new here....was wondering , how small can a boat can be used around CBBT complex....is it possible to ru to the first Island in a 16' boat?

all depends where ya leave from i suppose.....i have seen jon boats out there.......leave from lynnhaven and you could go to the highrise on a nice day.......

I take an 18' skiff style boat out there about once a week. How far I go depends on the weather.

Went just past the 4th on Sunday. Barely made it to the first today because of the waves.

BTW. I leave out of Little Creek

Jaws

I was kind of wondering the same thing, I have an 18 ft grady white that I purchased a couple months ago and do all of my fishing out of mobjack bay or the york river and I have been venturing farther and farther out everytime I take it out. I have found myself driving across the bridges and tunnels around here and I find myself saying to my wife and kids that some of the people out on the waters around here are nutz in what they take out I certainly dont want to find myself being the butt of someone elses humor when I am out at the cbbt in my grady. I am all about keeping my family safe and I have asked myself a few times what is too far. I grew up on lake erie fishing and storms would come in so fast you wouldnt have a chance to get off the water without getting a little nervous and I wonder if the bay is the same way? Anyway just wanted to get some opionions on this as some of us are new to fishing the bay and by no means am I seeking a great adventure in my boat.

Chilli

[quote=Ktrain,Aug 15 2006, 05:19 PM][quote=hodx,Aug 15 2006, 06:48 PM]new here....was wondering , how small can a boat can be used around CBBT complex....is it possible to ru to the first Island in a 16' boat?
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all depends where ya leave from i suppose.....i have seen jon boats out there.......leave from lynnhaven and you could go to the highrise on a nice day.......

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You can take a bass boat out past the tower but its not a very good idea. If I were to take a john boat to the highrise it would be from Kiptopeke. I have seen the bay go from slick to a mess in less that 20 minutes and you dont want to be 12 miles from Lynnhaven Inlet in a 16 foot boat in 4 foot + waves. If it were me in a 16 footer I would stick to the first two islands or trailor over to the Eastern Shore.

[quote=Bait n Switch,Aug 15 2006, 07:49 PM][quote=Ktrain,Aug 15 2006, 05:19 PM][quote=hodx,Aug 15 2006, 06:48 PM]new here....was wondering , how small can a boat can be used around CBBT complex....is it possible to ru to the first Island in a 16' boat?
[/quote]


all depends where ya leave from i suppose.....i have seen jon boats out there.......leave from lynnhaven and you could go to the highrise on a nice day.......

[/quote]
You can take a bass boat out past the tower but its not a very good idea. If I were to take a john boat to the highrise it would be from Kiptopeke. I have seen the bay go from slick to a mess in less that 20 minutes and you dont want to be 12 miles from Lynnhaven Inlet in a 16 foot boat in 4 foot + waves. If it were me in a 16 footer I would stick to the first two islands or trailor over to the Eastern Shore.

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All depends on your boat and abilities. I've been out in my 17' (16'8")Whaler all along the CBBT and out to 3 miles in the ocean when striper fishing. I've had the weather change on me and no problems getting in. In my opinion one of the best boats ever built, damn thing is a champagne cork. I would rather be in my 17' then in a lot of the 20' boats I see out on the bay. I leave out of Lynnhaven and pick my days. I usually fish at least 1X week from April until Feb or so, March I work on the house Check the weather, carry a VHF and safety gear. Start by just going out small distances, then as you gain confidence in your abilities you can venture farther.

I have an 18' CC Wellcraft and have been to the high rise and to the Hilton for Striper season. Pick your days and you can go as far as you have gas!

My boat is small too -- 16' 7''. Use common sense, and pay extra attention to the wx. Don't risk it when the wx calls for thunderstorms. I only hit the open water of the bay when NOAA says 1' - 2' seas, or less, and winds at 10 knots or less. Generally, if the wx calls for 10 mph winds, it seems like 15 - 20 mph, once you hit open water. However, on the right day, you can safely reach Thimble Shoals Light, or the waters off of the oceanfront. When the wind picks up, I stick to protected waters.

I agree. Actually my boat is a 16'7" also. If you are going to fish the south end of the CBBT, 1st and 2nd islands, W or SW winds are the best. I've been out when its SW 10-15 without a problem. SE, if you go in at Lynnhaven as I do, then it could be a wet bumpy ride back in but is doable. Anything out of the NW, even as little as 10 knots, and I stay in. To much chop on the bay for me. I've fished those conditions but it just ain't fun in a small boat. NE winds are aslo pushing it, not as bad as NW but still get some nice chop around the 1st and 2nd.

