17 footer, is it big enough?

[hoppinheather]

Hi Everyone,

I am new to the forum and I am wondering if my 17 foot searay is big enough to take safely on the lake. I fish often in the raritain bay ( NJ ) but only deal with 3 to 4 foot waves. And when is the best time to take a boat out, late spring , early summer, late summer?

I usually fish at the Powerhouse or the black river in Watertown, in early Oct. But I am looking for next years trip already.

Thanks for the help

[carpedium]

17 is fine to fish out of if the waves are 2 foot or less.

Anything larger and it gets kind of tough to get the gear set, etc.

We have good days and bad days all season long, not really any best time

[MCF]

Use your head in terms of thinking safety and don't take unnecessary risks, pick your days and you will be fine.

[trenchfisherman]

i see people out there in boats barely bigger than a row boat and they seem to do fine. pay attention to weather (wind direction, storms, etc) and know the capabilities of your equipment and you will be fine. sometimes fishing out of my dads 16 foot aluminum is more fun than the 28 footer in the spring.

when you fish in NJ do you troll? if you troll into a 2-3 footer with a boat that doesn't have a big bow you might be taking some water over the front so be careful.

[Misty IV]

Prior to getting my 221 Islander, I fished the lake out of an 18' center console and it did fine. I upgraded just because I needed more room and something that didn't require me to come in when the waves got bigger than 3 footers. You'll be fine. As mentioned above, watch the skies, winds and have all safety gear onboard and ready to go.

[LongLine]

Welcome to the board.

Just remember that waves on Lake Ontario have shorter period than just about anywhere else. I.E. The waves are closer together and generally steeper.

Tom B.

(LongLine)