Just go to channel 12 and say... "Is anyone from FishLakeWinni out there?" and I'm sure you'll get a response. Even on a day like today, I did. Good luck
Your best situation is having an 8’ antenna that is mounted as high as practical. VHF radio communications in the open sea is line of sight, in a place like Winni signals are line of sight, bounced by structures and absorbed by foliage, communications can be unpredictable.