# Towee Calusa



## trekker (Sep 19, 2015)

I would go the latter route. Towee's are glorified canoes.


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## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

trekker said:


> I would go the latter route. Towee's are glorified canoes.


My buddy calls them Gheenoes with leather interior


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## jrasband (Jul 12, 2010)

A towee has lots of freeboard you'll be fine in sheltered bays and creeks


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## Steven_Horton (Dec 10, 2012)

SankaCoffee said:


> Looking for opinions on a Towee Calusa. I currently live in SE Virginia but i will not be fishing in the bay. I will mostly be in the rivers/creeks around Va Beach with frequent trips to both Carolinas for redfish on the fly. I'm mostly concerned with chop as it can get rough out here even if you're not in the bay. Would a Towee suit my needs or would I be better off looking at Ankona/BT/EC/etc?


I have one and you're welcome to join me on my next outing.

Steve
Coastal Carolina


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## EastTNoutdoorsman (Feb 29, 2016)

I have not been in one, but here in Knoxville I've talked to some guys at our fly shop in town about them (the owner has one, as does a client of mine from work). 

From what I'm told they're very stable, leaning over with a foot on the gunwale stable, so much more than a canoe. It might be koolaid sipping but it sounds like guys here like them a lot more than the gheenoes, but they're made in middle TN. 

I'd love to get on one sometime to see if they are what they claim, but I haven't heard of anyone who's tried it, bought it, and regretted it. FWIW.


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## Dawhoo (Oct 27, 2015)

For those that fish rocky streams along with coastal flats the Towee. For those who strictly fish saltwater I think an Ankona would be better and would be comparable price wise. The BT and ECC would be more expensive but also great options for mostly saltwater use.

I still think the Towee is the perfect boat for the all around sportsman that duck hunts, flyfishes streams and also travels to the coast chasing skinny water redfish in shallow creeks and flats.


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## SankaCoffee (Feb 2, 2017)

I live on the coast so 90% of use will be flats/creeks. Im from the mountains though so it'd be nice to take it back to the other end of the state some. I've seen a few in Charleston that are pretty much dedicated to flats fishing but was just curious if anyone on here uses them primarily in the flats.


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## Fly Fish Rockport (Mar 3, 2017)

I have a 2017 Calusa that I had built 100% for the flats here in Rockport, TX. Day 1 in the boat, it was blowing 25-30. It handled it just fine. Plenty of freeboard, handled chop well, etc. I run a jet outboard on it, so I am able to run very shallow along the edges to avoid some of the rougher stuff. But it did just fine when exposed. 

It is incredibly light, which makes it very quick while poling. It will move for you, easily. Very stable for both the angler and the person poling. Even with my extra tall poling platform, to accommodate the jet outboard sticking up a bit more above the transom.


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## jrasband (Jul 12, 2010)

How do you like the jet on the towee? They seem way too narrow to be efficient with a jet outboard, but I'm sure you get a bunch of stern lift in shallow water.


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## Fly Fish Rockport (Mar 3, 2017)

jrasband said:


> How do you like the jet on the towee? They seem way too narrow to be efficient with a jet outboard, but I'm sure you get a bunch of stern lift in shallow water.


It does great with a jet. It will run in an inch or two of water without trouble at all. Handles well also. Doesn't slide out as much as my john boat. The jet picks up water really really well off the hull. I was very impressed. Made it really easy to set up and get the jet running right.

I'm running it on the flats. So it enables me to go cruising in and out of a lot of places that the bigger skiff would need to be poled in and out. Saves time, and a lot of physical effort!


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## Rooster (Mar 13, 2011)

Fly Fish Rockport said:


> It does great with a jet. It will run in an inch or two of water without trouble at all. Handles well also. Doesn't slide out as much as my john boat. The jet picks up water really really well off the hull. I was very impressed. Made it really easy to set up and get the jet running right.
> 
> I'm running it on the flats. So it enables me to go cruising in and out of a lot of places that the bigger skiff would need to be poled in and out. Saves time, and a lot of physical effort!





SankaCoffee said:


> Looking for opinions on a Towee Calusa. I currently live in SE Virginia but i will not be fishing in the bay. I will mostly be in the rivers/creeks around Va Beach with frequent trips to both Carolinas for redfish on the fly. I'm mostly concerned with chop as it can get rough out here even if you're not in the bay. Would a Towee suit my needs or would I be better off looking at Ankona/BT/EC/etc?


I owned Towee's Hull #2 for some years, and then sold it and moved into a Calusa a few years ago. I am using the Calusa here for Carp Flats, River, large lake Stripers, and SC Coastal from my home base in Atlanta. Sounds like your anticipated usage would be pretty comparable to how I use mine. Per the chop question; the original design of the hulls was that of a traditional duck boat designed to carry heavy loads in stiff chop and any weather. It is somewhat of a flat bottomed skiff that gives incredible draft that will take you most anywhere, but with large stabilizing chines. It is a very stable platform in chop - you can't just blast through anything, but if you throttle down where you need to you can get most anywhere with the help of the high freeboard. I can't think of a hull design out there that is as versatile as the Towee!


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## ChuckB (Jun 17, 2019)

Did you end up getting a Towee? How do you like it?


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