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LSUquackhead3447 Profile Photo
Waterfowl Hunting in Lake Pontchartrain / Northshore in Southeast Louisiana

Pirogues

I'm looking to buy a pirogue for duck season this year, what should I be looking for in a good pirogue? I'm going to be in very shallow water. I've heard that Chapman's are the best for this situation but what makes them better than any other pirogue? Also, can I just go to Chalmette and buy one straight from him?
July 22, 2012 at 4:53pm
11 Comments
That guy in the white boots Profile Photo
Posted July 22, 2012 at 6:49pm
pirogue

Either a Chapmans or a Paw Paws. Chapman's are my favorite. Very light and easy to paddle. The Paw-Paw's are my second choice. I think they can withstand more banging around. If you bang your stuff up, go with a paw-paws. If you can be gentle and want a lighter boat, get a Chapmans. I just retired my first Ron Chapman. It was almost 25 years old. It probably had as much repair fiberglass on it as it had original fiberglass on it.

LSUquackhead3447 Profile Photo
Posted July 22, 2012 at 9:21pm
Pawpaws

Pawpaws are too expensive for me. That's why I was looking at the Chapman's, but they seem like a good pirogue

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Darren Digby Profile Photo
Posted July 23, 2012 at 1:01pm
pirogue

Have used Chapmans and Paw Paws along with a variety of misc others. Just bought two new Chapmans last week, directly from them in Chalmette. Paw Paws definitely makes a great pirogue, no doubt, but extra weight and extra cost kept me going that route. My favorite feature on them, though, was the nice rails along the gunnels. You can now get similar rails on the Chapmans instead of the traditional cypress rails thus adding some durability to the boat. If you want to go even cheaper, the pirogues at Gus' in slidell are nice for the money. good luck out there

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That guy in the white boots Profile Photo
Posted July 23, 2012 at 6:10pm
pirogue

I just looked and dang, didn't realize that a paw paw's is like $200 more than a chapman. You won't be disapointed. Great boat. I paddle an event every year called 'Paddle Bayou Lafourche', where I paddle from Nichols in Thibadeaux all the way to Mathews at highway 90. I can beat almost every boat out there using a yak paddle. The only ones that stomp me are the big 16+ sea kayaks. Those guys stomp me. Any other kind of yak can't keep pace with the chapman. It tracks really straight. It is also easily handled by 1 person when loading and unloading. Can't do that with my wooden ones.

LSUquackhead3447 Profile Photo
Posted July 24, 2012 at 4:19pm
Thanks

Thanks for the info. Im just going to go with the Chapman's, I went to Gus's in Slidell and their pirogue was $400, not much cheaper than the cottonmouth chapmans has

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J.Roberts (TeamDuckMeat) Profile Photo
Posted July 24, 2012 at 11:50pm
Chapmans

Only thing I didnt like about the Chapmans was the wooden rails. Havent seen one with the new rails but if thats true Im sold.

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Darren Digby Profile Photo
Posted July 25, 2012 at 7:46am
synthetic rails

DD

synthetic rails

no wood

here are my two new ones, one stacked inside the other

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J.Roberts (TeamDuckMeat) Profile Photo
Posted July 25, 2012 at 8:40am
Thanks

That looks really nice. Thanks for posting.
Are they just as light with the synthetic rails?

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Darren Digby Profile Photo
Posted July 25, 2012 at 9:13am
weight

I'm told these rails add about 2 pounds to the overall weight, but also add rigidity to the boats. Seemed plenty light for me when I picked them up and very durable when rolling on their sides. So maybe 55 lbs (per the website) to 57 lbs?

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Ducknuts Profile Photo
Posted July 25, 2012 at 9:59am
chapmans

i was at the shop yesterday and steve gave me a lil demo on the new rails. the wood rails were the only thing i didnt like about them. but those new rails in my opinion make the chapman better than the paw paws. makes the boat a lil more rigid and the weight increase is insignificant. he can also retrofit the rails to older chapmans for $135 i believe. that thing can slide through the mud even with this big beast in it.

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J.Roberts (TeamDuckMeat) Profile Photo
Posted July 25, 2012 at 10:35am
Thanks

Thanks Darren, I appreciate the info. That'll def be the next rogue I get.

• View Reports by J.Roberts (TeamDuckMeat)

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