Just a quick boat size question; I'm considering a 14' Smoker Craft Alaskan with a 20hp Yamaha. Mostly for fishing lakes, but would occasionally like to hit up Rocky Reach, Wells Dam, etc. for sockeye and Chinook. Would that size suffice for those trips when i did make them (3-6 times a season)?
Thanks!
Re: Potential New Boat-size question
Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 5:44 am
by Mike Carey
"it depends"...
on weather and wind for the Columbia. It can turn messy pretty quick. I'd prefer 16' as a minimum personally.
Check out some of the wind/waves at the end of this video, at 12:45 for Columbia River conditions:
Re: Potential New Boat-size question
Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 9:21 pm
by Sixgill
Like Mike, I would recommend a 16 footer or bigger, even on calm days the wind kicks up most afternoons.
Re: Potential New Boat-size question
Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 10:15 pm
by obryan214
bigger is better. don't know the areas your at but 14ft is a comon size in the south sound. its what point defiance uses as its rentals. the rentals up at van ripers and curleys resorts at sekiu are 14 or 14.5ft. been using 14ft in the salt for over 20 years and done fine in the rough stuff but would like to upsize in the near future to atleast a 16.