Aluminum vhull on lanier?

I was wanting to get maybe a 12-14' aluminum vhull to go out fishing on lanier with maybe a 4 or 5hp and was wondering how good it would be for lanier?

You're going to get rocked if you're going out on the main lake in the summer, and 4-5hp is going to make you slow so you're also going to get blown by, but it can be done.

You'll have to be smarter in that boat. Doing things like launching in Balus to fish flat. Launching in Van pugh to fish flowery, or Shoal to fish that side of the lake. I wouldn't reccomend launching in Six and fishing Shoal or Flowery cause you'll have to cross a major traffic area. It's possible, but in a peak traffic time on Lanier you will feel very small and slow in that boat.

jivarie said:

You'll have to be smarter in that boat. Doing things like launching in Balus to fish flat. Launching in Van pugh to fish flowery, or Shoal to fish that side of the lake. I wouldn't reccomend launching in Six and fishing Shoal or Flowery cause you'll have to cross a major traffic area. It's possible, but in a peak traffic time on Lanier you will feel very small and slow in that boat.

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And you can count on few of the power boats or pleasure boaters looking out for you.

Hug the shoreline where you can.

Same as what's already been said; winter time, in calm weather, you could get away with it. Summer time, I'm not sure I'd even want to try in on a weekday.

I have a 14 ft aluminum v-hull that I use on the larger rivers but have also been in the lakes with it. My advise is to get a larger hp motor. I have a 25 on mine. The reason being it will get you out of the way of traffic, some of which won't be paying attention to you. It will also get you across larger areas quicker where there is likely to be more traffic. With the smaller outboard I'd definitely hug the shorelines.

Ok thanks for all the suggestions and ill for sure be going with a bigger motor.

I have a 16 foot bass tracker and it's dangerous. I would stay in creeks. If you hit one of those 3 foot swells wrong I think your sunk.

Josh B said:

I have a 16 foot bass tracker and it's dangerous. I would stay in creeks. If you hit one of those 3 foot swells wrong I think your sunk.

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Wasn't gonna say it....but yeah, you'll be out of a boat, motor, and gear. And wear a life vest!

Not recommended

I did it several years ago near the Dam in an old Gamefisher with a 5 HP motor. Worked fine that morning but later the wind picked up and I just about couldn't get back to the landing as it was all upwind from where I ended up that day. Finally Had to hug the coastline in order to get back and it took forever. The waves were a constant pain to deal with as well unless you got way up in coves or creeks as others have mentioned. I wouldn't do it again for sure - just wasn't very fun.

I have spent a good bit of time on Lanier in a 16' Lowe bass boat. I must be aware at all times on the lookout for many other larger craft that often are not paying attention, and, for the large waves they produce. There have been times when the larger open areas of the lake are really too rough for my small boat even without wind or weather (just from boat wakes). I would not want to be on the larger areas of Lanier on anything smaller than my 16' with a 50hp motor. With care a smaller craft can be used in relative safety but you may be a bit limited how far you can go and still be safe.

I used a 12 ft. aluminum rowboat for several years with just a trolling motor. I stayed in the little river arm of the lake and only ventured the range of the batterys. I used 2. We caught hundreds of spots and stripers out of that boat but you have to be aware of weather conditions and boat traffic. I f a bigger boat was coming I would change direction to ride the wave sometimes and only go out deep if there was little boat activity. I love that area and right now is prime time there.

My buddy and his wife and I got swamped in one on Allatoona, right at an island shore but in the dark. You have to be constantly shifting position and vigilant. We had a clueless dnr ranger nearly swamp us racing by at close range. I would be extra careful on Lanier.

I have a 16/48 aluminum boat that is very stable with a 25 hp motor.

I went out early one Saturday morning in May on Lake Allatoona. Going out was fine but getting back to the boat ramp in the afternoon was nuts. It was not the wind but the huge wakes kicked up by large boats. A 40 foot boat kicks up a large wave. And when there are several large boats going in different directions it gets like a washing machine.

I don't go on Allatoona or Lanier on Saturdays or Sundays from May through September. Fortunately I get some time off during the week and it is not bad on weekdays.

If I want to fish on the weekend in the summer I find a river.

bird35 said:

I have a 16/48 aluminum boat that is very stable with a 25 hp motor.

I went out early one Saturday morning in May on Lake Allatoona. Going out was fine but getting back to the boat ramp in the afternoon was nuts. It was not the wind but the huge wakes kicked up by large boats. A 40 foot boat kicks up a large wave. And when there are several large boats going in different directions it gets like a washing machine.

I don't go on Allatoona or Lanier on Saturdays or Sundays from May through September. Fortunately I get some time off during the week and it is not bad on weekdays.

If I want to fish on the weekend in the summer I find a river.

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In red, exactly what I was thinking. A little boat like the OP is talking about would be good from Lula Park up...

I split the hull on a Lowe Stinger, 17'6" aluminum boat on Lanier when I got caught between Lake Lanier Islands and Six Mile Creek when high winds kicked up on a summer afternoon. Even going barely above idle speed I was getting battered and that's a much larger boat than what you mention.

Lanier isn't the place for a small boat on the main lake. There are places you can go, but don't even think of going out on the main lake with a boat that size IMO.

I now have a 22' Center Console boat which is much much better for me.

As someone in the same boat, so to speak, I will agree with everything that's been said here and re-emphasize that Lanier really isn't a lake where you want to mess with a 5hp motor. You just have to have more power than that on a lake like Lanier. Obviously there are some parts of the lake, way back in some coves and creeks, where you can put in and be fine with the setup you describe. But eventually you will get bored with that scene and want to explore. That's when things can get very, very dangerous in a boat with a 5hp motor. I have a 13-foot Boston Whaler, and that's a really small boat for Lanier. I have to be extremely aware of my surroundings at all times, and the only time I go near the main lake is within an hour or two of sunrise. But I have a 40hp motor and can hit 35 mph if needed. Even with that much power on my little boat, there have been times when I was genuinely scared for my life. The "washing machine effect" that someone so accurately described above is a real thing and it happens pretty much every day on Lanier in the summer, usually beginning in the early afternoon. In a small boat, it's no fun having three-foot waves hitting you from all sides. And good luck trying to stay out of the path of the hundreds of yachts and speedboats that fly by with absolutely no regard for anyone else on the water. It can get pretty crazy out there, so I highly recommend that you not even consider a boat with less than 25hp. I know that you will be fine with a 16ft boat, but if you plan to be on Lanier, don't under-power that boat.

I fish Lanier

in a Hobie kayak. It amazes me how some of these larger boats will blow by you. Some can leave huge wakes, and I honestly think they often do it on purpose or simply don't care.

I can flip over a kayak whereas you cant though. Maybe entertain a kayak?

I fish a lot of weekdays. Once it gets summer and all those pleasure boats get out there its tough to fish.