Canoe?

[Wild one]

Most of my childhood I spent fishing out of canoe's with no issue. I fished everything from small ponds to larger lakes like Berkenhead in Pemberton and fished/crabed Indianarm. We dragged our canoe to so many lakes big and small all over BC. You do need to use your head but canoe's can handle some rough conditions if you pay attention to what your doing. From the age of 10 on my brother and I were out on the water all day solo even on big water. We got some crazy looks from boats when we were in our canoe in rough conditions

We were taught the ins and outs of canoe's from a young age and this is the key. You know your kids and how well they listen and if you believe the can behave in a canoe I see no issue.

The canoe I liked the most growing up was an aluminum 14ft Sportspal dragged that thing everywhere

[northernguy]

^^^^ What MRP said!

Over the years I have had various types of boats ranging from a 14 foot tin boat with an outboard, to an NRS inflatable raft with rowing frame, to inflatable and hard shell kayaks, to float tubes, to 14 and 17 foot old town canoes and a 15 foot Coleman canoe. My canoes are hands down the most versatile, lowest cost, lowest maintenance and most used boats I have owned. All the other boats have been sold.

Canoes are not the perfect boat for every activity (like vehicles, there is a compromise) but they do everything well enough where other types of boats only do one thing well. There are several things they do better than any other type of boat. Remember that the Hudson Bay Co. built an empire using canoes...so they must work!!!!

Get a 17 foot boat if you have kids, take a one day course on how paddle it (the courses are a lot of fun!!), pass along your newly learned skills to the kids (something my Dad for me and I cherish the memories) and go have fun. MRPs advice is spot on. Go have fun with one by overloading it, rolling it, swamping it, swimming under it, and learning to empty a swamped boat on your own. Do this with the kids. Everyone will learn to be comfortable in the boat and know it's limitations and capabilities. It's a huge confidence builder!!

If you find a canoe is not the boat you need; sell it and get something else. Oh ya...and ignore the canoeing "elitists" types that can be found in any activity...they are not helpful at all.

[MRP]

The canoe I liked the most growing up was an aluminum 14ft Sportspal dragged that thing everywhere

Still have 2 of them a dubble end and a flatback. Have literally packed it in to lakes hanging it on one shoulder and rifle on the other. Have put 4 200lb guys in it, paddle around fishing. Was a little cramped but fishing was so good we didn't care.

[landphil]

I fished small lakes from a 16' flat-back flat-bottom freighter canoe as a teen, with a 30lb min-kota keeping it moving mostly. The worst part about it was fighting any wind on the small lakes we used it on. 16' is a darn long lever for the wind to act on, much more difficult to maintain course in wind than the 12' aluminum boat I run these days. That said, it worked alright for the most part.

If fishing alone is your goal, then I'd recommend a 12' tinner. I'd much rather paddle that canoe around than row my current boat though, so if something all-purpose suits you better, a canoe could fit. Do some research into hull designs before buying, to have some idea what you want. A round-bottom hull will feel much more tippy on smooth water, but is actually harder to capsize in rough water than a flat-bottom hull that feels more stable. Might sound strange, but it's true.

[Wild one]

Still have 2 of them a dubble end and a flatback. Have literally packed it in to lakes hanging it on one shoulder and rifle on the other. Have put 4 200lb guys in it, paddle around fishing. Was a little cramped but fishing was so good we didn't care.

The light weight and abuse they handle is why I liked that canoe so much.

Now my wife is going to be pissed because thinking about it makes me want to buy one lol

[Downwindtracker2]

You've gotten some great advice.

Larger and wider Skinny Boats exist, and in fact there is a version or two of lake / big river freighter's that might suit your needs.
Pricey. Then need a rather decent sized outboard to move it... and of course a longer trailer to move the lot...
A little less than half kidding here...

I was too lazy to type all that.

If you look at tinneys , take your tape measure any thing less than 54" beam reject.