# potential stupid questions



## Coastal Cowboy (Feb 12, 2012)

This is a potential set of stupid questions, but I might as well ask. How far do you guys go out? and Would I be able to go out in my boat? 21' cc with 150 yamaha:sweatdrop:


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## FISHBOXFULL (May 9, 2008)

depends on what your looking to catch coastal. plenty of stuff locally within 10 miles. not to mention the snapper and grouper in the bay. Kings are showing up very near shore as well. warmer waters this early in the year has everything ready to bite.


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## Coastal Cowboy (Feb 12, 2012)

Just wondering, still new to the waters in the area with my boat. Haven't gone out that much, but am inquisitive on getting AJ's, cobia, and maybe some sort of tuna if possible. Excited to get some different bites besides trout and reds.


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## Realtor (Oct 1, 2007)

how much fuel can u carry? on the right day, you can run a straight heading until you run out of gas. Watch the weather.....


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## Coastal Cowboy (Feb 12, 2012)

My boat holds 75 gallons, and I could put more 5 gallon cans on board.


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## marmidor (Mar 15, 2008)

Coastal Cowboy said:


> Just wondering, still new to the waters in the area with my boat. Haven't gone out that much, but am inquisitive on getting AJ's, cobia, and maybe some sort of tuna if possible. Excited to get some different bites besides trout and reds.



I have no problem going to the edge and the nipple. Just make sure you have the proper safety equipment and plenty of fuel. Buddy boating is a great idea. You are welcome to follow me out next time we go offshore. It's always nice to know you have someone close to you if something goes wrong.


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

Coastal Cowboy said:


> My boat holds 75 gallons, and I could put more 5 gallon cans on board.



I carry 75 gallons in my 22"cc with a 150 on it and I can fish the nipple all day and still have a quarter tank when I get back.


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## Realtor (Oct 1, 2007)

yupper, I have seen bass boats 15 miles out on really flat days.... with saying that, i would not want to be in a bass boat if the seas picked up...... if you trust your boat and equipment, get a buddy boat and go.


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## Coastal Cowboy (Feb 12, 2012)

Will have to figure out some time to get out that far, when I do, I'll invite a buddy boat. Still figuring out the areas here inshore, and what to fish for, rigs, baits, etc. I've fished alot, but not here, there's alot to know and figure out with all the species.


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## Coastal Cowboy (Feb 12, 2012)

So, where's the nipple?


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## marmidor (Mar 15, 2008)

Coastal Cowboy said:


> So, where's the nipple?


THE NIPPLE N29:51.000 / W87:06.000

Like the Edge, the Nipple is an area that is defined by the bottom contours of the DeSoto Canyon, in this case where the 100 fathom curve reaches it's closest point to land and forms an "arrow" pointing NE. Approximately 31 miles SSE of Pensacola Pass, the area is well known as a favorite big game fishing site, with Blue and White Marlin, Wahoo, Dolphin, and Tuna all common.

Depths - 600'+


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## Coastal Cowboy (Feb 12, 2012)

marmidor, numbers appreciated, thanks


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## marmidor (Mar 15, 2008)

Coastal Cowboy said:


> marmidor, numbers appreciated, thanks


No problem man. Here is a visual ref.


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## Coastal Cowboy (Feb 12, 2012)

My chart looks a little different than that, but not much. So basically run south out of p'cola pass?


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## Coastal Cowboy (Feb 12, 2012)

Nevermind, looking at the desoto canyon on my charts


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## Coastal Cowboy (Feb 12, 2012)

Hey marmidor, what extra safety gear do you think I need? Have a marine radio, all the lifejackets, air horn, flares and gun, two anchors, paddles, cell phone, compass, gps, fishfinder, charts, big ass light, running lights, rain gear, cooler, and porta potty. Used to have a float coat from the Coast Guard (veteran), but I got rid of it. No mustang or gumby suit either.


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

Coastal Cowboy said:


> Hey marmidor, what extra safety gear do you think I need? Have a marine radio, all the lifejackets, air horn, flares and gun, two anchors, paddles, cell phone, compass, gps, fishfinder, charts, big ass light, running lights, rain gear, cooler, and porta potty. Used to have a float coat from the Coast Guard (veteran), but I got rid of it. No mustang or gumby suit either.


I would add an EPIRB or PLB to that list for sure as well as a handheld VHF


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## Coastal Cowboy (Feb 12, 2012)

Will keep it under consideration sniper


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## Coastal Cowboy (Feb 12, 2012)

Already have the vhf (marine radio), but not a handheld


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## marmidor (Mar 15, 2008)

sniperpeeps said:


> I would add an EPIRB or PLB to that list for sure as well as a handheld VHF


Peeps is dead on. A good first aid kits also. I always carry benadryl in case you or someone with you has some kinda freak allergic reaction. A gallon or two of extra drinking water is a good idea also.


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## Coastal Cowboy (Feb 12, 2012)

I've got two first aid kits onboard, and the benadryl I think is on sale at walmat. Better yet, my wife is a nurse. Just the epirb or plb, and even looked at a liferaft. West Marine has some semireasonably cheap, and space that they're packed in is small.


