Wayne P.

I looked at the mfg. advertizement for Techron and it doesn't mention it deals with ethenol moisture problems or is a storage treatment like Seafoam is. I looks like it does all the other stuff that Seafoam does. Does that mean if you use Techron you have to add something else to take care of all of it?

First of all the thermocline a level of water that has a temp change of about 1 degree per foot of depth--that is level across the body of water unless wind has made it tilt some. The bottom is not exactly a drop, it is the bottom shape of that part of the lake. All the arches are fish (big ones and little ones) I caught two of the bass that are behind the water temperature readout. "It's so easy a cave man can do it" The multi-bottoms are echos due to the sensitivity setting. That is when you can see good detail of small stuff in the water. Don't kill that with any noise or clairty settings. The sensitivity can be set lower and the thermocline won't even show as well as small fish. With the new units having the Switchfire 2D, the Clear setting will adjust the sensitivity some for best performance. Any brand of sonar will show this kind of stuff if the settings are adjusted. I used to have a Lowrance X70-A that was great for showing arches and thermoclines with just the automatic setting for sensitivity. You have to be where there is a thermocline to see one--it doesn't happen all year and on every body of water.

This is with the 798ci SI last summer at Hunting Run with the default setting (10). Notice where the fish are-----

When the water temp gets to around 85 degrees and stays that way, the thermocline will start. Typically mid to late June is when you seen it. Lake Orange is not what I call "deep" but it does get a thermocline in the summer (very easy to fish there then). No, I haven't been to Orange since June 2009-there are too many good places to fish. No free flowing rivers around here that I know of get it. Lakes that are on small rivers/creeks get it due to the minimal water flow. I saved this with a Martix 97 a couple of years ago at Hunting Run in the summer (note sensitivity setting to reduce the clutter)

endless, the Humminbirds will show the thermocline with just the default sensitivity settings. Actually in most cases it shows too well and the 2D sensitivity has to be lowered to get the best image of its location in the clutter of plankton and temperature change.

Closed cell rigid styrofoam with aluminum on top. No pressure treated wood should touch the boat hull. Attach it to the hull bracing with stainless steel or aluminum screws-pay attention to the screw length. Actually you don't have to attach it at all, unless you turn the boat upside down when storing.

Learn what the Thermocline is and how to determine where it is. Just that will reduce the amount of water and the depths you should be looking for bass. An example of how some approach fishing was yesterday at Briery Creek. I had loaded the boat on the trailer around 7PM and a guy came in with his wife to start fishing. He asked me how was the fishing, I said "kind of slow" but the thermocline is forming at about the 15' level and all the bass I caught were in the 7'-12' range. I had caught 51 bass and showed him what I had used. His reply, "I'm gonna be fishing deeper than that". He had a small jon boat with electric motor and no electronics. As I was leaving, I saw him fishing next the the first trees out from the ramp.

It should be of no concern. The fish don't have any problems finding something to eat in the natural world. You can fish it as fast as the forage can move or you can fish it slower. You are overthinking a simple process.

I wouldn't want to take an inflatable on that lake. Deflation is just about a sure thing at any speed. Rapids don't have wooden pointed thingys like Briery has.

Thanks Roger, I've only fished the Kissimmee Chain and Alligator Chain of lakes in your state. I fished Toho when the last drawdown was done to clean up the bottom--lots of shallow water then. I've used the paper graph/stylus units also. I still have the Humminbird version, but the stylus belt is broken and no parts are available. My first sonar unit was a Shakesphere flasher that mounted on top of a 12V lantern battery, that was in the mid 1970's.

This is an example of how to determine if bass are catchable. The thermocline is a breakline and if bass are at the junction of that and the lake bottom, the fish are active and feeding. Catching is just about a sure thing with the appropriate presentation. Those that are suspended away from the bottom and in or above the thermocline are not active/feeding and may or may not be catchable. I caught two bass from this group shown just under the temperature display on a Tx rigged worm.

