Watching electronics vs. fishing

[OkobojiEagle]

On your home lake... what percent of your time do you spend idling around watching your electronics without a bait in the water vs. running to known spots and begin casting without using your electronics to search?

 

I'm searching with my down scan graph less than 5% of my time on the water.

 

oe

[looking45]

My electronics are older. I have no sneed to upgrade. I use the to find depth, water temp and structure. If the area looks good, I’ll fish it. I go fishing to fish, not stare at a screen. I can do that at home. YMMV

[TOXIC]

Depends on how I’m fishing and I consider both a river and a lake my home waters.  On the river, I’ll search for more structure and bait concentrations, whereas on the lake I’ll idle more looking for open water schools in addition to pounding the shoreline like I do in the river.  River 5%, lake 10%. But also if it’s my home water there’s some historical knowledge from the many times I’ve been there so I don’t need to graph near as much. 

[JHoss]

If I'm actually fishing, I probably spend less than 5% of my time graphing. If I'm pre-fishing a tournament, I may spend up to 80% of my time graphing if I think it'll be won offshore and I need to find some cover to mark for the tournament. 

[softwateronly]

100% traveling to or fishing a spot.  But I also only have a 30yr old flasher, more of a transistor than electronics

 

scott

[Tennessee Boy]

It depends on many factors.  I don't think you can spend too much time graphing.  I've been known to spend 100% of my time graphing.  I don't catch much but I find lots of places to fish in the future.

[A-Jay]

Can't really put a numer on it.

Let's say that it's just barely enough time to justify having it.

😎

A-Jay

[AlabamaSpothunter]

In the middle of winter, I'd say 25% of my time is devoted to finding bait with side scan and down scan.     I also actively fish with it when doing things like Damiki Rigging, or Strolling.   

 

Once they get up shallow in the spring.......0%.

 

Then once they start moving back in post spawn and all the way through the summer, I'd say about 10%.       

 

Finally in the Fall I use it about 15-20% again because I'm trying to find bait constantly.  

 

So my usage is really based on how important finding bait offshore is.   

[scaleface]

I use to spend a lot of time idling around staring at the screen, in an effort to learn it. Now I  spend less time , with it , more time fishing. I use two D units and identify fish arches, thermoclines, structure and cover fairly quickly. I keep marker buoys handy when I see something that catches my attention. Old school, I know but I enjoy fishing that way.

[Jar11591]

I know my home lake like the back of my hand. I spend zero time searching with my depth finder now. I know every bit of structure, every laydown, every boulder. New lakes are a different story. But my home lake I just get right to my spots and fish them 

[Swamp Girl]

4 minutes ago, scaleface said:

I keep marker buoys handy when I see something that catches my attention.

 

Cool!

[Craig P]

Just depends on the day for me.  If it's my first visit in a while, I will spend 30 minutes or so locating and marking bait and fish as areas to focus on when I do start fishing.  If I fished it within the last week, I'll watch the screen as I get to the spot(s) that produced the prior outing.

 

There are times I will go exploring.  Even though they are "home" lakes, there is always something to learn, and changes happen year to year so seeing where that favorite crappie tree or brush pile shifted to is important as well as new improvements created by the state..... or others.

 

 

[OkobojiEagle]

13 minutes ago, Jar11591 said:

I know my home lake like the back of my hand. I spend zero time searching with my depth finder now. I know every bit of structure, every laydown, every boulder. New lakes are a different story. But my home lake I just get right to my spots and fish them 

How large is the lake you are referring to?

23 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

In the middle of winter, I'd say 25% of my time is devoted to finding bait with side scan and down scan.     I also actively fish with it when doing things like Damiki Rigging, or Strolling.   

 

Once they get up shallow in the spring.......0%.

 

Then once they start moving back in post spawn and all the way through the summer, I'd say about 10%.       

 

Finally in the Fall I use it about 15-20% again because I'm trying to find bait constantly.  

 

So my usage is really based on how important finding bait offshore is.   

What bait are you finding schools of?

[Jar11591]

@OkobojiEagle around 100 acres, which is the only reason I know it like the back of my hand, admittedly. You fish a 100 acre lake hundreds of times, it’s hard to not get the exact lay of the lake. 

