18 foot boat fishing season

[JLK]

10 hours ago, Fly n Fish said:

Normally this time year the winds are out of the SW and lite.  This year is a different story heavy north winds constantly.  I fishing out of an 18' boat for years all seasons its just all about picking your days.  

 

9 hours ago, SmokeyNBandit90 said:

Thanks for the 1-3 mph wind threshold. Sound like it has to be glasslike to no wind to comfortably venture out deep beyond shore

I fish out of a 14 ft. Must pick days, and pay attention when out.

 

I used to have a 27 ft boat. There were still days I wouldn't go out. 

 

I think he was referring to 1 to 3 ft waves, not 1 to 3 mph wind.

[reeltrout]

I have fished out of a 16 ft. for quite a few years and now a 19.5 ft. I dont look as much at the wave forecast as much as i used to, just a few different weather forecasts, I like to look at the hourly forecast, south 10 mph or less, any other direction about 6 or 7 mph or less. Another thing to keep in mind is if it was windy the day before it could still be rolling, the web cam on here is very helpful to take a look at current conditions. As mentioned before the waves look smaller on the camara. Pick your days and you'll be fine. some weeks you don't get any calm days or you get 3-4 nice days in a row.

[rolmops]

11 hours ago, Sk8man said:

Size of boat can become irrelevant. For years I fished out in the 600-700 ft area in my 13 ft. Boston Whaler but it was all dependent on conditions and there were times when the weather report suggested it would be good only to find when i got there to the lake....impossible conditions to go out at all. One particular time I was out in the deep stuff and a storm came out of nowhere  from the west with lightening and huge waves building and raining like hell. It had been beautiful all morning too. When I finally reached the channel all the big boats were struggling to get back in the 12 ft. waves. The people on the Sodus Point pier were clapping and cheering me on as it probably looked to them that I was in someones dingy I had about 8 inches of water in the boat from the rain but I made it in (white knuckles and all) but it was a huge lesson to me as even the 32 ft or larger boats were in just as much trouble as me getting back in.  You have to choose your conditions no matter what sized boat but keep in mind regardless that the weather out there comes with no guarantee and can change quickly. 

You were in one of those incredible unsinkable Boston Whalers. That little fact is probably what kept you alive.

[fisherman21]

11 hours ago, idn713 said:

All I fish out of is my 18 ft Alumacraft out there and we beat the kings up pretty good. I don’t ever test the lake though. 2ft or less is my threshold. I almost never challenge a 1-3 forecast and I certainly don’t push beyond that. 
 

Can’t say I’ve ever been caught in a weather event, as we are just that careful. Fishing to me is never worth worrying about sinking or dying. 

Remember when we got caught in 4’s jigging for lakers that one evening with Patrick in your old 16’ 😂. That ride sucked going in and I thought we were going to die the whole way back lol

[Matt From Kingston]

I am lead to believe that the wave heights are from the center point to the crest, so as said, you should double it to take the trough into account to get the full size of the wave.  Wind direction is also very important. I have seen forecasts of no waves with a south wind around 10, but it will whip up some waves especially if you go out a few miles. if the wind abruptly switches direction and goes against the direction it had been for a while it will have some chop until the lake readjusts.  

 

While you may be safe in a smaller boat, you toss around enough that it is just not fun. I fish out of a 21 ft sylvan and once you get more than 2-3 ft waves its just not fun to be out there for hours. I come from 4 hours away so we dont usually make the trip unless the forecast is good within 24 hours.

[JLK]

 

I've noticed that fun disappears before safety does, and just because something can be done, doesn't mean it should be done. 

 

Wave height is crest to trough. Don't double, do add 1/3. Forecast wave height is crest to trough AVERAGE. Some waves will be higher than average, approximately 1/3 higher. 2-3 ft avg. Means occasionl 3+(1/3*3)=4 footer. 3-6 ft avg. : 6+(1/3^6)=8 ...

 

Source  ndbc.noaa.gov (bouy data site)

Significant wave height, WVHT, is approximately equal to the average of the highest one-third of the waves, as measured from the trough to the crest of the waves.

[JLK]

I suspect Sk8man survived on boat handling skills. 13 Boston Whalers may be unsinkable, but they don't keep people inside the boat, or keep it upright. Once it's upside down you're ****ed. Ditto for falling out in a storm solo.

 

 

[Matt From Kingston]

Thank you for clearing up the wave height forecasts JLK, im still learning but trying to help as I go!

[chinook35]

Just don’t ever forget what LO can become , and very quickly. This is an actual pic taken at Oswego harbor  27 ft waves on the lake 

[java]

On 8/16/2023 at 12:29 PM, dhhurlburt said:

18 ft tracker and I get out to 300 on the right days

Same. I am sure I am reiterating here but I have a good formula using WindfinderPlus and a lake camera or two when unsure. I focus first on waves 1 foot or less and a south(ish) blow. I do infrequently see low wave heights and higher winds. On those days I find that I need to be a bit strategic with my boat window so the boat is less of a sail. I have grown to be a bit smarter and consider whether I can properly clear lines and land a fish on marginal days. Sometimes yes and sometimes no way. I am a Tracker (Targa) guy too. 

[java]

-

 

Edited August 19, 2023 by java

[chinook35]

1 hour ago, java said:

Today looks good!