Roger, not only do I believe "that your depth sounder will tell you if catchable bass are in casting distance", my usual day of fising involves just that. I see bass with my electronics and then catch them. Their position on/near objects or baitfish schools and breaklines will indicate if they are catchable. About 1/2 of the bass I caught a couple of days ago were observed with the Imaging technology before casting to them. The rest were caught using the pattern that those fish represented. Basically I sight fish all year in all depths but my "eyes" is the sonar unit and I don't waste time fishing where there are no fish. It is common practice to catch deep bass with vertical presentations while viewing them with regular 2D sonar. You can watch your lure being presented to the fish and watch them react.

A source would be a local tackle shop, marina on the body of water, some local Walmarts carry local lake maps, and any other local sporting goods stores.

The Side Imaging is being promoted by many as a valuable shallow water fishing tool and for use with a bow mount display and trolling motor mounted Side Imaging transducer. Not so much with the Structure Scan. That is why the correct trade name of the imaging technology is relevant. When I fish the Potomac, my trolling motor is usually stirring up the bottom mud or sand. Knowing what is under the transducer is useless; knowing what is within casting distance is very relevant. Maybe after this exchange you will use your equipment to its fullest extent. Good luck and good fishing <*)))))<(

The Humminbird units with SD card slots will save screen snapshot directly to a SD card in .png format. I convert the .png file to a .jpg file and then add them to a message via the "Attachments" then "Browse" part of a message window.

I have a couple of versions of this Minn Kota. The ones I have come with 25' cords and will work for most small lakes in Va. http://www.cabelas.com/product/Minn-Kota174-Water-Temperature-Sensor/733944.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dminn%2Btemp%2Bsensor%26x%3D24%26y%3D9&Ntt=minn+temp+sensor I also have a 50' cord model by another company that is no longer made.

": Depends on your lake/river/time of year and patterns the fish are holding. I fish a lot of shallow water 4ft or less, my Side Scan is more of a toy than anything most of the time." The imaging technology is a lot more useful in shallow water than regular sonar. You are not limited to the bottom coverage of the 2D sonar cone. You can "see" away from the boat to whatever the range is set for the side viewing. I can't tell which mfg you have by the "Side Scan" name. Neither company has that as a title. Lowance has Structure Scan and Humminbird has Side Imaging. I use the Humminbird Side Imaging and it is my underwater eyes for sight fishing when fishing shallow (less than 10'). Most of the time I have the Side Imaging range set to about 50' while fishing. That gets me 100' of bottom coverage rather than just what is directly under the boat. If you are not using that technology while fishing you are missing out.

There is one on the Lowrance web site. It's kind of outdated but will give you a general idea of the technology.

That hook is better for the presentaion than the octopus hook ( longer shank )

Yes, you can find the thermocline depth with a remote temp sensor thermometer. I use one to verify what looks like a thermocline on my electronics (plankton will look like the thermocline sometimes). As far as presentations, any slow falling plastic lures will work great. You just have to be patient enough to use them in the whole water column. I caught 41 bass there yesterday and the most productive presentation was my avatar. For productive locations, the prominent bottom features are the key to finding were they are (steep drops like creek channel edges and points are the most prominent). Finding those without electronics is as easy as paying attention to how long it takes a weighted lure (Tx. Rig or jig)to hit the bottom with several casts in a fan pattern. For a hint of the thermocline in the summer, leave a jig or Tx rig on the bottom for about 30 seconds when you throw into what seems like deep water. When you reel it in, feel the lure, and if it feels cold, you are fishing too deep. Below the thermocline the water temp is in the 50's when the surface water temp is higher than about 85 degrees. A thermometer is an inexpensive instrument that will give you an idea of what is going on below.

Get some of these for the Flukes and you can pretend you are Banjo Minnow fishing. http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-reg-XPS-reg-Hook-Keeper-Springs/product/10205319/-1619302

With regular sonar or imaging equipment, to get returns that represent fish, either you have to be moving or the fish have to be moving to form the arch with regular sonar or the fish shape with imaging. With Structure Scan or Side Imaging, if the fish are above the bottom, they will have a shadow off to the side of them directly opposite the transducer. The farther from the bottom they are, the farther away from them the shadow will be.

If you want more "reach" with the hook for large baits, use a straight shank worm hook. Most dropshotters use an Octopus hook or a slightly longer shank version of it that is marketed as a dropshot hook. That is for nose hooking the bait.

IMHO, the hook shank is too short on the finesse wide gap hooks to get a high percentage of hookups when drop shotting.