Smallest boat you'd take a few(1-4) miles out on a Great Lake?

SEASWIRL PAUL · 04-01-2008, 03:00 PM

I've got this 12ft. aluminum with a 3hp evinrude that I'm thinkin' about takin out on Lake Erie?

I am a little apprehensive because of the way the lake can turn nasty in an instant.

Any comments?

Paul

GhostShip · 04-01-2008, 03:18 PM

3hp? Is that a typo? [img]../images/emoticons/confused.gif[/img]Wouldn't a 7.5 or 10hp be a better match?

Back in '98 we did a trip to Put-in-bay and one of the boats in our groupwas a 15' Alumacraft w/ a 15?hp Johnson. We watched over him pretty good and he followed us everywhere. 2-3's and 15mph winds were quite common. Funny thing was he was fishing solo and had one he!! of a time keeping his trolling gear from getting AFU cause that little boat got tossed around like a piece of driftwood.

dadriva · 04-01-2008, 04:16 PM

In my very new to Lake Erie opinion, I would not like to do anything extended (2-5mi) in anything smaller than a 21-23. It would have to be a pretty healthy 21-23 as well (not some chincy lake inshore lake boat)

I've spent lots of time on the water in FL and Lake Erie is by far the snottiest body of water I've been on.

However, on a nice day with a verified forecast, I'd venture out in the Lake but not too far.

Good Luck!

Great Laker · 04-01-2008, 05:59 PM

make sure you leave a float plan, insurance papers signed and premiums up to date. I don't think you would make it over a wave with a 3 horse... The fish really worth that chance????

j-cubed · 04-02-2008, 05:58 AM

I used to own a 16' Fishing Machine with a 30 hp motor. I never really worried about going out a few miles as long as I watched the weather. I came back in if it got too rough.With that being said,I would not take a 12' boat witha 3hp motoroutany farther than a few thundered yards off shore. Years ago several small boats were lost on Lake Michigan when the first salmon where firstbeing caught. Any of the Great Lakes can get really rough in a hurry. I have fished the Great Lakes for 50 years and I would not do it.

Erieangler · 04-02-2008, 10:19 AM

I have been out duck hunting and fishing on erie in a 14' with a 25 h.p. of course conditions have to be pretty good, and I would not go more than 2 miles out. I have seen people 10 miles out at sputnik with 16' boats, now thats what I call crazy. that can be a long ride back when those 3-5 footers roll in.

GhostShip · 04-02-2008, 10:33 AM

I'm wonderin' if this was a little April Fools joke?

A little pot strirring perhaps?

TheSkipper · 04-03-2008, 11:36 AM

When I was younger, I fished many times about 5-10 miles from shore on western Lake Erie in a leaky 16 foot rowboat with 9.9 hp outboard. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, but we always caught lots of fish. We would rent the boat and motor and head out for the fleet. It would take us about 45 minutes to get out there. We would fish for about 2-3 hours. Then it took us about an hour and ten minutes to get back in. By the end of the trip there would be about 4 inches of nasty Lake Erie water sloshing around in the back of the boat.

I was out in Brest Bay one time in a 16 foot rental boat with my first wife (who is now my ex-wife), when a front blew through. The waves were probably about 8 feet high, and very steep, and the sky was getting dark. We were fishing with some friends who were nearby in another rental boat, and we could not see them when we were in the troughs. On each wave, our boat was going almost vertical, with my wife about 10 feet above me. She started screaming and crying, so we had to head in. We had been catching a lot of fish at the time, and my friends stayed out for a while longer. They made fun of me for weeks after that. (In the end it was not so bad. My ex-wife had become a real pain in the ass, trying to horn in on every fishing trip. After that, she never wanted to go out on Lake Erie again.)

Now that I'm older, and so much wiser, I take my 18 foot Boston Whaler out all over Lake Erie. I'm a lot more safety-conscious, and I watch the weather carefully before going out and while I'm out there. As long as there was no bad weather predicted, and the motor is reliable, I would have no problem taking a twelve footer with a 3hp motor out five miles or so. Just take a cell phone, a vhf radio, and a gps. You should also take a good anchor with enough rode to keep you in place in case something happens to the motor (not a cinder block on a twelve foot piece of old clothesline).

