Forgive me, chaps, for I have sinned...

[Chris Playle]

Peter Waller:

I use my fish finder, when I use it, more for bream than anything. Saves a fortune on groundbait!

Peter,

 

I've found a few hours in the open air with a pair of binoculars watching the water has saved me a fortune on groundbait and not buying a fish finder...LOL.

 

Most my wintertime isn't spent fishing but wandering round my local ponds with a digital camera. Take piccies of all the pegs in the pond and then on another day I'll take the feature finding lead, marker float and prints of the pegs down to the pond and do a spot of depth sounding. Then when summer comes it's binoculars and polarising sunglasses out for some fish and weedbank spotting from a high vantage point plotting rising fish/weed/bubbles...etc.

 

Mind you, if boats were allowed on the ponds, a fish/depth finder would save a hell of alot of hard work though....

 

Tight lines,

 

Chris.

[Newt]

Peter - you simply need to update your depth finder/sonar/fishing thingy.

 

The nice ones from Pinpoint can be set to maintain a speed and any one of 1)specific distance from the shore, 2)a certain depth, 3)follow the deepest line (for following an old stream bed in a flooded area). Set it and forget it while you concentrate on the fishing.

 

The other really nice (and essential IMO) option is one that has GPS built in and will do split screen so you can watch your track on a map overlay on one side and keep track of underwater specifics (structure, fish, etc.) on the other half of the screen.

 

So for about the price of a decent mid-range auto, you can do some really high-tech fishing.

 

[ 23. February 2004, 09:41 PM: Message edited by: Newt ]

[Peter Waller]

Bait boat with an onboard fish finder is the answer, they are available! Rig it to a G.P.S. and then the G.P.S. guided feeder can drop right on the nose of Berny the Bream!!

[malevans]

Bait boats :mad:

 

There is angling and there is catching fish....not necessarily the same thing.

[Peter Waller]

So, Malevans, whats your opinion of fish-finders and other electronic goodie then?

 

Have to say that your sentiment is spot on, love it!! Excellent!!

[Newt]

Yup. Those dang bait boats decide what rig is best and tie it up for you, what bait and will even make them for you, locate the features holding fish that are in a feeding mood, load the area with ground bait, and then set the hook when a fish hits. Should be dis-allowed.

 

Not sure about spods and PVA bags either. By golly, if an angler can't sling his ground bait out by hand he ain't much of an angler.

 

And don't get me started on the folks that use carbon rods. If you can't get decent casting distance with split cane, at least have the decency to use glass.

[Peter Waller]

Are you serious Newt?

 

Me, I'm going back to my elder pith floats, whalebone and lancewood rods and horse hair lines!

 

Its not what you use, it's a question of attitude!!

[Newt]

Peter - nope. Not serious. Just had a spasm of some sort. I think I have a luddite allergy or something.

 

I draw the line at using nets to catch fish (well, except cast nets for bait fish); explosives don't do it for me; electroshock isn't a method I personally use. Otherwise, I really like technology that helps make my fishing more fun.

 

I realize that 'fun' is very much a matter of personal opinion though and don't in any way suggest that anyone else use things just because I like them.

[Alan Fawcett]

Newt:

explosives don't do it for me; electroshock isn't a method I personally use

Hell yeah, the thought of being able to blow sh!t up appeals to me Newt

 

Oh & electroshock is a great way to have fun, singes your hair though if they don't get the electrodes in the right place.

 

 

oops sorry just realised you meant for fishing

[Peter Waller]

Thought explosives were quite a regular way of taking Northerns over there!!