[Reel]

I fish mostly on a large river and I need to watch the screen (GPS) when navigating.  For the actual fishing, the water is very clear so I can see a lot of stuff,  from far, in shallow water.  For the rest I would say 20 to 30% of the time but I prefer fishing to scanning.  I've got three 12 inch screen and FFS.

[DaubsNU1]

On my home lake, 95% of the time I am fishing, or moving to a known spot to fish.

 

I will spend a little time graphing new areas...but not much.

 

On new-to-me lakes, I will run side scan to find some off-shore brush piles, structure, or cover for a while...then start fishing as soon as I can.

[OkobojiEagle]

5 minutes ago, DaubsNU1 said:

On my home lake, 95% of the time I am fishing, or moving to a known spot to fish.

 

I will spend a little time graphing new areas...but not much.

 

On new-to-me lakes, I will run side scan to find some off-shore brush piles, structure, or cover for a while...then start fishing as soon as I can.

Have you ever fished my home waters (Okoboji in NW Iowa)?

[casts_by_fly]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

Can't really put a numer on it.

Let's say that it's just barely enough time to justify having it.

😎

A-Jay

 

This is me on my 1 or 2 lakes that i guess you'd call my home lakes.  I know the depths in any given spot on the entire 100+ acres of my main lake that I fished last year to the point that I stopped carrying electronics for most trips.  Just throw rods and tackle into the boat and go.  

 

Other lakes I don't know any better are different.

[Team9nine]

Initially, the home lake wasn’t quite home yet, so 90% looking. Pure searching slowly tapers off after that as do those percentages. But the graph is never not on, and since I run and fish from the back of the boat (tiller) 95% of the time, I’m never not looking at my graph. With FFS now, I’m 80% scanning everyday while fishing, so I’m always finding new little intricacies on my waters. It’s part of the program I’ve adopted for targeting a better quality fish this past year (and repeating again this year).

[TnRiver46]

I never go out without a lure in the water unless I’m paddling too fast to troll or hammered down throttle on plane 

 

if I’m watching my graph I’m trolling a plug. Don’t have a graph on front of motor boat and don’t have any graphs on paddling vessels 

I like reeling in fish way too much to leave my hooks dry 

 

[DaubsNU1]

14 minutes ago, OkobojiEagle said:

Have you ever fished my home waters (Okoboji in NW Iowa)?

 

I have not fished Okoboji. It's about a 3-1/2 hour drive for me.

 

I fish mostly local lakes in the Omaha area. Occasionally take my Dad to Frances Case in South Dakota to chase SMB's and Eyes.

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

1 hour ago, looking45 said:

I go fishing to fish, not stare at a screen. I can do that at home.

 

Same.

[JHoss]

47 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

With FFS now, I’m 80% scanning everyday while fishing, so I’m always finding new little intricacies on my waters. It’s part of the program I’ve adopted for targeting a better quality fish this past year (and repeating again this year).

This is very true. I'm not very good with the scope, but it's on 95% of the time I'm fishing. Even when I'm not actively scoping, I leave it on and am marking any good cover that it happens to pan over. I picked up a few fish doing that last year and have plenty of waypoints I wouldn't have without it. 

[MediumMouthBass]

If i had to stare at a screen all day to fish i would no longer be interested in it, because it would no longer be fishing. I could just save money and stay home, buy a VR device to hook up to the Xbox and fish from my couch.

 

I plan on buying a fish finder for the boat and kayak, but only to find depth, map out the lake, save spots, and find brush piles. My plan is to run the boat around the whole lake and map it out, and then after that ill only use the fish finder to get to point A and B. The rest will be all fishing.

 

I get that FFS is also a tool just like a fish finder is, and both have their place. But the majority of guys i see are more so dependent on it, than using it as a tool. And thats fine, theres no right or wrong way to fish, whatever gets a person on the water and gives them enjoyment is what fishing is all about. But personally FFS would ruin my fishing experience, and so would staring at a regular fish finder all day.

 

I want to be immersed in the outdoors, enjoy nature, get away from all this tech they keep cramming in our world, give the strained eyes a rest from staring at screens all day at home, i want to work on my craft, hone my skills, even though i will use electronics i dont want to rely on them, nor do i want to over use them. I love catching bass, who doesnt? But i also enjoy a good skunk, it keeps me humble, gives me motivation too.

 

[Rockhopper]

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