from the outfitter, but it might be nice insurance to have.

Hey Ranger, you've got a nice diversity of opinions on this dilemna you face.  Did you decide to use the bigger or smaller canoe?

I own both the 17'6" and the 18'6", so I'm curious which way you went. 

puckster

I'd go with 17'. Easier to paddle and control. I've owned both.

mastertangler wrote on Jul 24^th, 2014 at 11:39am:
few years back we rented the SR18. that same year we used a very lightweight drift sock that i had dear old mom sew up with nylon and nylon webbing. bought a largish one from basspro and let her use it as an example. while it didn't fit every situation there were some times that it did work perfectly. i hate getting blown around but overall do prefer the larger boat.

If you're comfortable fitting everything into the 17, I'd say use it. You're not traveling far when you do travel. Like B_C I'd think the 17 would sit in the water better unloaded when you're fishing and it's windy. Suppose to be a very stable boat.

I had the same question before this years trip in June. Same objectives, not much portaging and a lot of fishing. We went with the SR17. last minute decision...but we did not have a 40 LB dog along. Our boat worked out fine but I think I'd go with the 18 footer just because of your little four footed companion.