bouy markers

[baby george]

Do a lot of you use them or just fish the depth you see fish at ?trying to understand what to do when i pass over  a few fish that go across the screen

 

[roadwarrior]

I use them to define a ledge.

[baby george]

ok tyvm

 

[gim]

I quit using those things years ago.  GPS works just as well and others can't see it.  Tossing out a visual marker is like waving a big white flag for everyone else to see. Heck, the last time I used one, another boat came by and picked it up.

[Siebert Outdoors]

1 minute ago, gimruis said:

I quit using those things years ago.  GPS works just as well and others can't see it.  Tossing out a visual marker is like waving a big white flag for everyone else to see. Heck, the last time I used one, another boat came by and picked it up.

 

Pretty much sums up my experience.  I use to use them a lot but now with spot lock, transducer advancements, etc I don't use them anymore.   Last time I used one I think everyone thought it was a boat magnet and tried running it over. 

[WRB]

If you have a sonar unit with GPS use the way points markers.

If you don’t and fish near shore use visual triangle marks by aligning houses, or tall tree, docks etc. triangulation is old school still works good. Buoys work for off shore floating visual marker if you don’t have GPS. Toss the buoy to one side behind the boat to mark the spot, pick it up when you move on.

Tom

[Tennessee Boy]

There were times in years gone by that I might drop and pick up a bouy marker 50 times in a single fishing trip.  It got old but it allowed me to fish water that most people didn't bother fishing.  I do it all with electronics now.  

[scaleface]

I use them considerably . I mark cover , break-lines , fish and there is always one ready to toss when I hook-up in open water .

[casts_by_fly]

I mostly use GPS and maps on the humminbird, but a few times I have wished I had one to mark a weedline or two.  There are a lot of straight edge weedlines in some of my lakes so marking the edge ~100-200 yards ahead of me and then spot locking on the edge on this side will give me a really solid line of where the weeds are without having to keep looking at the map.  Then just keep working up to the buoy nice and easy.

[WIGuide]

Before I got a trolling motor with spot lock, I used them all the time, however I used them to stay positioned on a spot. I had a dark brown one, that when I got into position off shore, I'd drop it just off to the side of the boat so I'd have a reference point to hold on, or if I was blown off the spot while fighting a fish I could pull right back up to where I was. The dark color was very hard to see from a distance and I'd drop it on the side of the boat with less boat traffic so other anglers wouldn't notice. Plus if I did forget it or couldn't find it, most guys would pull up and make casts at the bouy instead of where the fish were.

Since getting spot lock, I'm not sure I've put one in the water, and when I changed boats this summer, I'm pretty sure they didn't even make it in the boat. I might throw one back in there when I fill it up next year, but it won't get much use. 

[Dogface]

I use them often to mark various features, edges etc. 

 

I also have spotlock but I find the bouy is better, especially in open water.  I can drop one on top of a single rock or a couple along the edge of a rock pile and I'll always know my orientation without having to refer to my electronics. 

[Spankey]

I use them. If I’m drift fishing a river bank and get a nice hook up I’ll drop one over and continue on for a ways or keep fishing a certain stretch. 
 

I’ll motor back up past my marker, put on a drift troll and pick it back up on the way past. Sometimes you pick up another decent fish from that spot or a nicer fish. 
 

Worth having a couple/few on the boat. 

[Nelson Delaney]

I toss them out of the boat randomly when we know tournaments are coming to certain lakes

[Deleted account]

53 minutes ago, Nelson Delaney said:

I toss them out of the boat randomly when we know tournaments are coming to certain lakes

I like your style, pop corn works to "position" flocks of gulls...

[gim]

1 hour ago, Nelson Delaney said:

I toss them out of the boat randomly when we know tournaments are coming to certain lakes

That’s actually not a bad idea. A decoy marker. Might try that come spring when the vultures start circling me on a hot crappie bite.

[flyfisher]

waypoints and casting circles on my old helix 5 works well for me.

[Catt]

Still use em ?

 

I don't know how well y'all know your body of water but if I see your boat on Toledo Bend I know exactly what you're fishing.

[baby george]

thanks everyone

 

[WRB]

Keep in mind everything you see displayed on your 2D down looking sonar is a history what already passed over...it’s behind you in the wake. 

Tossing buoy markers out the drivers side behind you about 20’ will not be on top of the bass but close enough to let you know where to cast. Use 2 buoys when marking outside structure humps 1 on each end then fish between them.

Tom

[gim]

Technically once you toss those things out, they become public property.  At least here in MN they do on a public waterbody.  Someone could come along, pick one up, and there isn't a thing you could do about it (other than swear at them).

[WRB]

So you cast a expensive swimbait or musky lure and another anglers cuts it off it’s theirs? Bet that can cause a few heated disputes ending up poorly.