CarpetBagger · 04-03-2008, 07:09 PM

3hp on lake erie and a 12ft boat i think is too small unless its a mirror...

Used to run a 16' boat but had a 70Merc on it...wasnt bad up till 3'-4ft waves

reefhunter2 · 04-09-2008, 05:57 PM

16ft boat and 3hp motor is best used inside harbor. No offense, but it's too small a motor. Think larger like 25-30hp then watch the weather like a hawk. I once saw a jon boat on Lake Michigan taking water over the sides faster than the two guys in it could bail. We called the CPD rescue unit just as they went down.

tcopeland · 04-25-2008, 08:26 AM

Should be very safe as long as you are tied to the dock.

swampu · 04-26-2008, 08:31 PM

A 3 hp motor, man things are getting tough up there. Find a friend.....

HillbillyTrader · 05-01-2008, 08:27 PM

Fish the shore.

Brad1 · 05-06-2008, 04:32 AM

We got caught in a nasty sqwal this past weekend on Erie. Could see it coming, but no getting away from it. When it hit, the wind was very strong (blew a few things off the boat) and visibility was maybe 75 to 100 ft. Don't think I could've navigated without the electronics. It was so bad, I felt a need to radio the coast guard just to inform them of our position, heading, and situation, not it in distress, but thought they should be aware. It was definately a real wake up call. The coast guard even said that a nasty sqwal had just blown through their area (they were 12 miles west of us and it was coming from the west) and they were wondering if anyone was out there in it. Well, we were. We made it back fine and they checked in with us every so many minutes.

I was glad I was out there in my 22 footer. I had ventured into those same waters in my 16 footer before. I don't think the 16 footer would've come through. No way of knowing. But I don't think I'll be going out there in the 16 footer any more.

Every so many years I get reminded of what Erie is capable of. It can get serious real fast.

C Dave · 05-06-2008, 06:57 PM

Even on summer days when the skies are clear, a sqwal will blow through, from the time you spot it to your west there is only minutes till it arives. My opinion is, go only as far out into the lake as you can and still be able to get back to shore with the 3hp motor in ten minutes or less. I'm on the lake every weekend in the summer that I can, so I've seen what Brads talking about. It's a real eye opener.

Classic25 · 05-07-2008, 06:20 AM

Brad, did you catch anything? Was that conneaut?

SEASWIRL PAUL · 05-08-2008, 07:39 AM

The "big" boat is in the water now, docked in west harbor. I also have the little boat in the water--12footer.

This weekend I'm going to try around the mouth of west harbor, and the back bays for bass and crappie.

If I hear of a decent walleye bite I may take the big one out. Hopefully a 30 footer wont swamp me at the mouth! LOL

At least I'll be able to swim to shore.

Have a great season fellas.

Paul

Brad1 · 05-10-2008, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Classic25 - 5/7/2008 8:20 AM Brad, did you catch anything? Was that conneaut?

No and no. We launched out of Lampe in Pa. We were going smallmouth fishing. I knew we were screwed as soon as I saw the temp reading of only 48 degrees on the surface. Supposedly, a cold front was in the area the previous couple days and that chilled everything off. Didn't fish much. Trolled some crank baits in 20 to 25 ft of water, from the cribs up to the new launch ramp. Went in shallow,threw outthe drift sock and jigged for a while downby the W's. Never had any luckwith smallies when the water temp is below 50 degrees. Actually, I have found 52 degrees to be the magic number.Main reason for heading up toErie was to get the boat up there. Had to take it for a ride while I was up there though.

explorers · 05-12-2008, 08:22 AM

Yeah are you nuts? I've seen boats out there, I've hear comments on the VHF from others boaters trying to keep a boat that small in site as it is an accident waiting to happen.

SEASWIRL PAUL · 05-20-2008, 11:25 AM

The largemouth bite is on in W. Harbor got a few nice ones while searching for crappies. The lake has been to rough to try outside but as soon as the weather permits I may take the little boat outside the harbor for some bass. Yeah, I know I'm crazy but I aint scared that little boat is pretty competant if you know how to operate it.

Paul