Fish Finders

[brownieman]

Over the years technology has made many things easier and more efficient (unless your an old fart like me)...then there have been times it's a struggle for my stupid (or should I say ignorant) old a$$ to learn it.

Mind you this is just my opinion, I'm not looking for an arguement..Fish finders, gps systems, all the fancy gadgets out there anymore seems to have taken away from the over-all skill level of fishing.

Used to one had to observe the lay of the land and bank lines to figure out where the flats, bluffs, river channels, etc. were. Had to use landmarks and reference points to recall hot spots and structure you had found.

Almost all of us have such gadgets...I just wonder how some would do without the gadgets...depend on instinct and knowledge of the water and land itself. About the only thing left to be figured out these days is feeding patterns and bait preference.

We have monitors that pretty much do all the rest for us. I would be curious to see a tourney where there were no eloctronic devices allowed...to me that would show more true skill on the fishermans part than relying on all the gadgets.

Like I said, I'm not lookin to agree or disagree with anyone...just looking for a decent discussion.

[Cody Smith]

I'll bite and play along....... I have one question~

Would you use a BIC lighter or Two Sticks to start a fire if you had the choice?

[brownieman]

The bic of course...better yet a zippo. On the water some water proof matches are also nice, but then again...not much skill involved period in lighting a fire.

[tippett7]

I agree with you about the bass technology getting out of hand, but once you go outside of that to a general technology, think of where America would be if we all had your same mind set. We would be living in caves or huts. No thankyou to that.

[brownieman]

It's not necessarily my mind set...I am just talking about how dependent we have become on technology even when it comes to fishing, heck...most kids in stores these days can't count your change back or even know how much change you get back without the register.

Being so reliant on tech and machines is a good/bad thing at the same time. Lots of things are so reliant on machines and computers if there is a glitch everything halts and IMO I wonder if that's such a good thing.

[Dutch]

The new electronics have opened a whole world of off bank fishing. I really like to get out there and fish stuff where the fish haven't seen a gazillion baits that week.

[bigredbirdfan]

The fishfinder in the front of my boat is missing a transducer.

The one in the back showed fish everywhere last weekend and I only boated 2 white bass, 2 LM sports and a humongus grass carp. I basically use the working one for water temp and depth. No GPS on it or color display.

What kind of boat and electronics you got and I swap even with you and help you go back to the basics.

Just kidding.

I would really like a nice fish finder with GPS and color screen but can't part with $4-$500 right now. Like you said some of this crap is to complicated and just cause you find doesn't mean you catch em.

[brownieman]

Birdfan,

You would probably be trading down unless a 1987 Alumicraft w/50 evinrude would be considered an upgrade.

Best fish finder I have found are the 2 we have on the front of our heads, lol...like you said, just cause you find em don't mean you catch em.

[Dutch]

You are correct about the finding and catching but, have you ever been way out from the bank and on to fish and in some wind and had the boat keep getting out of position and had a hard time relocating the fish and getting frustrated?

If so, then you would be amazed at how you can stay of fish and keep catching them if you mark your spot on a gps and zoom all the way in. You can keep to with in a few feet instead of maybe a few hundred feet. You can also vertical fish down a bank and mark way points where you catch fish then double back and go along the gps trail that was laid and fish the exact same spots over and over and over if you wish.

I only need 2 good functioning items on the boat: a good strong trolling motor and a good depthfinder/gps unit.

[Whack'emGood]

I grew up fishing with nothing but a Lowrance flasher on my dad's boat to give us a depth reading and a paper topo map. We caught fish and always had a good time.

However, with the advent of new and better electronics (including GPS), it has really improved and enriched my fishing experience. Don't get me wrong, there is something to be said for the basics and simple things... there is sometimes a beauty in that type of thing.

That said, when it comes to fishing, I would trade that simplicity for catching more fish anyday. Besides, you still have to find and catch the fish... the electronics don't do it for you. And just because you see something (a drop-off, a drain, or brush, etc.) on your graph doesn't mean you know whether a place like that should hold fish or not. You still have to know what types of places should hold fish, where those places can be found, and what they look like before you can use your graph to help yourself.

And I'm not even talking about drop shot fishing and using your graph like a video game... I don't like to do that. I fish conventionally almost exclusively instead.

Also, Dutch described how to use your GPS to make your fishing more efficient and more enjoyable-- he is right on about that. It makes a big difference in certain situations.

If I fished on Table Rock or Stockton without my electronics, I would still catch fish because I know those lakes. Would I catch as many? I don't know. Would it make that big of a difference? Probably not.

I do know that I fish more efficiently when I use electronics, so I would say that allows me to put at least a fish or two more in the boat most times that I go out. Like I said, I would rather catch more fish. The sole reason I try to improve my fishing skills is to catch more fish anyway, so why not use the available technologies to help me do the same?

When I improve my skills I catch more fish and, as a result, increase my fishing enjoyment. Learning to use my electronics to improve my fishing is just a part of that process.

My .02... for what its worth.

Whack'em