pirogue usage

[JShane]

Any of you guys have any experience with running a two person pirogue? What's the stability like? ease of paddling, using a kayak paddle vs. a traditional paddle, standing in one? Thanks for looking and answering if you have experience.

 

[Nick87]

Dude I got excited thought you were talking about these, love em.

 

[BoltIV]

Any of you guys have any experience with running a two person pirogue? What's the stability like? ease of paddling, using a kayak paddle vs. a traditional paddle, standing in one? Thanks for looking and answering if you have experience.

I havent used a pirogue, but i use a Beavertail stealth. pretty much the same concept but a little wider. I have different set ups for different areas. Mainly use a kayak paddle when in it solo, but have the option of oars, trolling motor, or mud motor, all depends on the type of water im on and the weight in the boat, but have no issue with kayak paddle when its 2 people with gear. I dont know if you already have the pirogue or not, if you dont give beavertail a look, they are reasonably priced, and extremly stable.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I’ve been using a pirogue for a couple of decades. I’ve hauled ducks, deer, and turkeys out with mine. I use a regular paddle and can stand up and paddle with no problems.

It’ll really get into some shallow water spots.

 

[JLS]

Dude I got excited thought you were talking about these, love em.
View attachment 204901

My goodness some folks are uncultured,,,

 

[WildWill]

Here's my experience. Seriously though they always felt like a tippy canoe. I would think on your knees with a regular paddle would work best. Never been in a two man though.

 

[Nick87]

My goodness some folks are uncultured,,,

Not the first time I've heard that.

 

[N2TRKYS]

View attachment 204975
Here's my experience. Seriously though they always felt like a tippy canoe. I would think on your knees with a regular paddle would work best. Never been in a two man though.

That looks like a Ron Chapman pirogue. I have his 2 man pirogue that looks just like the one in the pic, but larger of course.

 

[tarheel]

View attachment 204975
Here's my experience. Seriously though they always felt like a tippy canoe. I would think on your knees with a regular paddle would work best. Never been in a two man though.

Is this a mudbug shucking contest or a decolletage contest.

 

[tarheel]

Grew up in one. Used in the blackwater rivers of SE North Carolina for fishing, jump shooting ducks or sitting over decoys when the woodies fly at first light. They're not used as much now as they were in my youth as hunting methods have evolved. I still have a one man boat and the last two man boat my Grandfather built.

At one time they were made exclusively out of Atlantic white cedar (what we call juniper) but eventually the makers moved over to marine grade plywood. Grandad made his last one a hybrid, part cedar and part ply. They're not as stable as the bayou boats and you definitely wouldn't want to try standing in one. Ours are designed to be used in those twisty slower flowing coastal rivers and are made narrower and with more rocker than the Cajun boats.

 

[Tikka06]

I’ve spent a fair amount of time in one and now have a canoe. It’s tippier than a canoe but better in real shallow water.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

I've built 2 ..a 12 footer and a 16 footer.



Even the 16 footer was too tippy (and difficult to keep going straight tacking against a wind) in heavy winds for me (6' 4" 200 lbs, a 60lb lab and the decoys) so I tend to use the canoe more frequently. I leave both of my pirogues permanently stashed at my favorite spots as they are over 500 yards from the river so lots of sweat-equity to get to those spots. If someone try's to steal one, I can always build another fairly cheaply.

 

[JShane]

Dude I got excited thought you were talking about these, love em.
View attachment 204901

No dem is fine eats.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

Here is where I bought the cypress ribs and then used 1/4 luan plywood and fiberglass to make my 12 and 16 foot pirogues:
http://www.unclejohns.com/boat/
Mine have lasted over 15 years stashed in the willows out in the marsh permanently, so very durable, light weight,
and inexpensive to build.

 

[crock239]

I spent a few years learning to use a pirogue down on the Atchafalaya Delta WMA some years ago...12 or 14 footers about like @AlaskaHunter posted, I believe the ones we used were fiberglass. Kayak paddle, sitting or wide-stance kneeling works in deeper water....tippy as all hell. I did it w 60lb lab but never another person. Could stand in it and push pole across the pluff mud flats like a skateboard, jam it up into a grass island and hunt. My buddies were all LA natives and pretty efficient at it...I was FNG and it was a workout.