Venice LA winter trip

Ive had a bad itch to drive south with my 17' ProV.

With winter making work slow and cold you can only catch so many browns and rainbows.

Someone tell me im crazy but im looking to rig some big reels with 80lb power pro, a casting rod for topwaters and head down for 2 weeks or so. Prolly sleep in my truck. Become a weatherman watching swell reports and head out to the oil rigs when its flat for tuna (40 miles give or take), Fish the marsh for big redfish and try for snapped at a mid depth when the oceans angry.

Any other crazy fisherguys ever tried it or have any input? 

Not joking when I say I'm glad you're reconsidering the 40 mile run. I'm sure it'll make your parents happy too!

Good luck with the trip! Post pics when you return!

Keep slowly adding things to the boxes to head down there for big reds. I might skip the 40 mile cruise out and do a few 7 to 10 mile oil rig days mixed with fishing reds. Rumor is winter fishing isnt as far out as summer. Blue water works in closer from my understanding. 

Prolly drop the money on a guide for a day to buy some knowledge. 

Fisher Kid- I’ve fished the Louisiana Gulf for redfish. Absolutely an awesome time (Big Dog Charters) in the general New Orleans area. For what it’s worth, our guide did not have a huge boat. 20 footer I believe. Most of the water we fished could have been done easily from a 17’ boat, assuming light winds. Good luck and be safe. Sounds like a fun trip. 

I don't think the 40 mile run is something to be done with what you have. That is a LONG way, and the 40 miles back are going to be the diciest because you dont know just how much gas you're going to use on the trip out. And consider it may be 40 miles back to shore in one direction, but hundreds if not thousands of miles the other three. Everything else sounds good, but this would be a hard pass for me. Too many fish much closer in to risk it.

You could see if you can find anyone down there equipped to make that run and offer a trip in your rig doing one of your other options as partial squaring up, as I'm sure an 80 mile round trip isn't cheap. 

Already willed everything to my dads dog since the ex girlfriend took mine lol! 

Don’t forget to upgrade your life insurance!    CARPIO 

Fuel is my only concern as i know i can run about 10 miles or all day on lake Mi on less than 5 gal. 

30 gal tank and ide like to have a good reserve. Might be fishing the closer rigs (7 to 10 mile) and not making the 40 mile stretch to the lump or where it gets 2000ft deep. 

So maybe ill bring 2 extra cans and strap em down.

You would have to catch some great weather even 2’ waves for that far are bumpy in a 30’ boat because you can get a 3-4’ mixed in also. Once you get out past 5 miles of so I don’t think the waves will be any smaller than 40 miles out. Do you have the fuel range? The flats for reds I would say your good to go. For gear I don’t know most guys down there are running pretty heavy gear offshore just to turn fish before they twist you up on a platform. 

Must have been fun. I asked because I've only fished off the Oregon Coast and in the Kodiak Islands and would not even dream of venturing out in those places in a 17' boat.  But perhaps the gulf is a different animal. I've never experienced it myself. Good luck if you go.

Bout a half dozen times. 

Not counting i just got back from a snook trip in Fl which didnt help me not want to fish big fish again. 

Have you ever fished on an ocean before?