I confess: I am intimidated by my large lake

[sasto]

Re: I confess: I am intimidated by my large lake

It didn't work out so well guys, the lake won, take a gander



http://youtu.be/Qfl7IWfHz_Y

Looked well done to me....mate!

 

[sqbtr]

Re: I confess: I am intimidated by my large lake

Me too

Grew up on mille lacs. Grandpa had a 16 tinny no problem.

 

[Silk]

Re: I confess: I am intimidated by my large lake

Handled those waves pretty well didn't I sasto, lol

Me too

Grew up on mille lacs. Grandpa had a 16 tinny no problem.

Mille Lacs freaks me out even more, I wouldn't even look for a plac on Mille Lacs, it is so round, no coves or bays, just one big bowl...nope no Mille Lacs for me. I wanted to be on a big lake, but Mille Lacs was just too round, I prefer the aomeba look of Leech and its bays and inlets, unless you go into the main basin, you'd never realize how big the lake was....I like it that way, lol.

 

[southkogs]

Re: I confess: I am intimidated by my large lake

Looked well done to me....mate!

I second that. Well handled.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: I confess: I am intimidated by my large lake

practice practice practice. get to know your boat and how it handles. Use your power, not speed, and use the waves. see what works, trimming up or down.

If you have an open bow, get a bow cover, but don't rely on them.

I assume you can't run with the plugs out, so be sure your bilge pump is working well and on a float switch.

 

[sasto]

Re: I confess: I am intimidated by my large lake

Handled those waves pretty well didn't I sasto, lol

Yup.....well enough for me not to be worried about you.

Enjoy!

 

[Silk]

Re: I confess: I am intimidated by my large lake

OKAY, an update

Well this summer I learned alot, I tackled the big lake, even had some decent swells I had to navigate and I lived to tell about it!!!

I also learned to solo launch!! Yep, I launched and then docked the boat all by myself several times. I know some of you accomplished boaters are probably rolling your eyes, but this was a big deal for me.

By the end of the boating season, I was able to get into a tight marina and an even tighter refuelling area w/o a problem, granted my boat is only 16.5 ft, so that helps

While I love to fish, I learned that I also just love zooming around the lake with a water tail behind me and just flying along.

I really enjoyed my new (to me) boat this summer, now it is stored away, all snuggled up in my garage waiting for next spring, can't wait.

Thanks all for you advise and encouragement.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: I confess: I am intimidated by my large lake

That's really great Silk!!! I knew you could do all of those things, all it takes is practice and experience.

All boat owners should know how to solo launch and retrieve.

All you'll have to do next spring is brush a little rust off and you'll be ready for even bigger adventures!


Now you just need to sharpen up the auger blades and get the ice fishing tackle in order for the hard water season!



... btw, did you catch a Muskie this year?

 

['78 Crusader]

Re: I confess: I am intimidated by my large lake

Easiest and safest solution, trailer your boat to the section you want to fish. That way you don't have to worry about crossing big open water should the weather turn sour. There's no law that says you have to travel by boat to get to the other side of a large lake.

Ka Ching!!! Ding ding ding ding, we have a winner!!

 

[Silk]

Re: I confess: I am intimidated by my large lake

That's really great Silk!!! I knew you could do all of those things, all it takes is practice and experience.

All boat owners should know how to solo launch and retrieve.

All you'll have to do next spring is brush a little rust off and you'll be ready for even bigger adventures!


Now you just need to sharpen up the auger blades and get the ice fishing tackle in order for the hard water season!



... btw, did you catch a Muskie this year?

Yep I caught my monster musky, it was about 20 inches long and weighed about a couple pounds, wooo hooo, lol.

My husband caught the biggest fish this summer, we were out when a heavy rain cloud rolled up on us, so we hunkered down with our rain coats pulled up tight, he stops casting his musky lure (I swear it is the size of a buick) and gives his arm a rest, so he is jigging this darn thing off the side of the boat and the next thing I know he is pulling in a 38 inch Northern, lol!! Too funny.


Crusader, it really is probably easier to just drive to the other side of the lake but I hate driving for an hour when I can stop be fising on my way there, but I will probably do that at some point.

