BigLake411.com

I would like some input on a boat to run on Calcasieu
What do you consider a minimum length and motor to fish main lake and weirs safely.
Fishing for trout, reds, flounder.
Thanks.

It really just depends on weather conditions. Lots of folks are out on the lake in 15' aluminum boats with 25's on the back. This is fine for a calm day but I wouldn't want to be caught in rough weather in a rig that side. I would guess that the 3 most popular boat sizes on the lake are 18', 21' & 24' bay boats.

Ifished the lake for a good 7-8 years in a 14 long 42 wide aluminum with a 40 hp motor. 90% of that was launching at hebert's & fishing the reefs between Hebert's and the weirs, or just simply fishing behind the weirs. There will always be fish in one of these locations, trust me, my freezer was always as full as anybody's......

You can get some good deals on used bay boats, especially in the winter.
If you get an aluminum boat, be sure it has some kinda V bottom to help with the waves.
And make sure it has plenty of freeboard.
One small thing negative about aluminum boats is they make more noise with the wave slap.
But they can get into some real shallow water too, which makes them nice for marsh fishing.

Thanks for the good input.
How do you carry live shrimp in the smaller boats?
What do you catch behind the weirs? Mainly reds and flounder?
Thanks

I downsized quite a bit in 2000. I was going to concentrate more on redfish in the marsh, so I bought an Alweld 16' long with a 52" bottom, semi-v. I bought the 3 cylinder Mercury 40 (2 stroke), and a Riptide 24V trolling motor.

The problem is, I can't get those trout out of my system, so for 11 years, I've been running this boat in Big Lake, often on days that I probably shouldn't. In those 11 years, I've had to bring my boat to the welding shop twice for minor crack repairs (about $45 each time).

If you do go the aluminum route, make sure that the floor is removable, or build your own. I got the nice, carpeted version, but the welder told me that the aluminum floor is welded to the ribs in the bottom of the boat, so if I ever have to repair cracked ribs, the floor has got to be cut out.

Good luck!

Those 2 cycle 40 HP engines were about the best motors ever made.
I had one on a 20 ft. X 3 ft. Weldcraft. Great hunting boat.
That motor always cranked up easy and ran great, no matter how
much weight she had in her.

Ray,

I agree! Mine is 11 years old now, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Hurricane Rita took mine.

As previously said, it depends upon the weather. It also depends upon the driver, too. ( Please dont be insulted), but I've seen folks who have owned boats for years do stupid stuff because they were never taught how to properly handle their craft in rough water. For 10 years, I've run a 1996 17 foot Skeeter bass boat on Big Lake, but I'm choosy where I go and I pay a great deal of attention to wind direction, speed and approaching storms.

' Never had a problem....not even in 4 foot swells when that famous Big Lake SE wind hits 20 knots....as it's so famous for doing in the spring. Lots of places to go with a small boat when the wind is below 8-9 knots. Very few, when it's out of the SE at 15+ knots. In my humble opinion ( and that's all it is) ....a 19 foot CC, in something like a Kenner, etc....with a 115 on it is about ideal for Big Lake during "sane" fishing days. If you wouldnt go out in a seaworthy 19.....then you have no business going out in a 22 on that same day. It's insane to do so. You'd have to step up to a 24+ to begin to be safe....and even then, you wont enjoy the trip. I've had an 18 foot Nautic Star out there with a 25 knot SE wind, and while we were relatively safe, a less experienced boater might have taken one over the stern or the side, if he wasnt careful. It's all about trim, angle of attack and throttle control during those conditions. Err on the side of caution and you'll be OK in about anything that doesnt leak, has a great anchor, plenty of anchor rope, and a reliable outboard. Get something with a fairly shallow draft, if you can, so you can get into some of those great spots. Have fun shopping !