Just my own feelings here, if you want to fish using man power instead of a motor. I would go for a coleman canoe, or one of thier small plastic boats. I have fished out of just about any thing you could think of, and that includes two 1940s car hoods welded together. The canoe is not as stable as the flat bottoms but they are easier to carry and with practice you can handle one in almost any kind of weather. main threat is if your on a lafe when there is a tourney going on hang very close to the banks.