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JK Hunter.
Isnt fishing getting too complicated.Everyone seems to think they need the newest graphs,networked together,this chip,that chip,down scan,side scan,all-around scan. Dual shallow water anchors,100 lb. thrust trolling motors,machines that make baitfish sounds. Does anyone even fish anymore or do you just play with all the toys. Are guys now days really catching more than the the guys of 40 years ago. Some of my fondest memories was fishing out of my 14 foot RandallCraft with a foot controlled Sears trolling motor that I operated from the back seat. Tiller steer 25HP Evinrude that probably propelled me along at the breathtaking speed of 15-25 mph. I had to actually plan where to fish because I would waste too much time running to new spots. My rods consisted of UglyStiks with Abu Garcia 5000s spooled with 12 or 20 lb. pink Ande. Those 5000s are still going strong. The best reel ever made in my opinion. My lures consisted on Manns Jelly Worms,Snagless Sallys and Bagley Bang-O-Lures. The rear spinner model in firetiger was my favorite. I caught plenty of bass including my personal best(9 lb 4 oz) which is lunker class in Maine. I now have my fair share of toys too but sometimes I yearn for the simpler times when a day on the water meant you returned home a bit sorer than when you left but with a grin because you knew you just experienced something magical. Tim Trimpop
Is it over the top? Yes. Have I found stuff on my side imager and proceeded to whack their butts because of it? Yes- many many times. is the rat race at a frenzied pace- yes Are some of the options useless? Yes But for me side imaging, poles to hold me still, Fluro line, and a motor to carry me 30 miles quickly to optimize my day are still worth it to me. Now stickers on your boat to attract fish, crankbaits that give off digital fart sounds, and $700 rods- yeah that stuff dont make the cost benefit curve for me. But the big ticket items of hds 12/9, poles, and reliable 72 mph are worth it to me on the days I get.C.O.D. Jr. III
it is over the top in some areas we feel and more fish are now caught with greater ease because of that. You can still do it with lesser equipment, most just prefer not to. We do not feel the smaller less expensive graphs usually show nearly the detail an old flasher did however. There are exceptions, though overall we think cheap graphs are cheap. As for the poles, screens, Hamby, imaging, direct injection, four stroke and etc., those are opinion and user items.
Im one of the basscat wanna be and hopefully future owners one day. I still use an in dash flasher on my 01 Charger and a Garmin echo 200 black and white on the bow that sometimes powers up and other time does not. Im in north florida (fishing mainly prairie lakes) and find myself ramming my rod down in the water to test the depth lol. That fancy equipment would be nice, but I kill it on Lake Jackson, miccosukkee, munson, talquin, iomonia etc like they did 30 years ago. I fish 4-5 times a week and in local tournaments, yet have no clue what im looking at with the down imagery in the still shots of a lowrance catalog. Gimmi a fast smooth riding boat with a big deck, my shimano calcuttas, trick worm, fluke, senko and one crack bait for the occasional school and im in heaven. For any potential millionaires that wanna adopt a 39 y/o good ol boy, I will take a new Puma FTD or Caracal lol !!!
When I want to get back to a simpler fishing trip, I load up my Kayak and head to a smaller lake. But I do have a small depth finder on it!
Over the top? Yeah, in lots of ways, but for me it maximizes what time I can get on the water. I imagine most guys on here are in the same boat in that we would all like more time on the water each year but work and family commitments get in the way. Im lucky when I get home from work in time to get out for a few hours before dark and I can hook up the trailer and be idling away from the ramp in 20 minutes. For me being able to quickly locate and target the current pattern (new graphs) and get to the fish reliably (new boat) is well worth it. I grew up in 25hp tiller boats, and remember the excitement when my parents purchased a small v-hull with a casting platform and foot control trolling motor. I also got my first taste of bass boats when BASS still restricted to 150hp. I realize my Eyra is more than I NEED, but I am in no hurry to give it up.
Negative nancy wrote:Is it over the top? Yes. Have I found stuff on my side imager and proceeded to whack their butts because of it? Yes- many many times. is the rat race at a frenzied pace- yes Are some of the options useless? Yes But for me side imaging, poles to hold me still, Fluro line, and a motor to carry me 30 miles quickly to optimize my day are still worth it to me. Now stickers on your boat to attract fish, crankbaits that give off digital fart sounds, and $700 rods- yeah that stuff dont make the cost benefit curve for me. But the big ticket items of hds 12/9, poles, and reliable 72 mph are worth it to me on the days I get.I still had some M-80s hid in the boat but I took them out before I sold it?? They still work on occasion!!
For me, I love speed. Not necessarily because I get to fish faster, but because I just love speed. So boat that will go 70 plus is definitely something I enjoy, and will definitely use on my next boat. In the old days, I would get home at 5 or 6 after a day that started around 4 AM to load up the boat. After wiping the boat down and vacuuming it out, I then would sit down with a notebook and make a record of the days events, including map waypoints, water temp, depth of fish caught, type of lures, color, etc. I would do this after every trip and it would take me an hour or two. I enjoyed it because it allowed me to reflect on the day, and it also taught me more about fishing. It was a learning aid for me and the next time I visited that lake, at that time of year, I could pull out that notebook. I found brush piles by losing baits in them. So I guess the new imaging stuff, which I do not have yet but will have, helps locate those types of underwater structure faster than the cast and find method. Now with the new waypoints on the new graphs, ability to link to your computer, that online computer notebook site and whatnot, basically digitizes all the things I used to by notebook.Since I was away from fishing for 10 years, I will still dig out some of those old notebooks, but just to give me a starting point. But once on the water, I will use the tools that I have in the new electronics to help me locate fish quicker than before. At least that is the plan. With luck, I will be finalizing a deal on a used bass cat tomorrow and take delivery next week. Then I can give you a better assessment of the new tools and their effectiveness. Ed
Basscatdreams wrote:For me, I love speed. Not necessarily because I get to fish faster, but because I just love speed. So boat that will go 70 plus is definitely something I enjoy, and will definitely use on my next boat.In the old days, I would get home at 5 or 6 after a day that started around 4 AM to load up the boat. After wiping the boat down and vacuuming it out, I then would sit down with a notebook and make a record of the days events, including map waypoints, water temp, depth of fish caught, type of lures, color, etc. I would do this after every trip and it would take me an hour or two. I enjoyed it because it allowed me to reflect on the day, and it also taught me more about fishing. It was a learning aid for me and the next time I visited that lake, at that time of year, I could pull out that notebook.I found brush piles by losing baits in them. So I guess the new imaging stuff, which I do not have yet but will have, helps locate those types of underwater structure faster than the cast and find method.Now with the new waypoints on the new graphs, ability to link to your computer, that online computer notebook site and whatnot, basically digitizes all the things I used to by notebook.Since I was away from fishing for 10 years, I will still dig out some of those old notebooks, but just to give me a starting point. But once on the water, I will use the tools that I have in the new electronics to help me locate fish quicker than before. At least that is the plan. With luck, I will be finalizing a deal on a used bass cat tomorrow and take delivery next week. Then I can give you a better assessment of the new tools and their effectiveness.EdEd, Dont forget to share pictures of that new. Rig. With all of us.Dan
That crazy little green fish has also got bloody clever, I need all these gadgets just to get a bite
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