17' too small??

[mark2433]

If you are looking into getting into a larger boat I have a 24ft Thompson for sale. I f interested call me 585-329-2159

[sherman brown]

On 8/30/2021 at 11:08 AM, jpsaxman said:

Thanks for sharing! I have a 17' Glaspar Citation (oldie but goodie) with a 80hp Merc on the back. Have considered taking it up and going out of the Salmon River inlet, and thanks to all your stories on this thread I very well may give it a go!

like said above the caption of the vessel is the most important thing. we started salmon fishing on lake mi. started with a 16' deep v runabout with an old Evinrude 80 hp. fished it a few times for a couple of yrs. then we moved to fishing erie hard for a couple of yrs then bought an old 18' Cherokee that had been left under a tree in a field for yrs. then i got enough nerve to ask about it. i had to redo everything before using it. but i fished almost every weekend for the next 12 yrs. i still miss that old boat. but out 12 or 15 miles and it gets rough in a hurry i would feel just as safe in that 18 as i do in the 21' glass boat i use now. but i do feel more comfortable in my 21'

[tuffishooker]

One aspect I dealt will more than once with a 16 ft. Starcraft is the bigger boat friends ! ie. generally looking for a "cheap " charter ! I will take out a " newbie " even some one I do not know to try salmon fishing [ for free] Their usual first reaction is the size of the boat and generally goes down hill after that and they do not ask again !

[sherman brown]

my recommendation to any new guy on the big water take a charter before even thinking about trying it on their own., i started fishing the big water of lake michigan for salmon. we didnt catch a lot and didnt have a marine radio. then we went out on a trash bag charter. i'll admit the water was a little rough but we were fishing the harbor in the fall. there was 4 of us on the charter. and the caption started out with 2 rods with j-plugs. every other boat around us looked like up side down spiders they had so many rods in the water. and they were catching fish, about 1:00 pm and 2 fish in the boat he added 2 more rods. man that was the sickest i had ever been. we came in and that was that. but i learned a lot from him and the boats on the radio.

 

we moved to the western basin of erie and drift fished. we got limits just sbout every trip until we didnt. then we trolled and still got limits just about every trip. i had wanted to fish the central basin but was always a little afraid. then a guy i worked with bought a boat off a charter capt. then my friend asked if i wanted to go out on a charter with him. i said yes i sure would. we learned so much from him. then we went up to fish on our own. but i chartered him out our 1st day. by mid day the 2nd day we was running the rods putting out dipsies we was doing it all after 2 days of school. this guy really taught us more than i could have learned in yrs on my own. i dont know what happened to the lake michigan caption. for some reason he didnt like us from the start. but after those 2 days on erie i was running my boat with 3 dipsies per side plus a downrigger per side. now we did get a tangle now and then but now its rare.

[dbitting]

On 10/9/2019 at 6:16 PM, rfed32 said:

I fish Lake Ontario a few times a year, I fish my local lake for stripers and hybrids most of the year along with parts of the Delaware for shad, also target walleye. I do a lot of all around fishing and trolling, I run a 15 foot aluminum bass boat right now and its good for 1 guy on most days but gets tight with my fishing partner on board. 

I have fished a Tracker SuperGuide V16 for 12 plus years. I have fished lakes in PA as well as the Big D in Easton and Philly and Sandy Hook, NJ in the Bay. Being prepared is is the key. While you can look at the weather reports all you want there is going to be that time where a storm will roll in and catch you with your pants down. While i would not suggest planning a trip in bad weather you could probably be safe in all the mentioned bodies of water./ Be prepared and be sure you boat is capable of handling water ingestion. Since your boat does not have self bailing deck I would recommend ay least 2 1100GPH or higher with Automatic features. a self inflating life jacket and since you mentioned you fish alone a wireless MOB device ($199). I like to cover my bow when I fish alone that way if I hit bad weather and the waves come over the bow most of the water will shed off the boat and not in it. If you plan on recovering the floor be sure to add flotation foam in open cavities. As far a a bait well as much as you would want to put it at the stern you may want to test the weight distribution before committing to its location. A stern laden boat can take a wave over the back and not recover!  I have since sold the V16 and moved up to a PennYan 212 and do more salt water fishing. I apply all the mentioned suggestions and have gone out 20 miles off shore to the wrecks and manage a 70mile trip from wreck to wreck this past Summer. The same area we went out in a 21ft center console and hit a storm, Totally different experience we were soaked water everywhere water over the bow etc. we took our time and applied common sense and we made it to the dock just fine. You have to be comfortable on the water, when S#!t hits the fan you are prepared. I see guys go out in SH Bay with 14ft jon boats,( while I think that is insane) and they manage to get back. 

[kempie]

where did you have the top made? I am looking  to have one made just like that one 

[dbitting]

I bought a machine and made the soft top myself over winter the first time just used the old one as a pattern. This time around i have a solid frame and not a bimini frame so i have to make it from patterns. Sailrite has some great videos on ow to make lots of thins related to fabric and canvas best of all is if you buy the supplies from then and have questions they will help you. 

[tuffishooker]

Again weather rules in a small boat ! Take a weather course if available ; get the forecast before going out and come in if the weather changes ! I still run my 16 ft. Starcraft on Lake Ontario since 1985 and too late to change now !