AC/DC Posted July 14, 2012 Report Share Posted July 14, 2012 Hi Everyone! I have recently bought a boat and have been out on Erie a few times now. I know that Erie is known to be unforgiving at times and I am kind of leery to venture out too far but would like to get out far enough to get some Walleye. I have no experience boating on Erie and I am not sure what this boat can handle. I have a 17 ft with a 50HP. The only time I have successfully went a few miles out was when it was about 7km/hour winds. I launched in Crystal beach yesterday and with was 17km/per hour winds and it seemed quite rough so I turned around. I am wondering if my boat is too small to go out in those conditions? Anyone with boating experience that can offer up some advice, it would be greatly appreciated. I know I have a lot to learn and I want to make sure that I am boating safely for myself and other boaters out there as well. Thank You AC/DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captnn Posted July 14, 2012 Report Share Posted July 14, 2012 Your boat is only as good as the operator no matter which size. 17 kph winds from the south or west would be too rough for me in a 17' boat. If you don't feel comfortable in the conditions don't go out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest live2fish85 Posted July 14, 2012 Report Share Posted July 14, 2012 As captnn said, mind you the boat size does matter to a certain point, certain boats will handle better in rough weather. Is your boat a deep v? That can make a big difference in handling chop. I wouldn't recomend going out that far if the winds are over 15kmp from the S or SW. It doesn't take long to get real bad out there, Erie also isn't like Lake Ontario. The waves when they are bad will hit you from all directions and real quick sets. If you aren't comfortable in a wind that is blowing 17kmh I wouldn't go out to far until you have had some experience with someone that can show you how to handle the water when it does get bad. I have been boating on Erie my entire life. I was lucky to have my grandfather teach me how to properly handle rough waters. Also if you are out on a calm day notice the water looking dark and small splash and ripples all over get off right away. I have seen it happen and it can take minutes before getting really nasty. I got caught last summer on Erie in my 17' with a 70hrsp. The waves were about a foot and a half and I felt the winds pick up from the SW but figured I would wait it out a few minutes. It was a wrong call by me, by the time I had my stuff packed up, PFD on and motor started the waves were at least 4' I was out 5 miles at that point and a few minutes later they were easily 6.5-7' waves. If it weren't for being brought up on the water I wouldn't have made it in. I was taking on more water then the bilge pump could take out and when I got to the shore line I was amazed I hadn't got swamped. I emptied my boat out and head back home along the shoreline. Until your are comfortable in 3' Erie waves I wouldn't try going out to the walleye. Unless it is dead calm and calling for that all day. Your life isn't worth a few fish. Also if you don't know many people that boat out there to help you with handling the waves I would gladly take you out and show you somethings. Water isn't forgiving and Erie for sure. I have lost family on commercail fishing boats out on Erie. A good site for winds is Sailflow check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dax Posted July 14, 2012 Report Share Posted July 14, 2012 Look for light north winds for Erie...Stable weather pattern for the entire day is best and you don't get surprised... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midas69er Posted July 16, 2012 Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 I have a 16' with a 45 hp, I was brought up in this boat, my dad bought it new in 1987. We go in the river most of the time due to the wave heights in the lake. The river is not scary at all, black creek is a good spot to stick your boat in if its smaller, come up stream and fish, however I have great luck at frenchmans creek as well. The current is strong, however it is consistant so its easy to comapsate for. I have been caught out in the lake in some real bad ones, more than once we got caught in waves over 4', what I remember most are the walls of water beside you when we were at the bottom of the swales. Its freakin scary and not something I recomend trying, the one time we thought our boat was going to break in half, no joke. So due to those experiences we hit the river 9 times out of 10. If you are fixated on the lake then go out when you want, and fish according to the contitions, when is rough stay in and bass fish, when it calm get out the and go for the walleye. One little thing I have noticed, most of the time mornign and evening are significantly calmer than the day time, except if there are storms present, so plan early fishing trips or late ones, and hey walley bite at night! I heard at night if you go close to the Old Fort in fort erie the Walley come up at night to feed, never tried myself but I heard its awsome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishkid Posted July 16, 2012 Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 Being new to boats means that you have a big learning curve ahead of you. Sorry to say there's no quick answer. It's all about seat time until you feel 100% confident that you can read the weather signs and know what to do. Having someone with experience go out with you will definately help more then you think. Also, erie isn't really the best place to learn how to manage rough water. There's so many depth changes and shoals etc that can throw the water around in some pretty unpredictable ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AC/DC Posted July 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 Thank you very much for all the input. I really do appreciate it! I have boated a lot in my life as well but it has been in small lakes way up in northern Ontario. I also had my father to tell me if I can go out on the boat or not. I have zero experience on the great lakes. I have been caught in a nasty storm on the break wall in Port Colbourne a couple of years back and I remember losing some of my gear and having to crouch down behind the lighthouse because of the extreme winds and the waves crashing over the break wall!! The system seemed to come out of nowhere! And it was a nice sunny day very little wind..... And then BAM! Now that we have a boat, I think back to that day and Lake Erie scares the bejesus out of me lol. So having said that, all adice is welcomed and appreciated. I want to enjoy myself, catch fish but most important, I want to be safe and feel safe. In order to achieve that, I need all the knowledge I can get from people who have the experience. Thanks again AC/DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daler Posted July 16, 2012 Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 I have a 14 foot deep hull with 25 hp....I check the winds and forecast before I go out always looking for a light wind somewhere from the north. If its really hot out its likely from the south and I stay in the river. Fishing the mouth of erie is very productive and it also provides you the opportunity to duck into the upper river and get away from a storm and still catch fish. Consider signing up to a weather alert service on your mobile to stay one step ahead of the weather. Don't be scared to venture out on Erie...just make good choices and have a backup/backout plan. Dale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeSchmoe Posted July 18, 2012 Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 Is there a stat out there that says Erie is the most dangerous of the Great Lake. I think it had to do with the "period" and "wavelengths" when it stirs up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest live2fish85 Posted July 18, 2012 Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 I would say its deadly but Lake Superior may be worst. Has taken down alot of boats as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toaster Posted July 18, 2012 Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 i used to go on lake ontario in an 18 footer. we usually packed it in when the waves hit 3 ft. lake erie has been known to stir up quicker in bad weather. paying attention to forecasts is key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest live2fish85 Posted July 18, 2012 Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 Yea, I would never compare boat from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie. 3' waves on Lake Ontario are easy to go through. Alot different on Erie. With Lake Ontario being as deep as it is the set are usually the pretty even where Erie is bothing like that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin Posted July 18, 2012 Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 Your boat is more than ample to put out and play around with some walleye. When the conditions are past your comfort level, you don't go, or you head back in. I have fished out there my whole life, and I'm on the lake a few times a week. For the first several years, it was out in a 14ft with a 15hp, and I must have put 500 hours on that boat. It's all about common sense, checking the weather, and fishing an area where there are other fishermen around in case of an issue. When launching out of Crystal Beach, you really don't have to go out far to get yourself into some walleye. Just because the big boys are running way out doesn't mean they aren't driving past thousands of fish on the way. Point Abino itself is a great barrier to a W or SW wind, and you can tuck inside of the point and troll the whole bay and still be in 45-52 ft of water. Spend some time out there, learn the lake, and call it quits well before your comfort level reaches uncomfortable. Have your safety gear, wear your PFD, and a VHF radio is a fantastic value for the money. Once you learn the water and your boat, you will see that it takes some pretty severe weather to get into a real pinch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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