Posts: 3,126
Threads: 172
Joined: Apr 2018
Reputation:
11
I'm about ready to put my 14' aluminum boat on the water, starting at Lincoln Beach. I plan to err on the side of caution and need a little advice. At what wind speed do you stay off/get off the lake? How does wind direction affect this? Any other advice? I realize that there is a huge amount of what I call ID factor -- It Depends -- in the answers, but whatever you can tell me will help me avoid problems. I know that I will learn a lot with experience; I just don't want my first lesson to be my last.
[signature]
The older I get the more I would rather be considered a good man than a good fisherman.
Posts: 1,645
Threads: 156
Joined: Jun 2010
Reputation:
3
I would say 10 to 15 is enough to make you shy away from going very far from home. If it gets above 15 and you’re out, get back in. If you aren't out, fish between the jetties.
One big thing is to get used to how it handles the wind and the waves. If I recall, you said it has a 9.9 on it. That makes it sound like a fairly light rig overall and it will get bounced and tossed more than a heavier boat. If it has tiller steering, you can get the center of gravity pretty far back. You even want to be cautious crossing a large boat wake in a light craft.
It is usually easier to travel with the wind than against it, so if they are forecasting NW winds try to fish NW of home and vice versa.
If the wind changes in a hurry, that is a good sign it is time to go.
[signature]
Posts: 29
Threads: 0
Joined: May 2017
Reputation:
0
If it doesn't feel stable and you are having a hard time steering/control, it was time to get off 1/2 hour ago. VBG.
I have a smaller aluminium boat since 99, and I really don't take chances with it. I do go by what i stated above, but try not to get into that situation. Once the W starts i strart looking for waves and caps and start to head to sheltered areas or to shore.
[fishon]
[signature]
Posts: 2,360
Threads: 18
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
0
Post pictures of your rig.
Have all the must have gear on board.
ALWAYS! fish upwind side of the lake and you won't have to much to worry about. Downwind side the waves will swamp that little boat.
It would be good to go out with someone that knows their way around a boat.
You don't want to go with the waves as stated above unless totally necessary to get into shore. If you get down in the well of a big wave it will swamp you as it crests and comes over the back. Always go into waves and balance your boat out even if you have to add some weight in the front. I use to carry 2- 5 gallon buckets with lids and fill them with water to add weight. a boat that will plane out will get you off the water quicker.
fnf[cool]
[signature]
Posts: 1,165
Threads: 22
Joined: Jun 2003
Reputation:
1
When I would fish with my son (60 lbs.) in the bow of the 12.5' boat I would put a 80 pound tube of sand under the bow seat to add to stability to the boat when the wind came up. This made the boat handle and ride in the water much better.
[signature]
Posts: 3,126
Threads: 172
Joined: Apr 2018
Reputation:
11
I thought I would end up with a battery or two in the bow to help even things out. I also picked up (pun intended) a very heavy anchor which would help up there.
[signature]
The older I get the more I would rather be considered a good man than a good fisherman.
Posts: 32,625
Threads: 383
Joined: Feb 2002
Reputation:
33
I always use this web site, this link is to Willard but you can select any lake:
https://www.windfinder.com/forecast/willard
With the smaller boat you have, I would not go out if the wind is above 10 mph and if you are out there and the wind comes up like that or higher, head to shore. This is my opinion and others my feel different but in a smaller boat the wind is no joke and it can kill you depending on which way you are going, when it's blowing.
[signature]
Posts: 165
Threads: 2
Joined: Feb 2015
Reputation:
0
Aside from all the right equipment and getting used to handling your boat. Always error on the side of caution.
The biggest thing IMO is to always have an escape area in mind. The last few years that could have been any shoreline but not this year with all the phragmites. My biggest fear in a wind storm on UL would be getting trapped against the phragmites with 4 or 5 footers bearing down on you. It would be so easy to get a foot or both tied up with each wave knocking you down because you can’t catch your balance. Then if you do get free you only have 30 more yards to go through that tangled mess.
A few years ago at Pineview we were with sone friends on east side of the lake with ski boat. It was a beautiful day the breeze maybe 10 MPH. I was standing in the water helping a young skier get ready to ski. I heard my wife start yelling from the beach that her phone just gave her a high wind warning. When I looked back to the west I saw a wall of dust and mist coming right at us. I yelled at the driver (it was his 2nd trip out as new boat owner) to go south to a smaller protected cove, turn on the ballast pump and fill them as much as possible. Go as far as you can but turn the boat west into the waves when they hit and keep it that way until you hit west shoreline. He had a couple of waves that came over the bow a little on the way over bet he was able to hang out in some relatively calm water. I had just enough time to get the youngster out of his skis and to the shore. 10 to 70 MPH wind speeds in less than minute. 3 boats anchored at shore near us were swamped. The docks at the slips on the west side were ripped from their anchors and several thousands of dollars in damages to all the boats in the slips. I would bet bet there were some on this site that were on the lake that day as well.
Always have an escape route. We got lucky that day. That was the last thing on my mind with that big boat we were playing in.
[signature]
Posts: 3,706
Threads: 128
Joined: May 2011
Reputation:
5
I have a 14 foot Lund with a 15 hp. Merc outboard and I will second everything others have already said. On UL it is so shallow almost everywhere, a strong sustained wind in any direction is not a good thing. I have actually seen the wind pick up enough water in shallow areas that if I had been in them, my boat would have run aground, then had all that water dropped right back on top of me made me glad I was on the jetty watchin. I have been on UL out at the island, when I got there it was like green/brown glass. But the wind picked up a bit which was actually comfortable (cools you off and blows away the bugs). But then the wind shifts direction and gains in strength......soon as you notice the wind shifting, you better already be leaned over, and beatin feet toward the marina. FOR SURE keep your bow into the waves as much as possible. That may require you to do some zig-zagging, if the wind is blowing across you broadside. Those east to west or west to east crosswinds at UL can get nasty fast.
