[Bmgfish32]

Your boat can run shallower than you can idle. Just send it. If you get stuck only send it at a higher tide. You don't know till you go.

 

[CedarCreek]

For that first place you could go on a weekend. For your second example, you will run aground over there. Just a matter of how fast you will be going. So, I’d take it slow or depart from one of the launch ramps further north where the channels are deeper and marked and the flats and creeks are more easily accessed. Once you get some familiarity and learn what the seemingly random sticks popping up everywhere mean you can move around a little faster. The tidal swings are pretty significant over there (4-5 feet) and some folks stay out later than expected.

 

[HeaveToo]

I respect the hell out of the second spot. I have seen way too many people talking about it to not give it a wide berth.

I usually have my bay boat in that area and I fish the deeper water areas and the last time I played around back there I bumped bottom at idle and kicked up my outboard. No harm/no foul but it made me eek out if there.

The Gheenoe is a different story. It can get super skinny, I just want to be smart about it and not tear anything up.

I also have my concerns over there should weather pop up. I am pretty good at reading conditions from years of boating and sailing in the Chesapeake. I know the Gheenoe would be very scary if weather came in. I am not sure how rough those shallow bays get.

 

[CedarCreek]

I respect the hell out of the second spot. I have seen way too many people talking about it to not give it a wide berth.

I usually have my bay boat in that area and I fish the deeper water areas and the last time I played around back there I bumped bottom at idle and kicked up my outboard. No harm/no foul but it made me eek out if there.

The Gheenoe is a different story. It can get super skinny, I just want to be smart about it and not tear anything up.

I also have my concerns over there should weather pop up. I am pretty good at reading conditions from years of boating and sailing in the Chesapeake. I know the Gheenoe would be very scary if weather came in. I am not sure how rough those shallow bays get.

I’m pretty picky about the days I go. First few years I took a 19-foot center console. Been using my Ankona native down there each year since 2013. The afternoon sea breeze and a falling tide can make it choppy on a nice day, but I’m sure you’ve seen worse on the Bay. Close to the inlets it gets a little squirrelly at times too, but that’s the case a lot of places. The fishing is challenging enough in that area that I don’t mess with lousy weather.

 

[HeaveToo]

That is an entirely different story. I had bought a Catalina 30 and was transporting her home. At Smith Point going back into the Potomac River I hit a full gale right on the nose. I had waves breaking on the cabin roof. Scary stuff

 

[permitchaser]

Get one of @Smackdaddy53 fancy water pick up units then you can run really shallow or not

 

[TXJM]

Go scout in winter during the super low tide days and take notes.

Go with a guide or someone that knows the areas and take notes.

Take a kayak in your boat and use it to scout areas.

Go with someone in an airboat and take notes.

Run your boat and when you hit something take notes.

I use the first and last option as well as running the boat around with the trolling motor when I chicken out. Running with someone who knows the area would trim a lot of time off the learning curve. Don’t just have them run tracks on your gps. Tracks dont help you learn the area. Knowing where you can run at different tidal conditions is critical. Have fun and you will run aground more than once.
Chip

 

[Kirc]

I'm pretty much in the same boat as you.... I just got back from florida with the new boat running through miles of flats I dont know...

here is my 1.5 cents that got me through my trip prop and grass flats unharmed.. i was down in florida where they dont have huge tide swings...2'-3 on average. because of that I figured it was more important to launch mid day under full sun, regardless of tide. Seeing everything under full sun is more important than tide swing.

I putzed around going 5 mph for the first day going to and from my destinations. took a little longer but well worth it knowing I wasn't destorying a flat or ruining my prop. anytime I thought I might be in trouble I trimmed up the engine, lowered the trolling motor or just poled around....never had a problem..

when in doubt go slow.

here on cape cod its a different story. depending what body of water you are on we have 4-9 ft tide swings.... so my advice would be totally different. here on cape cod i would say go out on on a lowtide and mark your rocks, sandbars, crab pots, etc etc etc. lots of crap to hit here inshore on the water, lots of rocks in the fishy spots...

". i was down in florida where they dont have huge tide swings...2'-3 on average"......not accurate. St Marks tide zone on West Coast (note: broken into two different areas N/S), winter time / big moon you get 5+ ft, add in some days of wind blowing you're going to get more. That can be alot of real estate showing.

 

[scissorhands]

Great advice so far. Take it slow until you know the area, then run it like you stole it. You'll look more pro this way too.

 

[MRichardson]

Go slow, check it out. Going at speed no matter what you do research-wise besides that is on you.

 

[jay.bush1434]

Only piece of advice I can add is to know your boat's capabilities. Know what your shallowest running draft is and what your poling draft is. Take a good pair of wading boots also.

 

[Smackdaddy53]

If I am in new water I never get that overwhelming urge to kill myself or my passengers so I just go slow until I am sure of the area.

Or just send it!

Almost made it...

Winter low tide

rumble.com

 

[HeaveToo]

I have figured out my running depths for the Gheenoe yet. I guess that with the motor I need a little over a foot and with no motor 5”

 

[NealXB2003]

I have a nice fiberglass boat that looks purty and I prefer to keep it that way. When im exploring new places, I take my beat up old aluminum boat. Compatible electronics on both, so when I go back in my glass boat I have bread crumb trails of safe routes.

 

[CKEAT]

The only issue with running slow is you can’t putt near as skinny as you can on plane, trimmed out etc. best is to understand the bottom and know where you can and can’t test it. Best not to get stuck up on rocks or oysters but mud or sand can be little more forgiving though sand May bring one to a stop a bit quicker 🤣

 

[crboggs]

Only piece of advice I can add is to know your boat's capabilities. Know what your shallowest running draft is and what your poling draft is. Take a good pair of wading boots also.

This.

 

[Hank]

Two words for you:

Jet motor.

 

[Smackdaddy53]

Two words for you:

Jet motor.

No thanks!

 

[GitFishin]

Get one of @Smackdaddy53 's pickups and if you can't get through there with that don't go there again

 

[20620]

My trolling motor prop is 10" diameter. If I can run a route using it without hitting bottom I can run the same route on plane with margin. The real trick is: how do you know conditions are the same next time?