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Posts: 9
| I am planning on heading to LOTW this summer, never been there before. The boat that I currently have is a Tuffy Esox LTD with a 40hp motor. Any thoughts if this boat will be "appropriate" for this big body of water. I really like this boat for fishing northern Wisconsin, and dont really want to get a different boat for just one trip... |
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | If you're anything like me, or most anybody I know, buying a different boat for just one trip would be hard to justify. If you were wanting a different boat anyway, then the trip might be enough of an excuse to look for something else.
With that said, I fished LOTW a few times probably 15 years ago out of different boats. None of them very big boats. Last year my wife and I went - 1st time taking my own rig. I have a Alumacraft Navigator 165 with 50hp 4 stroke. Capable, but not a "big water" rig either. We were out of Mylies and ran into some pretty big wind one day on the open water side of the resort. It was a slower ride back to camp, trimmed all the way down to keep the bow down, and I was glad to get to calmer waters, but we made it without really feeling like we were in danger.
I'm sure in certain areas LOTW can whip up some huge waves, but in my experience so far, I think you'll be just fine in your boat if you pay attention and play it safe.
From a speed perspective, I imagine that boat does around 30 mph? I cruised most everywhere around 25 mph and felt like I could easily get to good water.
Unless you need an excuse to buy a new boat, I think you'll be fine with your rig.
Tucker |
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Posts: 444
Location: Duluth, MN | Just be careful. If you head west from Mylie's and a south wind kicks up it can get scary pretty fast. I got caught once 2 years ago in my 17 foot Lund with a 115 and would not have wanted to be in anything smaller. You don't even realize it as you can get comfortable in and around the small sections with lots of islands and all of a sudden you turn that corner into the exposed sections from the south and your in it. Any other direction you always have an island to tuck behind if you have to but will typically be ok. |
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Posts: 859
Location: MN | Like anything know your limits and you will be fine. Watch the weather and plan based on that. |
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Posts: 815
Location: Waukee, IA | I'm taking my 16' Lund to miles bay in July. Your boat will be plenty big if you exercise caution and patience when the wind comes up. No boat will ever be big enough to cancel out stupid mistakes. I was at long point on the MN side of the woods last year when a 35mph north wind came up and forced us to stay on shore all day. The guys in 21 foot rangers tried to go out, but only made it a couple hundred yards past the break wall. 4 foot rollers are a scary situation. |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | Really depends on what kind of breaks you get with the weather. If it is one of those weeks with howling 20+ winds multiple days a week it's going to be a pretty bad struggle in that boat ( as it would be in a lot of boats).
Use common sense and plan on probably staying closer to camp |
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Posts: 194
Location: Lake Elmo, MN | Lake of the Woods is BIG water in more than one way. In one sense it's big in variety of types of water. In Minnesota you have huge open water and that would be tough for your boat. In sections of Canada (say Sioux narrows for example) there are a myriad of places to tuck in if wind and waves get tough. Just be sure to stay within easy reach of lodging. Getting a different boat for 1 trip makes little sense. In Canada and the US, when the winds pick up, the water becomes VERY dangerous, especially where large open expanses are. Be very careful. Had a friend lose his bass boat there.....sunk right to the bottom. Thankfully, he was OK. Be smart....wear your PFD, and don't push the limits of your rig....you should be fine. |
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | PSAGuy - 4/30/2015 10:13 PM
Had a friend lose his bass boat there.....sunk right to the bottom.
Yikes! Did he just get swamped by waves or did he put a hole in it? |
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Posts: 925
| I've been on LOTW in the NW Angle area and south out of Kenora for 14 or 15 weeks in the past 12 years. I run a 1650 Crestliner with a 80F Yamaha. It's not fun in the wind, but I have never felt unsafe in my boat. Be smart and you should be ok. |
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Posts: 32926
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I fished LOTW and Wabigoon for years in an Esox LTD. You will be fine if you don't put yourself in a situation where you need to run big waves for a long distance, watch the weather and wind direction. The LTD is 10" narrower than the Magnum, and is a much better ride in the rougher stuff. |
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Posts: 194
Location: Lake Elmo, MN | Swamped....trying to get back to Sioux Narrows from Wiley Point area.
Waves get rockin' and rollin' out there. Be very, very careful in anything not made for BIG water. My 620 even gets tossed around from time to time, and I trust that boat in anything an inland lake can throw at it.
Be safe and wear your PFD ! |
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Posts: 271
Location: davis,IL | The real key is know your boats capabilities and how to handle it. Pay attention to the waves and you will see that they are not all the same size. For instance in 3 foot waves not all will be 3 footers, some may be 2.5 footers while a few of the rollers may approach 3.5'. The key to maneuvering in bigger waves is practice. If you feel safe in your boat in 2 foot waves, then practice a little with that. What you want to practice is turning into the waves, tacking the waves, or moving through following seas. Remember this takes a little speed, but not much. My boat, a 17' Crestliner likes the 7 to 10mph range in the rough stuff. The key is idling in the trough and picking your spot to turn into the wave, then popping the bow up and making a quick turn into the waves while keeping your bow up. Wave size and speed will determine your boats forward speed as you maneuver through them. Don't try and go too fast, but not too slow either. With some practice you will feel safe riding out the rough stuff, you might get a little wet, but slow and steady beats fast and swamped.
Edited by muskydope 5/1/2015 11:30 PM
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Posts: 4269
Location: Ashland WI | sworrall - 5/1/2015 6:26 PM
I fished LOTW and Wabigoon for years in an Esox LTD. You will be fine if you don't put yourself in a situation where you need to run big waves for a long distance, watch the weather and wind direction. The LTD is 10" narrower than the Magnum, and is a much better ride in the rougher stuff.
Can you elaborate on this a little? Why would a 10" narrower boat ride better in rough water? |
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Posts: 410
Location: With my son on the water | Oh I have to agree with Steve on his statement. Narrower boats IMO have less surface area and cut waves. Where with wider boats the entire surface area of the boat can make contact with the wave causing the boat to go up and down with the waves. I have experienced this many times. Obviously every hull is different. But again IMO length is more important so it spreads the anglers out when they are fishing. Length also helps span more waves so you reduce the up and down, it's physics.
I will take a longer narrow boat versus a short wider boat most days.
Again this is my opinion based on 35+ years of being in boats and I am not trying to start a whole new bashing discussion. The Tuffy 1760 at just 84" wide runs through waves like a hot knife through butter, plus it fits in the garage.
Have a happy day  |
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