Thoughts on canoe stabilizers?

[SWMuskeye]

Who out here uses them?

I would like a little bit of stability- or the ability to sight-fish from my canoe. To add to things, I would like to fish bigger waters up in the BWCA and my friend that I go with often has bad balance.

Can anyone recommend a good brand?

Do they get in the way for paddling? Fishing? Thanks for the help.

[HuskerBen]

I've been looking into building some. I've seen a setup that used pool noodles and pvc for the floats, and was clamped to the gunnels with rigid conduit.

I have seen them for sale at Cabela's and other places, but they cost quite a bit more than I can justify.

[Quetico]

What kind of canoe do you have? I've never had issues fishing Sag and Basswood from my Penobscot. There are windy days when the wind and rollers are at a point you'd have to be crazy to try fishing. But other than that you shouldn't need stabilizers.

Checkout the Old Town Canoe HSOforum. Or talk to the guys at Northwest Canoe Company in St.Paul.

[Tinkhamtown]

I have an older 14’ Radisson (Sportsman) with hard foam along both gunnels. My canoe has two foam seats that set on the floor giving you a backrest plus a low center of gravity. I can row it like a boat (both forward and backward) by putting the seat in the center and using the ore locks. I have a motor mount and a 36 pound thrust electric I can troll for northern on setting 1 or 2 and on a 5 setting I get a wake. Have jump shot ducks on the Cannon and Poplar Rivers with an 80-pound lab jumping in and out of the canoe to make retrieves with no problem. When the canoe starts to tip the water hits the foam and stops. Very stabile and safe canoe, light 46 pounds, and makes having wife or teenage children in front a non issue.

Sportsman canoe sells two new replacement foams in 14’ length plus the hardware to attach. I just redid mine last summer but sorry I can’t remember the price wasn’t much though. Ordered over the Internet and got it right away.