By Rika Susan

So you’ve inherited that somewhat dubious old wooden fishing boat from your grandpa! You’re feeling proud to be the one to carry on the family fishing tradition, but you’re also experiencing just a little trepidation at the though of setting out on the wide open expanses of the lake this spring on a boat that has clearly seen better days…

Well, if your newly acquired old wooden fishing boat is looking a little worse for wear, you might do well to remember that wooden boat owners generally accept the fact these kind of boats were not built to last forever.

In fact, some were probably built with the intention that they would be replaced within five or ten years, and not kept going lovingly for decades by well-intentioned descendents of the original owner.

Constant maintenance is probably the key concept here, and you will need to do some serious checking out of the boat’s structure before setting out to haul in those prize catches.

Of course, nowadays – with newer wood-based, penetrating epoxy – dry rot has become much less of a problem, but you will still have to keep up the work to keep your boat in shape for the fishing waters.

Apart from the gleaming, grand old dames of yesteryear, contemporary wooden fishing boats are still being built, and you may be surprised at the workmanship and variety available.

You may want to have a look at the beautifully crafted boats such as wide-bottomed drift boats, or the graceful curves of a special viking-type rowing-and-fishing boat.

Some wooden fishing boat builders specialize in traditional Louisiana marsh pirogues and rowing skiffs, and for these you will even be able to find building plans should you be tempted to make a project out of it!

If you just want to have the experience of fishing from a wooden boat on your next fishing trip, you can head out to Ontario, where some fishing resorts have a special wooden fishing boat supplier building them to order.

These beautiful spacious, quiet boats are hand built out of cedar and oak, and equipped with swivel seats, a fishfinder, and all the necessary emergency equipment to make your trip an unforgettable experience.

Back to that old lady grandpa used for his outings on the lake: It may be well worth remembering the saying: “Nothing works on an old boat but the owner”…

About the Author: Rika Susan of

Fishing-Things.com

researches, writes, and publishes full-time on the Web. Copyright of this article: 2006 Rika Susan. This article may be reprinted if the resource box and hyperlinks are left intact.

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