It’s been stated but I would invest the money in a stand alone VHF w/ a separate antenna if it’s within your budget. They’re far more effective than a handheld. The handheld will be good for monitoring weather, but might not be a whole lot of help if you have a problem. I think the deciding factor will be how far you choose to venture from wherever you happen to be setting in. There isn’t a lot of civilization on the VNP side of the lake. Boat trouble or emergencies could be a very major headache without having a means to contact someone. If you want to use your cell phone have an international plan because you’ll likely cross into Canadian networks. Coverage is spotty at best.

You could certainly get by with what you have for awhile. I wasn’t trying to insinuate you need 18′ but it’s a nice size for the lake. The style of boat is probably a bigger factor than the shear length. 20K would buy a pretty nice used boat. You could probably find something workable for 13K – 17K if you shop around.

I’ve been up to Rainy a couple of times and think that the question surrounding the boat is less one of “what will work?” and more one of “what is ideal?” With a 17 ft bass boat you’re going to need to exercise some judgement and keep an eye on the weather. Last June I set out with some of my family late in the afternoon under sunny skies and worked the lee side of dryweed island until just after sunset at which point visibility was starting to become a factor. There was a fair amount of chop building and I knew the ride back was going to be a little bumpy. In short, it was a pretty slow ride home, the likes of which, the wind was whistling over the wind shield the entire time and I was catching a face full of spray here an there even with the bow trimmed up. I have a 18.5′ Lund deep V. I doubt I would have swamped in a bass boat but it would have been one heck of a miserable ride versus the “mostly” dry one I experienced.

Rainy lake is serious open water in places and if you want to get the most from the lake you’ll need a reliable craft, one that you can put your faith in and that will be able to handle heavy chop when the conditions call for it. Once you enter Voyager’s National Park (VNP) you’re in god’s country but there aren’t a lot of places to turn for help if you encounter issues. Get the best and most appropriate equipment you can afford and respect whatever limitations are manifest by your budget.

Deron,

Thanks for the update. I was able to read your message on my phone, but haven’t had good internet access to post a response.

The conditions were pretty challenging with all of the weather and wind but we made the best of it. We only landed a hand full of eyes and they were all pretty small. We caught one off of the submerged humps on the east side of dryweed island in about 25 ft of water. The rest were in shallow water ~5 to 10 ft near and over rocky shallows at various locations.

I was hoping for a little bit better action, but you can’t win them all! It was nice to be out on the lake. Time passes to quickly up there. I hope to be back soon.

Thanks for the updates. I’m heading up on Saturday and will be up through Weds morning. I have to admit that the forecast is giving me a bit of heartburn. Hopefully the stormy weather rolls through quickly this weekend. Any tips for fishing the back side of the front? It might be difficult to make it out to the reefs on the east side if it stays windy. NOAA is showing gusts of 22 on Monday afternoon.

Your houseboat will have a radio, but if you plan to go out in your 14′ a VHF handheld is a good investment. You can get weather reports and potentially call for help if you have a serious problem. Many boats, lodges and I believe the local authorities monitor channel 16.

Based on my limited experience I think that a 14′ would be alright in some, but not all, conditions. As has been stated the wind and weather are key. It doesn’t take much wind to drive up the chop in open areas. Be particularly careful in the Brule narrows. I wouldn’t plan on venturing too far from the houseboat.

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Thanks again guys,

I didn’t expect to get so many responses, but I really appreciate the input. To your point Wayne, I came across a story about the boats that were swamped while researching this very topic. I have VHF w/ an 8 foot pole and make a point to listen to the weather periodically. As with any large body of water it pays to have a healthy respect for it. Given the structure it doesn’t surprise me that there is a lot of wave action when the winds get going. If the forecast is calling for sustained winds I doubt I’ll be venturing that far from the lodge. I’ll be up there the third week of June so I doubt we’ll cross paths but thanks for the offer.

I passed through the Brule last summer so I have an idea what to expect, but simply had a few nagging questions. I did what I thought was safe and reasonable at the time but just wanted some additional opinions. Thanks again for all of the input.

-d

Thanks guys,

My boat is an 18′ lund so my draft would be less than that of a house boat. I probably should have clarified that.

Being somewhat of a novice in these parts I wasn’t sure what the regulations were for crossing into Canada. Everything I was able to find online would suggest you need appropriate permits (RABC and I-68) although it seems a little bit crazy when you’re just trying to follow a channel. Perhaps my understanding is incomplete. I wouldn’t be surprised to find that the rules are pretty lax so long as your intention is simply to avoid hazards and not one of flagrant disregard for the boundary. That being said, it’s not a conversation I would prefer to have with the officials.

Thanks again for the input. I’m really looking forward to the trip. Leave some fish for me, Bigwerm, if you make it there before I do.