I also keep ballast in the bow. When it is just me in the boat, I'm at the back with the tiller and motor of course. All that weight pushes the bow up in the air and if a big wave or wind gets under in, feels like my boat is trying to "pull a wheelie" on the transom. So when I'm by myself, I have 3 each 40 lb. bags of sand in the bow.
I recommend a self inflating life vest and always hook up the motor kill switch. Don't want the boat motoring off if you get tossed out. [fishin]
[signature]
"OCD = Obsessive Catfish Disorder "
Or so it says on my license plate holder
Posts: 1,984
Threads: 16
Joined: Apr 2007
Reputation:
7
When fishing Utah Lake, wind is always a concern. If you are at Lincoln /beach, south end of the lake, wind out of the North west will really put you at risk. Right now I believe the winds are coming from the southwest as there is a low pressure in the Ca.Gulf. Just be aware of it !! Utah Lake is the worst lake I have ever been on for wind. A 5mph breeze will kick up 3-4 ft waves on the opposite end of the lake. Several years ago, they had a Tri-athlon with the swim on Ut. Lake. Wind was from the North-west at about 5-7mph. One swimmer drowned and several more were swept down lake and had to be rescued by boat. The swimmer that drowned got caught in the trough, slammed into the bottom, knocked unconscious, and he died. Due to the shallow nature of the lake, when you get BIG waves ( anything over 4ft) you run the risk of getting caught in the trough between waves. Boats will slide down the backside of a wave, get their prop stuck in the mud on the bottom, and then swamped by the following wave. Just use common sense and watch the direction where the wind is coming from.
PS: Wiperhunter2 that link for wind forecasts is fantastic !! thanks a whole bunch!!!
Posts: 3,126
Threads: 172
Joined: Apr 2018
Reputation:
11
Thanks to all who have shared your insightful wisdom. Getting specific would help me. I'm planning to go out from Lincoln with someone else in their boat on Saturday. I'm watching the forecast at fishweather.com. Specifically:
https://www.fishweather.com/map#40.132,-...0,1,!87433
I would like to have an informed opinion on whether we should go or not. It looks, from what I have learned, like an iffy day. Winds are from the south at 9-14 mph with gusts in the 14-20 mph range. What do you think?
[signature]
The older I get the more I would rather be considered a good man than a good fisherman.
Posts: 2,360
Threads: 18
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
0
Stay off the lake. That's my opinon.
fnf[cool]
[signature]
Posts: 877
Threads: 1
Joined: Dec 2005
Reputation:
0
I agree with FishingFool. To much wind for me.
[signature]
Posts: 3,706
Threads: 128
Joined: May 2011
Reputation:
5
That's a BIG 10-4 Roger ! Have the same situation on Willard sometimes when the water level is low. Have been close to being capsized twice (on the same day)when hit by a big wave blown up by a wind blowing from south. Was at the north end, heading south into the wind trying to get into the north marina. Going south head on into the wind was not too bad, but to get into the marina had to make a left turn. That put me broadside to the waves. Misjudged the peak of one wave, turned left, and it lifted the right side of the boat up and started to roll it over. Having done just a small bit of sailing as a kid in SoCal, I jumped over to the high side of the boat and it came back down. But in getting the boat righted back to almost level, I pulled my kill switch. Motor shut off........[mad] one of those big Oh s___ moments. Good thing I have electric start and it started on first push of the button. Had another 4 foot wave bearing down on me broadside, so I full twisted the throttle, scooted into the marina channel with a fraction of a second to spare. Was a bit wet from wind spray, heart was doin 90 mph, but I was relatively calm and level again. Tossed out my anchor off to one side of the marina, poured a cup of coffee, got the fishing gear all stowed, and pulled into the dock to call it a day.[fishin]
[signature]
"OCD = Obsessive Catfish Disorder "
Or so it says on my license plate holder
Posts: 14,091
Threads: 168
Joined: Jan 2011
Reputation:
14
I agree with everyone's comments, when the high side of prediction exceeds 10 mph I don't want to be on the water... Fishing isn't any fun if you're constantly trying to keep from sinking... Wind just ruins many a good fishing days... at least if you're looking at floating... Now if you want to go practice boat skills and empty out any valuable cargo and have good life vests and all... I have been known to have a lot of fun in an aluminum boat on a windy day, but I was riding the waves for fun, not wanting to fish and I knew that the water was only 3 feet deep so I could walk to shore if I sunk.... plus the boat was very reliable and I was young and dumb too... Plus it was a warm day so no worries of hypothermia... But at my current age, I'd probably say best to avoid the wind... It did teach me a lot about how to handle a boat in the wind and what not to do... like others have rightly told you keep the bow into the waves and head for sheltered areas where the wind will be broken... Later J
[signature]
Posts: 71
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2016
Reputation:
0
If you stay on the south end you can maintain with a south wind but if the wind starts picking its way from the North don't wait around to see what it does....usually it don't take long to get nasty!
[signature]
Posts: 39
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2013
Reputation:
0
Wow! Thanks for sharing that site. Will be super helpful.
https://www.windfinder.com/forecast/willard
[signature]
Posts: 32,625
Threads: 383
Joined: Feb 2002
Reputation:
33
No problem and so far that site has been very accurate.
[signature]
|