Better rethink that 

W 27kt
9ft

High: 70 °F
Water: 72 °F

[SmokeyNBandit90]

3 hours ago, java said:

Today looks good!

What app is this

[FishingFool34]

30 minutes ago, SmokeyNBandit90 said:

What app is this

That's the WIndfinder App

[tyler.woodard04]

I've been using predictwind, you can pick any spot out there and see the wave forecast. Been pretty close 

[chinook35]

2 hours ago, SmokeyNBandit90 said:

What app is this

The wrong one

[ChrisS]

6 hours ago, java said:

Today looks good!

That's Sunday. Today and Saturday are going to be a touch rough.  Maybe 13-15 fters overnight.

[Sk8man]

Cornelis you are very right. That is why I bought the 18 footer too. I have a lot of confidence in them and other than a little rain I have never had any water in this one in 22 years despite  experiencing some good wave action sometimes. The point that any boat can overturn and none are immune to that should always be kept in mind.

Edited August 19, 2023 by Sk8man

[sherman brown]

I had fished Lake Michigan for salmon and then started fishing the western basin of Erie for eyes using a deep v 16' boat with an 80 HP Evinrude motor. I used it for years on both lakes. I had wanted a larger boat but that wasn't in my budget.

 

I was born and raised until I was 14 down in Tn. I made a few trips down to fish and visit friends and my MIL and FIL. about 40 miles up into Ky I keep looking at an old boat parked in a field under a tree and kept saying I was going to check on it. then 1 trip I stopped and asked about it. the heavy aluminum 18' open bow Cherokee hull was still in great shape but the paint was almost gone. I wanted it for an Erie fishing boat and didn't care much about its looks.

 

she still wanted what it was worth when it was parked but that was years ago. so I offered her 200.00 for it but she thought that wasn't enough. so she had a friend at the marina come out and see if 200.00 was fair. he told her if someone was willing to pay that much she should take it because it wasn't worth that much after setting for so long. so, 2 weeks later after I had went back home she called and accepted the 200.00.

 

my brother went with me on a Sunday to get the boat but like idiots, we went unprepared. when we got there it needed tires, and the wheel bearings were clicking when we turned the wheel. my brother started checking the bearings. they were rusted and a little rough. he cleaned them as best he could then packed the bearings, and filled the hubs with grease. then we took the old tires and wheels into the nearest town. everything was closed up and we thought we were out of luck but as we were heading back we saw a tire store that was open. we bought a couple of used tires. we put the tires on and headed to In.

 

took it over to show it to a friend who said he would paint it for the cost of paint if I would get it sandblasted. my BIL owned a sandblasting shop and my brother worked for him. took it in on a Saturday and my brother blasted it. I got new bearings, tires, seats at an RV salvage store, then I swapped out the old cable steering to the 1 cable steering I bought from a friend who was selling new parts from buying out a marina going out of business.

 

BOTTOM LINE 

we used this boat on Erie and were so happy with the larger boat. it took rough water like a swan. we used it for many years drift fishing then for trolling. this boat was great at handling rough water as long as we slowed down and had respect for Erie. but when we started fishing the central basin I got a larger boat I thought I needed but later realized I had made a huge mistake as that boat would have worked great.

[chinook35]

I went to my GLS220 from a 20 ft cuddy and have never looked back. It’s way safer and more comfortable on LO   The only downside is , it’s much harder to single hand. Launching and retrieving can be a challenge solo   But that’s a price I’m willing to pay 

[JLK]

On 8/18/2023 at 4:33 AM, chinook35 said:

Just don’t ever forget what LO can become , and very quickly. This is an actual pic taken at Oswego harbor  27 ft waves on the lake 

I've never seen it that bad. My daughter wanted me to take her sailing once. I checked the forecast and it was for 4 to 5

 

METER waves. We didn't go sailing.

 

No mater how big you're boat is, it can and will get too rough some days. My lessons learned was

 

1. know before you go out. 

2. Wait for a better day.

 

 

[Low Baller]

Good read. Spent 14 years running a 16 misty harbor with a 25 tiller and hand cranks. Good times,  long days, and few humbling days. Overall some of the best fishing in my life time. Keep your head on a swivel, fish your gear, and respect the lake. They're just fish.

Keep it tight, see you on Mexico bay in a couple weeks. 

[BRsnow]

Really more about comfort vs safety unless you are rolling in a very large boat.

[elrodalonzo]

On 8/19/2023 at 9:00 AM, chinook35 said:

I went to my GLS220 from a 20 ft cuddy and have never looked back. It’s way safer and more comfortable on LO   The only downside is , it’s much harder to single hand. Launching and retrieving can be a challenge solo   But that’s a price I’m willing to pay 

I know what you mean doing it solo.  I have a few times and especially if the wind is blowing it is difficult.  I wish I could find someone who is retired like me and would like to go once in awhile.  I just moved into the area and don't really know anybody.  The fishing should get pretty good here soon.

[MGK]

I fish out of an 18’ Weldcraft. The boat can handle a lot more than what you can efficiently fish in. At some point you’re just wasting your time trying to battle the conditions. I have noticed though that you can trust most fisherman’s wave height estimate about as much as you can trust a politician.