09-21-2003, 12:59 PM
[cool]Hey, mykys, I fished "blind" from my tube for over thirty years. And, I caught a lotta fish too. But, I had to spend most of my prime fishing time prospecting and searching for fish, rather than working them over. Once I got underwater "eyes" my whole tubing persective changed.
Finding the bottom and being able to read the contours by bottom bouncing a jig or sinker is easy. If you snag up and break off...it ain't mud. And, if you get the feel for the sink rate of the jig or lure you are using, you can tell the relative differences in depth as you move in and out and over different channels, etc.
But, without sonar, you have no idea how many fish you are going over...if any. You just keep on keepin' on. With sonar, you can move quickly through the empty spots...to find better water. Or, when you find a few fish, you can position yourself over them and keep changing your lures and presentations until you find something they will vote for.
Once you learn an area, the need for sonar is reduced...but never eliminated. As water levels change...or temperatures, clarity, etc...the fish will move around. What was a great spot last week might be barren this week. That is especially true with macks. Although they tend to stay in certain areas of unique bottom conditions, they will move to follow food or temperatures to their liking.
If and when you start thinking seriously about adding electronics to your battle plans, we can help you choose something and get set up right. It is not expensive and surprisingly simple to install.
In the future, you can use the length of your arms to measure fish...not the length of line you are fishing.
[signature]
Finding the bottom and being able to read the contours by bottom bouncing a jig or sinker is easy. If you snag up and break off...it ain't mud. And, if you get the feel for the sink rate of the jig or lure you are using, you can tell the relative differences in depth as you move in and out and over different channels, etc.
But, without sonar, you have no idea how many fish you are going over...if any. You just keep on keepin' on. With sonar, you can move quickly through the empty spots...to find better water. Or, when you find a few fish, you can position yourself over them and keep changing your lures and presentations until you find something they will vote for.
Once you learn an area, the need for sonar is reduced...but never eliminated. As water levels change...or temperatures, clarity, etc...the fish will move around. What was a great spot last week might be barren this week. That is especially true with macks. Although they tend to stay in certain areas of unique bottom conditions, they will move to follow food or temperatures to their liking.
If and when you start thinking seriously about adding electronics to your battle plans, we can help you choose something and get set up right. It is not expensive and surprisingly simple to install.
In the future, you can use the length of your arms to measure fish...not the length of line you are fishing.
[signature]