Fishing kayaks are taking over — what one massive outdoor show revealed

What would cause a normally sober-sided, somewhat sane Mainer to jump on a plane and fly to Wisconsin just before last weekend’s Midwestern snowstorm?

Why, over four acres of canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, paddling gear and 20,000 paddling-crazy people, that’s what: Canoecopia 2026.

Attracting more than 200 exhibitors and featuring 125 presentations, the self-described “world’s largest paddle sports expo” takes place every March in the Wisconsin state capital of Madison. I’ve heard about it and read about it ever since I caught the canoeing bug. This year I decided to go see what the fuss was all about.

What the Frankfurt and Detroit auto shows are for cars, Canoecopia has become for paddle sports. Part product expo, part paddling symposium, part gear fire sale, it’s a place to see, sit in (or stand on), ogle and talk shop about nearly everything that floats.

Out on the exhibit floor, one thing was immediately apparent.

This is the age of the fishing kayak.

Almost every major kayak company is betting the store on the appeal of these extra-wide, extra-stable alternatives to conventional fishing boats.

Maine’s own Old Town Canoe Company had one of the biggest exhibits on the floor, with 25 boats on display. Of those, only two were canoes. Everything else was some form of fishing kayak.

“This is where the market has been going for a while now, and Old Town is determined to stay a leader,” said Mike Gottheardt, the company’s Wisconsin sales director.

Not my cup of tea, but Gottheardt indicated there was a lot of interest being shown, especially by older folks who were tired of trailering a full-size boat but didn’t want to lose any comforts.

Whether you’re a traditionalist with a preference for a tried-and-true Old Town Penobscot or Discovery, or someone whose heart is quickened hearing about the Sonata, one of the best things about Old Town is that all its boats are still made not just in the United States but in Old Town, Maine.

At the other end of the kayaking spectrum, the big news was that Stellar Kayaks is now importing WIG and Zegul/Arrow boats from Europe, expanding its lineup with a range of new designs.

Stellar is also pushing in a different direction with its Nomad, a 16-foot, hard-chine design built to be more maneuverable and versatile — “the kayaking equivalent of a gravel bike,” said Matt O’Brien, owner of Chicago-based Offshore Marine.

Canoes, meanwhile, remain part of the picture — Canoecopia, remember?

Several major builders were on hand, including Wenonah Canoe, Swift Canoe & Kayak, Northstar, Esquif and Sanborn, most emphasizing lightweight composite construction. Merrimack was the only maker of traditional canvas/cedar strip canoes in the hall.

The composite canoe makers have taken different directions.

Some, like Esquif, focus on durability and river performance. A lightweight tandem weighs around 50 pounds but could probably be wrapped around a Kenduskeag Stream Six Mile Falls rock, straightened out and paddled on down to Bangor.

At the other end of the spectrum, Adirondack builder Hornbeck produces a line of absurdly-light “packboats,” which are canoes with kayak-like seating and paddled with a double-bladed paddle. Their tiny eight-foot children’s boat weighs just eleven pounds.

In between are companies like Swift, which emphasize high-end finishes, customization and lightweight designs aimed at long-distance travel.

Stand-up paddleboards remain a major category as well, especially with the continued rise of rigid inflatable boards made possible by drop-stitch construction.

Perhaps the most unusual SUPs were the hollow-core wooden boards handmade by Little Bay Boards, from Petosky, Michigan. I spent a fair amount of time trying to find the slightest flaw in their boards and just couldn’t — they’re meticulously crafted. Not only that, they’re also stunningly beautiful, with a wide variety of graphics available.

There were also smaller builders and niche companies scattered throughout the show floor.

One that stood out was Old Mustache Canoe Paddles, producing finely crafted wooden paddles that weigh just 16-17 ounces — comparable to high-end carbon but with the warmth and elegance of wood.

Another was Red Leaf Designs, which makes thoughtfully designed and carefully constructed paddling accessories. Their Gunwale Bag is a simple solution to a common problem — keeping small gear organized and within easy reach instead of rolling around in the bottom of the boat.

And beyond the gear itself, the show offered plenty to learn.

The presentations at Canoecopia covered the gamut from travelogs to epic tales of adventure to advice on catching fish from a canoe or kayak to hardcore instruction in paddling technique, water safety, emergency medicine and gear.

One of the more memorable presentations was a paddling technique session led by four-time U.S. Olympic canoeist Terry Kent. Ten minutes into his program, I had already learned more about paddling technique than I had in the previous decades of my life.

All in all, Canoecopia was an interesting and worthwhile experience.

Fishing kayaks may be dominating the floor right now, but they’re far from the whole story. From ultralight pack canoes to handcrafted paddleboards to small makers solving everyday problems on the water, there’s still plenty here for every kind of paddler.

Would I go again? Maybe.

This is a conservative industry, and change tends to come slowly. Having been once, I wonder how much would feel new if I went back a year later.

That said, Madison is a great town. And the chance to see, handle and talk about all those boats and that gear firsthand — that’s certainly tempting.

I’ll think about it.