Quote Originally Posted by tkcamp View Post
Hello,

I have been reading a lot of these posts and everyone has so much good info on here.

I am planning on coming up from Mansfield Wed. with my son and son-in-law. I have a 17foot v bottom boat with line counter reels and an I-pilot system on board and off shore boards, I have no kicker. I would like to do some trolling. I am concerned about going out too far as a rookie. any suggestions would be helpful as to where to go out from, do I need to ferry out to the Islands? I do have a radio on board. Just looking for a good starting point with maybe some suggestions on what to bring along....maybe someone to call?

Thanks
Great question! The fact that you are asking shows that you have some respect for the Lake already. I have a 17' Ranger Fisherman which is a deep "V" Ranger.

I "have" had it out on the Lake out to the Islands (Kelly's) during a nice slow South wind that isn't supposed to change....

If the weather is good and you are comfortable in your boat in 1-2' waves then the answer is, yes, you could do that and be fine. However, the weather can change in 10 minutes out there and blow in 4-6' waves quickly.

Last week some guys in a 19' boat who are well experienced and been on the Lake many times capsized and where safely rescued. No one should have been out there last week in that boat, and they should have never left the dock with the current wave conditions that they launched in, and the weather report they had that day and water temps in the mid 40's. I am not saying that to be critical of them but to say that it is never as easy as "yes or no" in regards to "can I go out in a 17' deep V?"

I have taken a canoe out several hundred yards, and some guys take them out several miles on a calm day.

Watch the weather, judge the wind, watch the weather, pay attention to the weather, use a radar app on your phone to check for incoming weather... Did I say, "Watch the weather"?

I would be comfortable in 1-2's, but not 3-4s.

Just my opinion.

-Matt