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]

I have an old sears 12' aluminum. I was very skeptical at first as well about boating in the larger lakes and sound. If I were you, I would start on smaller lakes where gas motors are prohibited. I live in south king county and there are many lakes around here that are perfect, north, geneva, star, dollof, kilarney, steel and many others. By doing this, you will know about how long your electric motor/battery will last. Then after you are comfortable with how the boat handles in different conditions, get that gas motor going and hit lakes like angle, meridian, wilderness, sawyer. As you get even more comfortable with the bigger lakes and more boat traffic, you can then step it up to lakes like american, riffe etc. Like many others have said, just be aware of your surroundings and weather conditions. Dangers will come at you from everywhere once you hit the larger lakes. The more open water you face, the more the wind will become a factor, so stay close to shore until you get comfortable. Also, the bigger lakes tend to have more boat traffic, and they will ALWAYS try to pass within 20 ft of you. Make sure you stay aware and try to go bow first into the wakes. I should also mention that you should know both you, and your boats limitations. I would only recommend 2 adults in that small of a boat, maybe 1 adult and 2 children. If you do bring others out, make sure that they know that they should not make sudden moves or leans side to side. I can't tell you how many people I have brought out that get excited about their first fish, and lean over to see it, nearly tipping us. I would also keep life jackets available for every person on board. Also, keep many modes of propulsion, meaning, oars, electric motor, gas motor etc. After a little practice, you will see that your boat will be more than capable to handle the local lakes, even the bigger ones.
About the sound. I have been out a few times this year, but you will have to keep a few things in mind. DO NOT go out if there is any wind what so ever. I would only go out on the calmest of days. You also have to remember currents. If you don't have enough power, i.e. good gas motor, you will get pulled all over. I usually try to go out around slack tide to try and minimize these effects. As others have said, I think that your biggest enemy out there is going to be other boats. You will see many other bigger boats, and they will throw some large wakes. Again, be very aware of what is going on around you. If you do decide to go out, start out by staying close to shore. You should not get farther from shore than you are comfortable swimming. Other things to be aware of on the sound are Coast Guard rules. You should have CG approved life-jackets, oars, a signalling device (whistle, flares, etc), capacity plate, and others. If you are on the sound, you will eventually be checked, but these things are required for a reason. If you get spooked or aren't comfortable, don't go out on the water and wait for another day. I'm sure that I have forgotten to mention something, but this should help for now. Just remember to be as safe as possible and keep your head on a swivel. You will be fine out there. Have fun and enjoy your boat!

[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.