how big of water to take a small boat on?

[jsmith078]

I have a 10' Smokercraft aluminum boat with a 27lb thrust trolling motor. I am relatively new to boating. How big of water can I safely take this boat out on the water? I would like to fish American Lake, Riffe Lake, Cushman or even small Bays in the sound. I just want to make sure i'm safe.
Thanks

['OL GREY DOG]

on a "nice" day you can even take it in the sound !!!! .... but if there's more than a puff of wind you better be careful .... and even if there is no wind but the big power boats start race'n around it can get ify ... if i were "new" i'd stick to 5mph lakes till i got a lil more competent ... and DONT GET COCKY .... there's lots of slow lakes and nice days lololol ... when ya do venture out on bigger water just get there early and leave when the skiers start show'n up ... you can always move to a smaller lake for the rest of the day ... be careful out there 'n GL ... DOG


a P.S. it's called 2 footitis means boaters allways want a boat 2ft longer ... after my 1st boat i wanted one 2ft wider and 2 ft taller lolol

[Chumknuckle]

I mostly fish out of a 10 foot raft with an electric 30lb thrust trolling motor. It works great but it can be brutal on big lakes like American. I would highly recommend trying to use the wind to your advantage as much as possible. Troll straight into the wind as long as you can so that you know the current will take you back if your battery dies. I made that mistake once, trolling the south end of American and by the time I wanted to come back in, the wind had picked up and there where white caps. The battery died about 200 yards from the boat launch so I had to oar the rest of the way which was very rough. I have also been nearly capsized by large skiing boats.

Therefore, I totally agree with DOG. Just stick to smaller lakes for now as there are plenty of fish to catch EVERYWHERE.

[kzoo]

Remember that standard trolling motors are designed to be in freshwater. They have saltwater trolling motors, but they're pricey.

[jsmith078]

Thank you. I did not know that about saltwater and freshwater trolling motors. I bought a 5.5HP 2 stroke outboard off CL but it will not start and leaks all of the fuel out in storage. I have come to realize that wind and waterskiers are my enemy. I mostly stick too small lakes, but I want to fish bigger lakes also. I just want to be safe. I wish I could afford a bigger boat. Maybe next year.

[Bodofish]

Rule of thumb: Don't take your boat anywhere you couldn't row and or swim to a safe place. If your boat is too big to row, never run with less than 2 motors.

I hope that makes it clear. More often than not when you are on the water you are by yourself. There is no flagging down a passing motorist, there is no calling triple A. In Puget Sound or a big lake, the boat goes down, you die. Don't be a statistic.

[gfakkema]

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[Jigking Fishhead]

It depends on how big your bullocks are. No serious. Your safety is first and foremost. I used to take my 14' valco with a 20hp all over Roosevelt lake and banks,, if the wind or weather got nasty I would wait it out or hug the shoreline.. It's up to how well your boating skills are and your boat.

[Racer]

American is not a bad lake to try. Just be aware as others have said about the wind and other boats. I have seen plenty of very small boats there and some times they go for quite a ride, especially in the wind that kicks up there pretty regular. I fish out of a 16' sled and it can get pretty rough even with that.

[djhills]

It may be just like people say... that im nuckin futz... But I myself even take my 9'6" homemade boat on lake washington.

Breezy days are loads of fun to say the least. I go out with a battery and a 20lb thrust trolling motor.. But even with that, I always make sure i have flotation with me and i keep an eye for the big boats. All said and done, you can get a real thrill with a small boat in big waters, but just make sure your comfortable and safe more then anything else.. if you dont feel comfortable doing it you could be too nervous and wind up ruining the experience and making mistakes that could get you wet ;) Best of luck to you with whatever you decide.