Graphs

[5bites]

If I had too choose I would rather have the bigger graph at the bow. So if you could get a bigger one in the front and a little smaller at the helm you could save your self a little money.

This is true. The one hitch is bigger is always better with side imaging. If the rebates weren't in play I'd say get an 859 up front and a 999 at the wheel. A bigger screen is better at the bow but an 859 is plenty sufficient and can be linked to the side imaging transducer of the rear graph if you'd like. Now if side imaging wasn't around I'd want the bigger graph up front for sure.

[fishinwrench]

I'm going to disagree and leave it at that. According to the above statement fish don't get a cast off the bank.

OK, well I feel sorry for you that your fishing prowess is so dependant on a flakey piece of cheesy electronics, but if you're content with it then that's all that matters.

JFTR most all tournaments across the country are won in 10' or less.

[dtrs5kprs]

OK, well I feel sorry for you that your fishing prowess is so dependant on a flakey piece of cheesy electronics, but if you're content with it then that's all that matters.

JFTR most all tournaments across the country are won in 10' or less.

Except on the Rock. Probably a very few won that shallow, aside from sight fishing and the spawn. Taste for apples versus oranges dictates need for electronics.

That said, you can find a bunch of graphs that will fish shallow to deep for $700-800 or so. I just replaced an X15 with an Elite 7 (with GPS and DI) and it works fine.

[m&m]

Anyone have any experience with the Raymarine Dragonfly 5 PRO?

[Champ188]

Wrench is dead on the money with this one. I have a 958 up front and a 998 along with a HDS-5 on the console. They are just tools and aside from mapping/GPS, I'm honestly not sure any of them help me any more than the old Humminbird Super 60 flashers I used 30 years ago. My graphs primarily tell me how deep it is, the bottom contour/structure and whether shad/fish are present. In the winter, they tell me water temp.

Nothing, and I mean absolutely NOTHING, is of more value than knowledge and intuition, and those are gained only from time on the water. Can't buy 'em from JohnnyMart, Cabela's or Tackle Warehouse.

Some of the best electronics readers I know can hardly catch a fish, and it's a documented fact that drop shotting rarely produces winning sacks in tournaments. That goes for Aaron Martens, as well. Yes, he won AOY a couple of years back but he didn't win a single tournament that year. He had several second-place finishes back when the Classic was held in late summer, but some power fisherman always figured out a way to beat him.

Yes, electronics are important tools, but I'm in the same camp with Wrench when it comes to using your head over your computer. The more you know about fish and their habits, the more you'll catch. The more you know about electronics, the more seminars you can give at JohnnyMart (and they'll take about anyone with a Nitro jersey these days) while I'm on the lake fishing.

[MOPanfisher]

I have a grand total of about 100 bucks invested in my new Lorance I bought to replace the original that met it's fate on a stump at Truman. Since I mainly fish areas I am familiar with its all I need at the console. Heck I left the dead one on there for a year because I was too busy last year catching crappie to replace it, then other things came up. I would like to have one up front with GPS as I can't remember where all the brushpile are anymore but am too much of a tightwad to spend that kind of $ on it.

[dtrs5kprs]

I still have a 1240 flasher in my console for the rare trip upriver from Cape Fair, or in KS. Nothing reads faster when you are running.

I fish shallower than a lot of folks do, just smaller. I do catch a lot of fish I see on the graph in shallow water (call it less than 20' for TR). Ned fish, shakey fish, grub fish, even stick fish. Have also found a lot of itty bitty irregularities up on shallow flats...stumps, big rocks, and especially ditches.

When I ordered my first Ranger in 96 I was still mostly fishing less than 10'. Iowa, Truman, Smithville, etc. Ordered it with a 1240 in the bow panel, another at the console, and an older X model Lowrance at the console. Once I wanted to vertical fish because of changing to TR I had to add a unit up front that could handle it.

[dtrs5kprs]

It's the right tool for the job concept. You can try to saw with a screwdriver, but it won't work like the right critter.

[5bites]

OK, well I feel sorry for you that your fishing prowess is so dependant on a flakey piece of cheesy electronics, but if you're content with it then that's all that matters.

JFTR most all tournaments across the country are won in 10' or less.

For one don't feel sorry for me. The less line I have out the happier I am. I'm just not ignorant enough to say that there aren't fish past my boat. Two who said it had to be deep to be useful? Three if you use a regular graph or flasher, at all, then you are just as guilty as I am for using a side imaging graph. I can cover water faster with si is all. Its the same thing only I see a better picture and more of it. I have caught fish off of stuff that I found and turned right around and fished. I have caught fish out of stuff that I fished months later because it was what I considered out of season but I made a waypoint to hit later.

That most tournaments won in 10' or less is a load of crap. Maybe in certain seasons or lakes but as has been mentioned not table rock. Also grand in the summer is an off shore lake. Yes there are shallow fish to be had but the money is made off shore.

I'm sorry your narrow mindedness has kept you with less than 20' of line on your reel. I'll send you a new spool if you'll buy a graph and start fishing ledges. There are good fish out there. Even on loz.

[5bites]

Wrench is dead on the money with this one. I have a 958 up front and a 998 along with a HDS-5 on the console. They are just tools and aside from mapping/GPS, I'm honestly not sure any of them help me any more than the old Humminbird Super 60 flashers I used 30 years ago. My graphs primarily tell me how deep it is, the bottom contour/structure and whether shad/fish are present. In the winter, they tell me water temp.

Nothing, and I mean absolutely NOTHING, is of more value than knowledge and intuition, and those are gained only from time on the water. Can't buy 'em from JohnnyMart, Cabela's or Tackle Warehouse.

Some of the best electronics readers I know can hardly catch a fish, and it's a documented fact that drop shotting rarely produces winning sacks in tournaments. That goes for Aaron Martens, as well. Yes, he won AOY a couple of years back but he didn't win a single tournament that year. He had several second-place finishes back when the Classic was held in late summer, but some power fisherman always figured out a way to beat him.

Yes, electronics are important tools, but I'm in the same camp with Wrench when it comes to using your head over your computer. The more you know about fish and their habits, the more you'll catch. The more you know about electronics, the more seminars you can give at JohnnyMart (and they'll take about anyone with a Nitro jersey these days) while I'm on the lake fishing.

So si is a cheesy gimmick? Or because you personally don't use it you think it's useless?