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

The handheld VHF is a must IMO. If your battery dies, you have an electrical fire, or you have to get off in a hurry, at least you can still talk to someone instead of just floating. I read somewhere that if you activate your EPIRB or PLB, you can expect to be in the water a minimum of two hours. I don't know what the exact range on my 5w handheld is but I have talked to folks almost ten miles away with it. Redundancy is a good thing


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## jplvr (Mar 7, 2011)

A few weeks ago, we were down South as far as the Elbow without seeing another boat for a long time. Considering my buddy got a PLB recently and we'll have a handheld *next time*, I'll feel a lot more comfortable about it when we make it out that far again. It was a little uncomfortable to be out so far without those two things even if the seas were glassy flat.


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## Coastal Cowboy (Feb 12, 2012)

Well, I guess I have to get two things. I probably won't go out there until middle to end of summer for starters. I might even wait until next year, depending on the price of fuel, and some other factors. When I go, I'm sure I'll be asking for a buddy boat on here. Thanks for all the helpful info.


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## Coastal Cowboy (Feb 12, 2012)

Sniper, I forgot to ask, where do you launch from where you get back with a 1/4 tank? I'm slipped over in bayou texar, about 15 miles from the pass.


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## SoCal619 (Nov 18, 2011)

I too have a pretty small Cape 17 that I routinely take out about 15-20 miles offshore and once tried to get out to the Oriskany but the seas picked up so I called it off for another day. Since I too don't have an EPIRB or handheld I always tell someone where I'll be fishing and always stick to a strict hard time for return, that way if you don't hear from me by said time, that means something went wrong. I like the idea of a buddy boat and never thought of it myself, so if anyone ever needs a companion out there let me know, I'm out every weekend. My Cape 17 only has a 40 gal tank but last time I went further out I brought 4 five gallon containers with me just in case I needed them. I'm also fairly new to the area and still learning new spots so I would definitely like to head out with a buddy boat to swap techniques and knowledge.


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## Coastal Cowboy (Feb 12, 2012)

Socal, sounds like you're in the same position as me as far as area knowledge. Where do you launch from?


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## jplvr (Mar 7, 2011)

One thing about taking extra tanks I've learned is to always dump the extra gas into the main tank once the space is available there. It's much easier to deal with extra tanks when they're empty, and you could even hang them over the rail if needed due to space requirements. Seems like common sense, but you never know what people might be thinking.

We want to do an overnight for swords pretty bad and will be carrying extra fuel on said trip.


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## SoCal619 (Nov 18, 2011)

CC, I've always launched out of the Destin area utilizing Marler Park, Joe's Bayou, and the Destin Marina. I still have yet to launch from Pensacola or anywhere else, but I'm thinking of checkin out Sherman Cove next time I attempt the Oriskany. If you checkout out www.fishingdestinguide.com check the links for the local area boat ramps. It's got a lot of good info.


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## Coastal Cowboy (Feb 12, 2012)

Socal, my boat is in a sling at a marina in Pensacola. It's about 15 miles from my slip to the Pensacola pass. That's why I was asking where people launch. If sniperpeeps launches over by NAS, that saves him about 15 miles each way, which is almost 30 miles of fuel to burn on a round trip. JPL, I'd like to find out the average mileage on my boat, so I wouldn't be fueling or dumping the extras until a full fillup. That would give me around abouts mileage. Have a trip computer on my gps, so it will give me a figure for my range. Having extra fuel ensures I don't run out. Might just do shorter runs to get a round about mpg.


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## SoCal619 (Nov 18, 2011)

I've never actually truly calculated my range but I know I usually cover around 60-65 miles per trip in my boat given the distance of the wrecks I hit up and how far my GPS states they are from the Destin pass and I always have a little over 1/4 tank when I'm done, mind you it's only a 40 gal tank and I haven't ever spent more than 45 minutes trolling. I usually anchor up and bottom fish or sight fish. But there's always that rare occurrence when here on the gulf when you can hook up on any fish pretty much anywhere. For example, one time we were coming back from the Navarre liberty wreck and and tossed out a few lines to troll on the way back and I hooked and a landed a lone 25lb Black Fin Tuna less than 7 miles SSW of the Destin Pass in 50 ft waters, that's when I got the itch to start gettin out the edge more often so that could happen more regularly


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## Coastal Cowboy (Feb 12, 2012)

Well, the dry weight of my boat without motor is 2200 pounds. I'm assuming I get about 2mpg, maybe 3. I want to get out more, but these damned gas prices are rediculous, and being a trucker, I only get so much time home. I've got a buddy wanting to fill me up, and I might talk to him about going out to the nipple, he might be in for it, we'll see.


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## Trophyhusband (Nov 30, 2011)

jplvr said:


> One thing about taking extra tanks I've learned is to always dump the extra gas into the main tank once the space is available there. It's much easier to deal with extra tanks when they're empty, and you could even hang them over the rail if needed due to space requirements. Seems like common sense, but you never know what people might be thinking.
> 
> We want to do an overnight for swords pretty bad and will be carrying extra fuel on said trip.


