Can I take my small boat offshore?

Fishing in open water is a lot different then fishing inland!  I would suggest a course on boating safety with the US Coast Guard Auxiliary http://nws.cgaux.org/index.html

Bay boats are not normally equipped with the necessary gear for fishing offshore safely.  When they are equipped correctly and in the hands of a knowledgeable skipper, they can be a lot of fun.

One quick scenario:

It is a nice sunny day with a east wind of about 15 mph.  The beach is calm do the offshore breeze.  You run about mile out to take a look, your motor quits and you can't get it started, you through the anchor over, and you find the anchor line is to short and/or the anchor is too light to hold.  You don't have a VHF marine radio, so can't call for help.  You did not leave a float plan with anyone, so no one knows where you are.  Next stop Mexico!

Capt. Bob Smith