Coming up to a waypoint

[T-Billy]

16 hours ago, gimruis said:

I personally will never own another electric steer bow mount.  The steering is way too slow and loud for me. 

Thanks for making this point. It's something I hadn't considered. I was planning on buying an electric steer with spot lock next spring. After watching a couple videos on the subject, I'll be sticking with cable steer. I fish shallow cover way too much to use one of those noisy electric steers.

[Catt]

This is where I disagree ?

 

I anchor in 20' of water with only 30' of rope & a 20# anchor.

 

Yes I understand the US Navy recommends your rope be 3 times the depth of the water but I ain't anchoring an aircraft carrier on  the open seas. 

 

In shallow water I use a marsh anchor & the same 30' of rope.

 

 

[gim]

2 hours ago, T-Billy said:

I fish shallow cover way too much to use one of those noisy electric steers.

My Father has a Minnkota Powerdrive on his Crestliner Fish Hawk and I cringe every time that thing has to turn.  The response time is also very noticeable.  I do a fair amount of fishing around docks and shallow cover, so I need instant turn power.

 

The electric steer models are fine if you fish more open, offshore water.  Or if you do more walleye fishing, like my Father does.

[T-Billy]

47 minutes ago, gimruis said:

My Father has a Minnkota Powerdrive on his Crestliner Fish Hawk and I cringe every time that thing has to turn.  The response time is also very noticeable.  I do a fair amount of fishing around docks and shallow cover, so I need instant turn power.

 

The electric steer models are fine if you fish more open, offshore water.  Or if you do more walleye fishing, like my Father does.

Shallow bass on calm days are spooky. One of those things mounted on my aluminum hull is a no go. Thanks for your input. Saved me over 1k worth of buyers regret.

[WRB]

Anchoring is a skill set forgotten by angers with TM’s and Sonar/GPS, where bass fishing has become speed fishing.

1. A Way point is very small compared to the target pin pointed on off shore structure. 

2. The Way point is always in your wake behind the boat somewhere depending on boat speed when hit the sonar save the way point to mark it. The only way to get a accurate mark is to return back from the opposite direction and make a second way point, if you can find the spot marked, this isn’t easy in a aluminum boat with wind. If you can’t locate the structure feature you need to circle the area to relocate what you wanted to save on the initial way point. Without knowing where the spot is how can you ever relocate it accurately?

Near shore you have physical land marks to align with using the other forgotten skill triangulation to get you close.

3. Night fishing in the wind on off shore structure you must anchor, it’s not optional!

Tom

 

 

[Choporoz]

Dropping anchor requires a certain amount of commitment to a spot....more than I usually can muster before I get bit.   There are a few select spots.....big spots....where I have enough positive experiences to take that plunge, but usually I'm impatient 

[Catt]

Given a choice I prefer to anchor upwind, I can stay farther away from the fish, make long cast with Texas Rigs, Jig-n-Craws, Carolina Rigs, Wobble Heads, & Swimbaits.

 

Yeah but Catt the bass are facing the current.

 

Correct ?

 

We're talking wind driven currents, how deep do y'all think wind causes current?

 

If I sit back & make a long cast that bass don't know where that worm came from.

[WRB]

Running and gunning vs saturation fishing structure comes into play when fishing way points, fast vs slow.

Having a way point doesn’t mean a active bass spot. It could be but odds are it isn’t at that time and place. Regardless you don’t want to shut down a potential bite by motoring over the top of bass. 

Structure fishing isn’t run and gun fishing, that belongs to the shore pounders. The way point anglers needs to slow down and saturate the target areas to determine if the bass are active or not. Sitting on top of bass can work if you are already there, not so good motoring on top of bass expecting the bass not to know you are there....they know!

Tom 

[BillP]

My previous boat, center console, I had a bow mount trolling motor. I used it a lot. The boat I have now cannot have a bow mount trolling motor so I anchor. Works for me.

[Alex from GA]

When I'm fishing rivers or shallow lakes I'll anchor but in deeper lakes I'll drop a marker.  I'll then fish a close by spot and go back to the marker when I think the fish have settled down.