Is Wappoo landing safe in a small jon boat?

Saltwater Inshore Discussion
1

I have a 14’ semi-V (old Starcraft type) aluminum. All I run on it right now is a trolling motor since my small outboard is FUBAR, and I’m saving money right now to buy a house. I just carry oars, and two marine batteries with me.

I am obviously obligated to fish within a mile or so of the ramp. Wappoo looks like it has some decent creeks around it, but I know this place gets an enormous amount of traffic.

Last thing I need is to get swamped by some pig’s wake with my son on board.

Do I have enough “no-wake zone” to safely (consistently) make it to the creek that is west of the bridge there… or to fish the mile or so around in the main creek?

2

I’d probably be more worried about the current and being stuck relying on a trolling motor and a couple oars. The current can rip through there and may (probably?) over whelm your trolling motor, especially if trying to get back on the trailer. If you can travel, a good place may be the freshwater side of Bushy Park or Goose Creek reservoir.

John

15’ Ocean Kayak Scupper Pro

3

I wouldn’t feel comfortable with just a trolling motor. The water can get moving pretty fast and sometimes you’ll have large boats come in throwing a good wake when they’re moving against the current. I have been around in there plenty in my buddy’s 11’ whaler and it’s doable but we can outrun anything and move against the current at it’s fastest no problem. I doubt a single handed person could paddle a job boat against the current 75% of the time. A kayak or maybe even a canoe? Yes. Flat bottom jon boat with an oar? No.

You could time it right and ride in and out with the tide to get where you’re going.

4

what kind of outboard is it that’s fubar’d?

I’d agree with the others. And this weekend will be worse.

Mako 1901 Inshore-Honda 130
10% of the people catch 90% of the fish.

5

Bad move to try that one with a trolling motor. Better off driving further to Sol legre on James Island

A wise man once said “Do as I say not as I do” Good advice when I tell you that.

6
quote:
Originally posted by xman

I’d probably be more worried about the current and being stuck relying on a trolling motor and a couple oars. The current can rip through there and may (probably?) over whelm your trolling motor, especially if trying to get back on the trailer. If you can travel, a good place may be the freshwater side of Bushy Park or Goose Creek reservoir.

Can’t catch reds, trout, or flounder in those two places :).

I do just fine with the current around the creeks behind Sullivans at Bushy Park, although I don’t think they are as swift as it can get perhaps at Wappoo.

I will take your advice, folks, thanks. This is the information I needed. If I even attempt this, I’ll leave my son at home first, and make sure I’m following the tide with my timing. That will tell me a little more about it.

I fully expect this weekend to be a debacle. I’m weighing my options on where to go and what to do.

I know I’m staying well away from Sullivan’s because of the 40 thousand jet skis that will be out there.

quote:
Originally posted by SSFiero

what kind of outboard is it that’s fubar’d?

1983 Johnson 7.5. FUBAR is probably an overstatement. It has a blown head gasket (not a huge deal), a corroded drive shaft that leaks through the seal into the foot.

I am sure the motor could be fixed, but I do not have time to fix it myself, nor do I really have the cash to pay someone else to fix it.

I may sell it, not sure. My plan is, in a year or two, just to replace it with a new or nearly-new 9.9 4-stroke.

… The Cross of Christ is the anvil upon which the hammer of

7

Do you have to really ask, a trolling motor! Stay on land until you get a real engine on your boat.

8
quote:
Originally posted by fishchecker

Do you have to really ask, a trolling motor! Stay on land until you get a real engine on your boat.

And perhaps you might want to stay off the internet until you find an opinion that is useful to anything but your own ego.

But, rest assured, the rest of the world has taken note that you think a trolling motor is not a “real engine”. Never mind the platoon of kayakers on this forum (with and without trolling motors) that individually outfish jokers around here in their $40K twin engines.

… The Cross of Christ is the anvil upon which the hammer of evil wore itself out.

9

Try Steamboat Landing at Edisto…I’ve paddled into the creek to the left many times…play the tide and come out as it starts to turn. Skinny water, but LOTS of fishing opportunities. Few motorboats venture in.

10

Thanks BigT, I will check that out.

… The Cross of Christ is the anvil upon which the hammer of evil wore itself out.

11

Matt it would probably be in your best interest to go and watch people put and pull boats out of the water there. I have a small 10 ft jon boat with a suzuki 2.5 and there is zero chance I would feel safe there. Maybe at slack tide but that doesn’t last too long. The current is crazy there and I feel nervousness when I see people with kids with no life jackets there. My suggestion find a different spot.

12
quote:
Originally posted by baitbucket1

Matt it would probably be in your best interest to go and watch people put and pull boats out of the water there. I have a small 10 ft jon boat with a suzuki 2.5 and there is zero chance I would feel safe there. Maybe at slack tide but that doesn’t last too long. The current is crazy there and I feel nervousness when I see people with kids with no life jackets there. My suggestion find a different spot.

It is tricky putting my jon back on the trailer when the current is ripping. Launching the boat is cake as long as I can be upstream from the dock. The boat just floats off and goes to the dock, I just hold the rope lol.

I’ll wait until I have better power before I try there. Thanks!

… The Cross of Christ is the anvil upon which the hammer of evil wore itself out.

13

Out of experience I would say go to folly river if staying close to James Island is a priority the stono/ sol legre gets rough pretty often. Also there is a small landing (rocks not concrete) on Riley rd behind the James Island movie theater the river runs from that small creek bridge by the county park on river-land drive to under the harbor view bridge and all the way out to the harbor there is really good (trout) fishing in that river and i don’t ever see but one guy in a small aluminum boat. The only down side is at dead low there are some low spots and there are a couple rocks/structures under the water near the landing on the sides, but I have been canoeing down the whole river and there are lots of spots to fish and the currents not bad except for sometimes by the mouth of the river in the harbor which is several miles away from the landing.

17ft Key west

14

pick your days!

15
quote:
Originally posted by SLACK_LINE

pick your days!

Lol I did hear about Monday’s shennanigans, although I suspect I only heard the tip of the iceberg. It’s always a temptation to me to take a chair, some sodas, and just watch the “festivities”.

Bushy Park was LOADED this past Friday when we got there at noon, but everyone I saw was quite civil. Bushy seems to have a lot more of the blue-collar sort of folks, like myself, that actually have to work up a sweat to be able to pay for their boats, so they seem to be a bit more patient with others.

… The Cross of Christ is the anvil upon which the hammer of evil wore itself out.