I put in at Buck Creek on RR about a week ago. Had a moderate breeze out of the south and I was fine. Didn't see anyone running fast through there....too many trees.

You should be fine there.

IT IS A SUICIDE TUB!!! Small coves & creeks great, main part of the lake, I would not do it!

If you are planning to launch at Little Elm that run from the bridge to the main lake can get rough with wind. You might want to think about launching closer to the main lake. I launch at Hidden Cove park and that cove is usually pretty calm. From there you could venture out to Hackberry point on a calm day.

What type of fish are you after? I think you should be able to get some crappie and catfish up North of 720. There are some sand bass up there too if you can find the hot spots.

Good luck,
Greg

A thing to note:
The shallower the water the rougher it will be on any given day/ The waves in deep water are mostly submerged but when they come to shallow water they raise up when they hit the bottom making it rougher near the shore!

I have taken 14' John Boats with 15HP off shore to fish and ride the waves of the Atlantic Ocean near Jacksonville Fl. We crammed a flotation truck inner tube in between the gunnel supports and tied it down (kinda like a canoe). Worked great and was some of the most fun I have ever had working the swells and waves near the shoreline.

Any of you people remember when this was the only size bass boat available?

I fished out of one for years on Toledo Bend and never felt unsafe. The problem is most of you have never fished out of a boats like these.

Any thing bigger than this and I�m in Hawg Heaven


[img]http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/069478.bmp[/img]

If you're going to have a battery on board (for trolling motor, fish finder, etc.) then a good high-volume bilge pump would be a plus.

yeah, but there weren't 40 foot plus boats throwing wakes 4 feet high back then either. was on lewisville last sat with a buddy riding around the main lake in his 19ft Ranger. one word...... OUCH! my back is still sore. there's no way i would wanna be out there in a flat bottom of any kind.

I fished Roberts for years in a boat not much better than yours. I would fish in Pond, Union or even better Johnson creek. You will aLlways be close enough to beach it and walk home ALIVE. Ask someone here to help you make it sink proof. There should be some way to put some foam in it.

It already has foam in it under the seats. I 'think' that should make it sink proof.

The boat is wider than a typical jon boat and the bottom is rounded - not flat.

I handled some waves pretty good already south of the 720 bridge (about a mile south....not quite to Hackberry point) and it did well.

Oh well, I just started getting into fishing and this is all the money I wanted to spend on a boat right now. Got it and a good trailer off of Ebay for a little over $500. I did buy a brand new 5HP Mercury though. Amazingly, the motor actually gets my boat planing around 15-20mph...... I was impressed.

Just look out for me on the lake when you are out there

Go for it dude

All depends on the hull design really. I spent the weekend fishing out of a high sided 12 ft v-hull aluminum Smokercraft with a 9.9. It's originally a Steelhead fishing boat from Oregon. It's wider and MUCH deeper than a regular aluminum boat.

I was three miles off of Port Aransas trolling for Kings. I launched thru the surf south of Bob Hall pier. I damn sure would not try that with a flatbottom, though there were several others that did.
Water conditions on my usual lakes (Travis and Austin) will sink a Jon more often than not.

The typical Academy low-sided jonboat isn't going to be a good choice for open water, esp with a lot of boat wakes and wind. You also need enough motor to outrun trouble if need be. Your 5 hp is a good motor, but it'll probably JUST plane the boat.

I have a 12 ft Smokercraft v-hull as well that I bought from someone off Ebay. It was originally registered in Washington state.

I would get the biggest boat you can afford. IMHO you are asking for trouble in a smaller boat. The weather can and will turn in instant. Had a T-storm here on Bridgeport in May, It skirted the lake but the "outflow" turned the lake from calm to a monster in about a minute flat.

Two Johnboats were swamped and sank, everyone was OK, but all equipment was lost.

Keith

www.lakebridgeportguideservice.com

Here's a couple of pictures/diagrams of the boat I have - its not the typical jon boat from Academy.

http://www.smokercraft.com/utilities/sportsman12.htm

http://www.smokercraft.com/utilities/sportsman.htm

I will stay within 100-200 yards of the shoreline in case the weather gets bad. I have no problem beaching this thing and getting under some cover if I need to. This boat with a 5HP will get around 15-20mph (self judgement).

I thought you were talking about flatbottom Jons. I have the Smokercraft Alaskan 13ss. It's hull is 26" deep compared to your 17", but I don't see any problems with your choice.

I fish out of that boat twice as much as my 24' Sea Ray.