1775 on Erie??

[Lundluvr]

I own a 1775 Lund Pro V SE. I have had it out on pretty rough stuff on Leech lake and so on. I know Erie is a whole different ballgame. Is my boat big enough to fish on Erie? I have alot of weekdays off in the summer and would like to try it. Also, what is the best way to get started. Do you just take your map and GPS and go, or what? Thank you for any information you can share.

[Sunshine]

I asked the exact same question last year. The answers were right on and basically said that you need to watch the weather. Some days my 1775 is just fine other days I hope I'm not caught dead on it. It also comes down to your experience and your seamanship. What can you handle and what have you handled. People on this board will tell you that the seas on Eire are completely different than anywhere else and you need to be ready for the worst. These people are correct. It doesn't always boil down to the tool used but the craftsman using the tool. What are you capable of doing not your boat? As an example, last year I was out on a 24 footer while my 1775 sat on shore. We had true 5 to 6 footers around the bass islands and I knew that I couldn't handle that. I also watched a guy all by himself that day in a boat just like mine handle the situation. Others in my boat and on the radio called him stupid among other names. After watching him for a couple of hours I developed a respect for him because of what he was capable of doing in a situation that I couldn't handle as well. Hope this helps. Bottom-line, somedays you'll be sitting on shore while others are out fishing and catching. Somedays you'll be fishing side by side with those same people. And somedays you'll all be glad that you're sipping a barley pop on shore and not fighting for your life. Sorry for getting long winded.

[Denied]

Your boat will be fine as long as you pay attention to the weather conditions, wind and wave reports. There are many good links to check on my web page listed below. As far as how to get started, buy a good set of maps and study them. A mapping gps is a great help. There are numerous places in Erie that you don't want to get into so be careful.

Fishing Western Lake Erie aboard "DENIED"
web page; www.cliftond.com

[Homer]

I agree completely with the first two responses, and only have a little more to add. Once you learn the weather and wave conditions on Lake Erie, the question may boil down to "How often do you need to get out?" I was able to fish Erie in my old 16 footer, but conditions were safe enough for my liking only about 25% of the time. Now that I have a 1775 Pro-V, I can get out a higher percentage of the time, but still not near as often as guys with bigger boats.

[STEVE]

I really suggest taking a Coast Guard Marine Saftey Class if your going to be on Lake Erie. The class I took the Coast Guard guys were great and there were several fishing guys who shared a lot about fishing too. I have been boating for years, and still learned a lot. Saftey is # 1 priority.

[Lundluvr]

Sounds like a great idea. How do I find out about these classes?

[bob oh]

Where are you located? Check the Coast Guard Auxiliary of the Power Squadron, both offer safety courses. Added bonus is you usually get a 10% on your insurance.
Bob

[Boatnut]

here is the URL for the home page of the United States Power Squadron. http://www.usps.org/
There are links to find your nearest local squadron. If too far away, inquire about their video and "self study" course. Also look for a link to the Coast Guard Auxillary. They offer classes as well. Your local natural resources dept. may also offer safe boating course.
Mike(boatnut)

[chuck]

You didn't say where u lived or planed on fishing erie.
If u are a Michigan fishing person E-mail us & we will help all we can.
Especially for a fellow Lund owner.

[cisco]

Power Squadron does a great job -- and, you'll learn what U.S. Coast Guard approved items you'll need to have on board for Great Lakes boating.

One thing not mentioned was fog. You don't often get fog when you have rough weather, but fog will get you if you spend much time on Erie (or Michigan, for that matter). You've got to have good equipment and you must trust your equipment. People get terribly disoriented in fog and will insist their equipment is not reading properly. Again, the experience thing mentioned is BIG, but be forewarned so you are not taken too much by surprise when you find you must use your resources to get back to port.

Good luck, and be safe.