Last Couple of Days

[dtrs5kprs]

2 hours ago, vernon said:

As an update of sorts I finally buckled down and got my mind right fishing the gravel run outs. As some have already indicated, 30 ft. seems to be the magic depth. Using one of Bo's Nu Tech jigs (really like these by the way) and a Jewel trailer, I got into some of the fattest Spots I've ever seen. 

They were serious too. Nothing subtle about the bite and whenever I missed one, it or another one would grab it up to four times on the way back to the boat.

As much as I've been griping about my Lowrance junk, seeing them on the graph was essential. Didn't get a single bite that I can recall unless they were evident on the screen. 

Before and after the storm, I was able to replicate this pattern in five different locations. A couple of times I was a 1/4 to dang near 1/2 mile from the bank!  New territory for me that's for sure. Heading back out momentarily to try again throughout today before heading home in the morning. 

However, I still hate these danged Gen 3's. They're way too smart for me!  

I've pushed every button on the HDS 12 and still can't get a digital depth reading on any screen except the full sonar page. The bottom reading shows up perfect - just no digital depth number. Switch to full screen sonar and, bingo, it's back again. A couple of times on combo screens it'll momentarily show some wild number like 1447 and then go right back to - - -. 

Oh well. Got a couple of weeks to figure it out before our return in mid October. I'll be back whining full bore again at that time!

One thing that bugs is me is a graph that actually has too few buttons. I would much rather have more buttons, with more specific functions for each. That is one of the reasons I passed on touch screens when I had to replace one of mine.

[vernon]

3 hours ago, dtrs5kprs said:

One thing that bugs is me is a graph that actually has too few buttons. I would much rather have more buttons, with more specific functions for each. That is one of the reasons I passed on touch screens when I had to replace one of mine.

Surprisingly, I've done OK with the touch screen. I just can't seem to get the same (or what I think is the same) result with the same action. Every time I add a screen I have to start over adding the things I want displayed i.e. depth, temp, speed and time. I save the stuff but when I go back to it, it's changed or gone. Or so says me. As I've said before, I know it's me and not the units but DANG it's getting old trying over and over again without getting the desired results. 

And I can't for the life of me figure out how to get the HDS 12 and HDS 9 to "look" the same. Settings and displays are always different. 

But the digital depth display is the one driving me most batty. The unit is obviously reading the bottom perfectly but continues to show - - - for the digital depth. 

I've watched about 20 gazillion YouTube videos, taken pages of notes and printed out tons of stuff from the Lowrance website all to no avail. It makes perfect sense at the time and I always think to myself, "Ah ha!  Now I've got it." and then when I try it on the water I'm right back where I started. 

[dtrs5kprs]

Have you tried it on the trailer? Should still show a depth. Think mine just toggles off and on, but that isn't a touch screen.

[vernon]

5 hours ago, Quillback said:

I like to hear that you are getting them on the deep FB jig.  That's always a fun bite. 

You know, I've caught em' this way a few times before but it was way more dumb luck until now. Really making the effort to learn the right way utilizing electronics and not wasting so much time fishing fishless water. 

BTW, the deal held together again this morning. Although, during the times when the water turned to glass, the bite would stop. They were still there and I tried everything I knew but no soap. As soon as a breeze returned and put a little ripple on the water the bite would resume. 

Why fish thirty feet deep would care is beyond me but it was a consistent deal at three different locations. 

Have to make a social detour of sorts this afternoon but hope to get back out for a couple of hours before packing up.  

[Champ188]

6 hours ago, Quillback said:

I like to hear that you are getting them on the deep FB jig.  That's always a fun bite. 

Just hush, QB. We're trying to get a shallow fall buzz bait/spinnerbait/squarebill bite going and you're encouraging more of this "deep blue sea" nonsense.

[vernon]

15 minutes ago, Champ188 said:

Just hush, QB. We're trying to get a shallow fall buzz bait/spinnerbait/squarebill bite going and you're encouraging more of this "deep blue sea" nonsense.

One minute I feel proud that I'm branching out and trying to learn new stuff and the next I feel like a complete sell out!

Feel free to talk me in off of the ledge Champ! (Pretty good pun that!)

[vernon]

6 hours ago, dblades said:

You can manually add any data, ie depth, speed, temp, you want to each screen. I like depth and temp on my sonar screens, fuel remaining and speed on most of my chart pages.You are looking for the "overlay data" in the manual, easy to do once you try it a few times.

Actually I've got that part. The problem is it just won't show the digital depth. Just   - - -.