 

[southkogs]

Re: I confess: I am intimidated by my large lake

Congrats Silk. Sounds like you had a good summer. Bravo!

 

[Starman8]

Re: I confess: I am intimidated by my large lake

Reading the frequency of waves can be more important than the size of them.

 

[robert graham]

Re: I confess: I am intimidated by my large lake

We have a place up on Leech Lake in northern MN. The wonderful thing about this lake is its size over 112,000 acres, with tons of reasonabley sized bays and coves to sneak into and the multi-species fishing is outstanding.

But I have to confess, I am intimidated going out onto the main basin. I am in Steamboat Bay, a smaller, shallow bay (proably 3,000 acres) and I have gone out to Walker Bay, but I have yet to get into the main basin. I really want to get in there and over to another Bay (Sucker, Portage and Boy) for more fishing opportunities, but quite frankly the size of it intimidates me.

Advise from some of you big lakers on what to watch out for, what not do. I've poked my head out onto the lake, but so far have stuck somewhat close to shore. My boat is only 16.5 and its red and white color makes me feel even more like a bobber out there I cannot stay by the shoreline forever as it has hundreds of miles of shoreline, it would take forever for me to get to Boy Bay or even Portage.

I have included a map just for reference, but I would think big lake advise is universal. Thanks all

View attachment 108180

That's great!, it's intimidation, fear, respect, whatever that helps keep some of us "Rambo" types alive! That film from the chopper looks like "not my idea of a good time"....Try not to get killed!

 

[Captain Gecko]

Re: I confess: I am intimidated by my large lake

Silk - you're not alone! I'm new to boating, and have graduated from my earlier experiences with safe cottage lakes in family and friends' bowriders to a 24' cuddy cruiser on Lake Ontario. It's a whole new world...!

Glad you've enjoyed the season.

 

[NYGiants]

Re: I confess: I am intimidated by my large lake

have a 15' lund with a 30hp merc and took it on lake champlain, was taking it probably 5-6 miles to the boat ramp and it was rough probably 3-4' waves just went slow and kept my eye out and everything was fine

 

[bassmantweed]

Re: I confess: I am intimidated by my large lake

I assume you can't run with the plugs out, so be sure your bilge pump is working well and on a float switch.

Not sure i understand this please educate me.......... is there some trick around running with your plug out in an emergency?

To the OP - I have a 19 footer and the best thing i ever did was put a radio in with an 8' antenna........ looks a little silly but i wouldn't give it up for the world....... it is also integrated with my GPS system and has the DSC feature. Although i wouldn't rely on only the DSC feature.

http://www.vhf-dsc.info/



Do not rely on cell. I would also make sure you have a good anchor and enough line to stay put

 

[James Baker]

Re: I confess: I am intimidated by my large lake

Wow that's great Silky. I took me about a year to start veturing off the Coastline in my 15ft Sd40 Saturn inflatable boat.

 

[jacoboregon]

Re: I confess: I am intimidated by my large lake

Not sure i understand this please educate me.......... is there some trick around running with your plug out in an emergency? ...

running with the plugs (drain) out allows any water to escape while traveling. If you take on water (waves breaking over the bow, etc) it will drain out as you run. Having a bilge pump with a float switch allows the pump to turn on at the prescribed level of water intake into the boat and pump it out. It will turn on/shut off automatically.

This is advantageous in rough water.

Helps prevent swamping.

 

[robert graham]

Re: I confess: I am intimidated by my large lake

For my nickle, I'd call it fear and the desire to keep living....no need to press your luck out on the water, and nothing fun about drowning in a storm!...folks do it all the time and i think I'll pass!

 

[Silk]

Re: I confess: I am intimidated by my large lake

Yeah, I'm all for living too!!

When I was out on the open water and those swells started picking up, I saw quite a few boats out there that were my size and with alot less hp navigating the waves, so I copied them and found my ride much smoother, lol. My little boat I has plenty of hp (205) but I really didn't need it so much as long as I was able to hit the waves at a decent angle. I did find the hp a little more helpful on some light chop and found that with a little more juice the ride was smoother.

A learning experience