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Folks,
Just seriously started to get back into fishing last year and am devoting all my time
and energies to become a Crappieholic. I will be fishing from a few different areas this year,
a boat on a lake, shore fishing lake,ponds and rivers. What would you reccomend as a fish finder.
Through my research I have zeroed in on the Norcross Hawkeye F33P Protable, reviews appear
to be postive. Anyone have any experience with this device.
Thanks
Kevin
A Crappieholic in Maryland
welcome to the site. not familiar with Norcross, but others will be, I'm sure. Take your time to decide on what unit to buy....read different posts in the Side/Down Imaging forum here. try not to refer to a SONAR unit as a fishfinder
good luck
Vic,
Just signed up on the site a couple of days ago, what is side/down Imaging Forum?
Thanks
Kevin
Kevin ... it's the sub-forum at the top of this forum page : http://www.crappie.com/crappie/side-down-imaging/Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevinmaryland
... cp :kewl
I was curious so I looked up the Norcross unit and I don't mean to sound disparaging, but I think you would do better with some other unit. You are really looking for brushpiles and ledges, etc when you are out using one of these. All I could see in the review I watched was that the guy thought he was spotting a fish occasionally move onto the screen. Never once did his screen show bottom contours or cover that fish would use. Please do some reading and learning here before you buy something that might not be what you need.
I'm not sure what a person might use while bank fishing because basically you want the transducer to go directly over the area to fish.
Exactly !! Small waters fished from the bank ... a good contour map would likely serve you better. You want to cast from the bank ... get some weedless jigheads (1/32oz & 1/16oz) and the plastics of your choice.Quote:
Originally Posted by vic n
Personally, I wouldn't trust ANY kind of depthfinder that costs less than $100 ... and I wouldn't even depend on those to tell me much more than the depth. Ponds, rivers, and small lakes will usually tell you depth by the lay of the land.
... cp :kewl
Folks,
this is exactly why this rookie joined this site, so Ican learn. I did visit the side/down forum and took
the Sonar quize, which was educational to say the least. I will do more research in regards to a "Sonar"
unit. I would like to believe that as I journey through this year learning about crappie fishing I will
become a better fishermen as a result.
Appreicate all your feed back
Keep Calm and Fish On
Kevin:fish
Stop by a BPS or Cabelas or other sporting goods outlets that have units on display.
.. Look / ask questions / touch / feel / operate / play with the different makes and models..
Have fun.
Rick
Kevin-many states put out fish attractors in public lakes....and many lakes have fishermen/women who install their own attractors. The state built attractors will usually have the coordinates or location provided....the ones installed by fishermen, will be kind of secret. Maybe you would even want to drag a tree out on the ice now and tie a chunk of concrete or a big rock to it. When the ice gets thin, your tree will sink in place and you will have your own "secret" spot.....well, secret except for anyone who spots it between the time you put it out and the time the ice thaws :pray It's a bonus for us to "find" fish in out sonar pix, and it's cool to post them online. But for me, I've tried to locate as many of these attractors, both public, private, and natural as I can. Then when I go out to fish, I go to those spots and spend a few minutes at them casting lures to see if there are fish there and in a biting mood. What I'm saying is: Find the cover and fish it. It might be under a dock, or on a point, or next to a certain tree. The more spots you have to try, the better your odds of finding (and catching) some nice crappies. Don't be in a big hurry to spend your money. Get to know some of the guys who fish near you, ask them for help. Go to the Maryland forum in our State Message Boards and put in a thread about the area you fish and ask for advice. You can do a lot of research and get in a lot of practice before you need to start spending money on a sonar unit.
vic n is right make sure it is what you want before you spend your hard earned money. Go to the lake ask people there about there sonar. I am sure some will take you out on a quick cruise to show you there sonars, after they are through fishing of course. And as far as the best fish finder it is not marketed. Mother nature provides it. Watch birds if they are diving in the water it's not to take a bath, they are after shad, minnows, ect. and you know what else is there for a meal. Be safe and good luck fishing:fish
Wow...Thanks for taking the time to add some very good suggestions, I'm chopping at
the bit just to get out and fish, So I guess it is wise to slow down do not move to fast,
wanna make this journey last, sounds like a song. Great advice, and I will apply
some of those suggestions.
This is going to be a fun experience...
Stay warm, major snow storm right now..6 inches expected
Thanks
Keep Calm and Fish On
Kevin:fish