You can also get a fuel bladder. Once you dump your extra fuel in the tank you can roll it up and stow it completely out of the way.


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## Trophyhusband (Nov 30, 2011)

Coastal Cowboy said:


> Well, the dry weight of my boat without motor is 2200 pounds. I'm assuming I get about 2mpg, maybe 3. I want to get out more, but these damned gas prices are rediculous, and being a trucker, I only get so much time home. I've got a buddy wanting to fill me up, and I might talk to him about going out to the nipple, he might be in for it, we'll see.


If you have an hour meter on your boat, start keeping track of your hours. Write down how you ran the boat on each outing (running wide open, fast trolling, slow trolling, etc.) and the sea state. When you fill the boat you can figure out how many gallons an hour you're burning. Don't just do it a few times, do it every time you go out. Your burn rate will vary quite a bit depending on all those factors. After a while you'll get a pretty good picture of how far out you can safely go. If the seas pick up unexpectedly and you have to fight them at 8 knots from 25 miles out it's good to be able to look at an hour meter and know you've got plenty of fuel to get you back.


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## Sea-r-cy (Oct 3, 2007)

If you are going in the summer, consider the thunderstorms that are common then. The seas can go from 1' to 4' in a very few minutes. Sea-r-cy


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## Coastal Cowboy (Feb 12, 2012)

I know the weather can change in a heartbeat. As an ex-coastie, I at least have the knowledge to learn to deal with them. But it's also a bit of a curse, I'll stay out a lot longer than most due to my experience, and my wife gets nervous, but it's ok, I'm still here.


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

Coastal Cowboy said:


> Sniper, I forgot to ask, where do you launch from where you get back with a 1/4 tank? I'm slipped over in bayou texar, about 15 miles from the pass.



I always launch from either Liza Jackson or Marler Park in FWB. Farthest I have gone on one tank so far was 210 miles, as tracked by my chartplotter. I run my engine pretty conservatively as well, usually cruising at about 4000 rpm's.


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## Starlifter (Feb 24, 2011)

*Safety Equipment & how far I venture*

:thumbsup:Coastal Cowboy,

This info is from the Florida Boaters Guide

Life Jackets
All recreational vessels must have at least one Type I, II, III, or V personal flotation device (life jacket) that is U.S. Coast Guard-approved and of the proper size for each person on board.

In addition to the above requirement, vessels 16 feet in length or longer must have one Type IV (throwable) USCG-approved personal flotation device on board and immediately available.

Fire Extinguisher Requirements
Classification Foam Carbon Dioxide Dry Chemical
type & size minimum gallons minimum pounds minimum pounds
B-I 1 1/4 4 2

Less than 26 ft.	one B-I

Visual Distress Signals
Vessels 16 feet in length or greater must carry at least three day signals and three night signals on coastal waters. A total of three combination day/night visual distress signals may be substituted for this requirement.

Sound Producing Device
All vessels are required to carry an efficient sound-producing device, such as a whistle or horn, that is audible for at least one-half mile.

Also, is your VHF DSC Capable and is your MMSI# register in your name, and if so is it hooked up to your chartplotter/gps by its NMEA cable in the event of an emergency can transmit lat/lon. and other various information over VHF CH70; also how high off the water is your VHF antenna? In addition to antenna height, I would not skimp on antenna quality either. I installed a Shakespeare Galaxy Series 8ft antenna about 4yrs ago and have a range of no less than 10nm with the antenna at about 17-18ft off the water. Lastly, being a recreational boater and though you are not required to have a VHF radio on board, but do have one; you are required by law to monitor VHF CH16 while aboard.

Dealing with EPIRB's, the boat I use is owned by my pops and he just purchased an ACR Electronics Satellite 3 406 EPIRB for about $400 online. If you purchase an EPIRB or any product from West Marine; just find the cheapest price online, except for auction sites, print the page with the price, and give it to the people at West Marine and they will price match it, as well as any other product you find online that they carry.

As far as distance, I comfortably run out to the edge when the sea state is good (30-35nm), and having an EPIRB now will easily run out 60nm from shore during good weather and flat seas when at least one extra person is aboard. By myself I won't venture no more than 10-12nm.

Within your emergency equipment, store no less than 2 gallons of unopened sterile water in your console for emergency drinking water. Put one or two thermal blankets in your first aid kit, as well as, an arm sling. Another thing I learned from another boater, and would also work for adults on board; if you are on the water at night with children aboard, attach an activated glow stick to each life-jacket.

As far as rafts this is one of the types I plan on eventually purchasing;
REVERE SUPPLY 4-Person Coastal Compact Life Raft








It has a small enough foot print that stores in a canvas type bag and should easily fit in our console. 
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...toreNum=50469&subdeptNum=50509&classNum=50510


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## Coastal Cowboy (Feb 12, 2012)

Starlifter, have everything mentioned except the epirb/plb and liferaft. Also have the training from the Coast Guard (veteran). Looking into those two things. Even have 2 paddles, and 2 anchors on board. Just hoping to go out there a few times and back, not run out of gas, and bring back some fish with good times.


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