Fish Finders

I was reading somewhere about fish locators that you can see your bait
on the screen. Have any of you guys seen or have one like that? I want
one that I can see the fish make contact with the bait.

"BIG FISH 2006" wrote in message
...
I was reading somewhere about fish locators that you can see your bait
on the screen. Have any of you guys seen or have one like that? I want
one that I can see the fish make contact with the bait.

Vexilar flasher locators have a great reputation among ice anglers and
anyone doing vertical fishing. The bottom shows as one color, the lure
shows as a different color and the fish show up as a third. It's almost like
a video game, jiggling your lure, watching the blip move up on the screen
and then the rod tip shakes.

Actually though, it's easily done with just about any locator. Simply get
the locator out of the auto mode and turn up the gain or sensitivity until
you can see the lure on the screen. I could do that with my Pinpoint 7520
locator and my Lowrance LMS-332c when walleye fishing.

Or, if the waters you fish have fairly decent clarity, get an Aqua-View or
similar underwater camera. That's just about the ultimate.
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

"Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers" wrote in message
...
snip
Actually though, it's easily done with just about any locator. snip.

---------

That's what I'd heard, Steve, so I tried it with the Humminbird on the
trusty ODF.

I dropped a tube jig right down beside the transducer..... bobbed it up and
down... nothing. Maybe it was too soft....

Then I tried a Rat'L'Trap. Still nothing. Maybe I need a metal bait.

Spinnerbait....buzzbait.... Just looked like a big, empty lake underneath
me.

Finally I pulled a clump of crankbaits from my tacklebox... a dozen or so
baits that are so tangled and interlocked that I'd need wire cutters to
separate them... clipped them on my line and dropped them over the side.
That did it! Looked like a tiny fish hovering right under the boat.

It was very exciting to observe how space-age technology was helping me
become a better fisherman.

Joe

"Joe Haubenreich" wrote in
message . ..

"Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers" wrote in message
...
snip
Actually though, it's easily done with just about any locator. snip.

---------

That's what I'd heard, Steve, so I tried it with the Humminbird on the
trusty ODF.

I dropped a tube jig right down beside the transducer..... bobbed it up
and down... nothing. Maybe it was too soft....

Then I tried a Rat'L'Trap. Still nothing. Maybe I need a metal bait.

Spinnerbait....buzzbait.... Just looked like a big, empty lake underneath
me.

Finally I pulled a clump of crankbaits from my tacklebox... a dozen or so
baits that are so tangled and interlocked that I'd need wire cutters to
separate them... clipped them on my line and dropped them over the side.
That did it! Looked like a tiny fish hovering right under the boat.

It was very exciting to observe how space-age technology was helping me
become a better fisherman.

LOL, see! It's working and you're finally using that clump of crankbaits!
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

Joe, you have to turn it on first !

--
God Bless America

Josh The Bad Bear

Now you are ready to open your Fish Finder, ready to catch more fish. When you first open the device, it will be in automatic mode, the preset settings will be used. When you become more familiar with your model, you can switch to manual mode and custom settings for the conditions, your fishing experience. First of all, do not automatically Fish Finder, and take around the lake, bay or ocean for five minutes you come to see the display of spin keep the fish you see to get a feel. Do not worry about fishing or on the display for all to understand it. This will be experienced.

I pulled a array of crankbaits from my tacklebox a dozen or so baits that are so circuitous and interlocked that I'd charge wire cutters to separate them... abrupt them on my band and alone them over the side. That did it! Looked like a tiny angle aerial appropriate beneath the boat.

On Sat, 12 Jan 2008 19:53:15 -0500, (BIG FISH
2006) wrote:

I was reading somewhere about fish locators that you can see your bait
on the screen. Have any of you guys seen or have one like that? I want
one that I can see the fish make contact with the bait.




Bigfish

This is how we do it on hard water (ice) - fishing vertical
(jigging).....

First off, you are going to want a flasher - not a graph. A flasher
will give you instant feedback. I've got a Marcum LX-3 and a Vexilar
FL8. Other models from both companies will work, as will other brands
- ie Zercoms, the old Lowrance green boxes...

With the flashers I've got, you drop your bait, jig, spoon, etc in the
water, and then adjust your gain. Usually a setting of about 2 is
enough.

On my Marcum (w/ the TC upgrade), you would want the bait, spoon, jig
to show up on the dial as a yellow blip w/ slight green tinge.

When the fish show up, depending on where they are in the sound
cone, they may start yellow, but as they get closer to the center of
the cone they will turn green and then red (same concept on the Vex,
but the colors are green, then yellow and then red).

When your offering turns red - the fish either has your offering in
its mouth or is sitting so close to it that the sonar can't seperate
them. You should be expecting a hit, and if it doesn't come, its
entirely possible the fish is mouthing your bait so lightly you can't
feel it - a spring bobber is handy in this situation. You can also
try a very gentle lift (feeling for weight), or just try setting the
hook.

On the Zercom - the one I have uses shades of gray to mark the
targets in the water column. Black is a big target (fish) vs light and
dark gray.....

Now - should the yellow blip w/ a slight tinge of green turn all
yellow, the fish has stripped your bait.

Keep in mind that ice is a perfect platform for using sonar - there is
no movement. I'm sure you could do the same thing fishing vertical
from a boat, but there is always going to be some movement and it will
be harder to spot the targets changing color and staying changed.

Ido know some guys who have used their flashers in the
late fall while fishing a harbor for panfish - in that instance, the
docks provided a platform w/ results similar to ice.

I've tryed marking a jig w/ my graph during soft water (vertical), so
far, w/ limited sucess.

HTH

Jim