Pete

Chilli,

I had an 18' Grady that I sold in March. Used to take it out to the CBBT, Cape Henry, Rudee all the way from Hampton. That boat can prob. take more than you can, but I wouldn't venture that far if the forecast called for more than 3 footers, or if the winds were NE becaused I pretty much had to cross the entire bay to get back home. The answer to the origninal question is not black and white--depends on the boat, the conditions, and the experience of the captain, in my opinion.

I was out on Sunday at the 4th bay side and the water was nice early in the morning, but kicked up pretty good quickly. Grady Whites and Boston Whalers can definitely handle more than you can, but will beat you up pretty bad doing so. I've been deep sea on a 20' Grady White before, and was a really rough ride, but I'm still here. With the foam filled hull there isn't much give when there's a good chop.

Best advise I can give is to keep these two sites on your browser's "favorites" list, don't go out until you know what's there, and what's coming............

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/zone/east/akqmz.htm
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/maps/Chesapeake_Bay.shtml




or you can do like i'm doing and tell the wife you're tired of looking too hard at the weather everytime you want to fish, hence, honey, we need a bigger boat.....i'll let you know how that works out................

Chilli,
Take a USCG aproved boating course and it will be a great help to you. I would not go to the High Rise from Lynnhaven in a 16 foot boat because the weather can turn fast, but that's my opinon from past experience. I have been at the 3rd Island out of Back River (13 miles which is shorter than from Kynnhaven to the High Rise) and the weather turned on us and instead of a 40 minute run it was over an hour and 15 minute run in a 23 foot boat. Be careful out there.

I too have a small 16' Carolina Skiff and I do all of my fishing around the first and second islands. I have been caught out there when it goes from glass like conditions to a right hefty chop and have made it back with no problems, although the wife and I did have to strap on the life preservers a couple of times. Just use your best judgement and always listen to your weather radio to keep up with the changing forecasts. Another thing is to go with your gut, if it doesn't feel right, don't go out that far or in that bad weather. It's always better to wished you would have gone than go and ruin your trip or even worse.

That's how I got my current boat. Went from an old 17 foot tri-hull to my 23 foot Sea Fox walkaround. I feel a lot safer out there now.

FredHead
fishing from the Just Relaxin'
Sea Fox 230WA

"Women want me, fish fear me......I can dream can't I?"

You could go out there on a surfboard if you wanted to. Just pick your days and use your judgement - don't be stupid, you know what your boat can and can't do.

I've seen skiffs fishing 25 miles offshore in Hatteras.

If you try that surfboard idea, beware of dem ........

Like everyone else said pick your days. If your not comfortable to start buddy up unitl your confidence builds up. My boat is no monster 70hp yamaha and a 16'8" McKee Craft tri hull. I have taken it to the tower a few times and over to the shoals during drum season. What I didn't see anyone speak about is the tides. You can fish a 15-20 SW at first and second islands fine on an outgoing tide but when it goes slack make sure your on your way in before it comes back in. Another great feature is a strong bilge pump and a battery to power it. I keep mine on auto when it chops up and starts to come over the bow. That dual console is like a spoon in the front when going slow.

Something I that wasn`t pointed out is to keep looking back towards the James River most of your bad thunderstorms come from there if you see the sky get black over in that direction its time to run for home. The thing about keep telling the you want a bigger boat it will eventualy work i went from a 15 to a 20 now im working on her for a bigger one. Stay safe its not fun in big waves and its even worse at night.

I have a 16' Key West and go to the 1st island on a weekly basis as long as the wind is NOT NW, N, NE > 15 knots or SW, S, SE > 15-20 knots
I usually put out of lynnhaven but also put out at cobbs marina depending on the wind and expected crowds at lynnhaven. Also on a nice calm day when I feel like fishing HRBT Thimble Shoals and 1st 2nd islands at CBBT I put out at Willoughby Spit. I have seen nutjobs on rafts near the first island (thats dumb)!!

Small Boat Golden Rule "Always Head into the seas on the way out if the wind picks up you can follow or quarter it back." If the wind switches "You Better Run"