who uses depth/fish finders?

[el_jewapo]

I learn a lot of the best areas by simply looking over the side at the bottom. Most of the lakes I fish aren't that deep anyway.

most of the lakes i fish you can't see the bottom in 1 foot of water.

[Rattlinrogue]

They are a big help.When the obvious ,shallow water patterns play out, and you have to go deep,I really depend on my depthfinder to pinpoint likely bass hangouts.

[utser]

i just bought one, lets me see little bits of structure or drops i normally would have motored over.

[Boo]

Cant we all just get along ???

[MisterGuru]

They are a big help.When the obvious ,shallow water patterns play out, and you have to go deep,I really depend on my depthfinder to pinpoint likely bass hangouts.

I guess I am not educated enough yet to know what I am seeing on my screen.  I just watch for depth changes.

What are screen items you would see that are of interest?  What does a brush pile or baitfish look like?

I see blurbs all the time, but I need a course in Fish Finding 101

[elkhunter7x6]

I'm not a "bank beater" as you say it, just because you don't have a graph doesn't mean I am not catching the large percentage of fish/am fishing "blind", there are ways of locating that kind of stuff without graphs: topo maps, watching for baitfish in the water, watching where other anglers are parked.

I learn a lot of the best areas by simply looking over the side at the bottom. Most of the lakes I fish aren't that deep anyway.

It was not my intention to offend you. I was merely saying that a graph can be a  very useful tool to a fisherman if used properly just the same as a trolling motor is a tool, a map is a tool , and a boat is a tool. None of these are necessary to catch fish. But all of them can help too catch fish. Topo  maps help to get you in the right vacinity. Watching where other fisherman are can help you locate places, but do you really trust that they know what their doing. My fishing time is too precious to waste on dead water (which is 90% of  the water in all lakes). I personally like to use maps and graphs to key in on the 10% of productive water.

Let me give you an example of a graph catching fish. I took three friends fishing on a lake on 6-7-05. Three days prior to this fishing trip I had located a large concentration of fish holding on bottom structure in 22-26' of water 400yrds from the bank. These fish were in three schools occupying a space about 40 yards wide by 250 yards long. Using my depth finderI would position the boat up wind of these fish and allow the wind to dift us thru the fish using the the depth finder and trolling motor to keep on track. From 1:00pm- 5-00pm we caught over 150 bass.  

[ball_coach_1]

I will get in on the mix on this one.  

Grew up pond fishing, wading creeks, fishing creeks, rivers, quarries and local lakes in a jon or canoe with a trolling motor run on the battery out of the jeep we drove to the water.  Young hillbilly fish catchin' fools.  We found deep water, and hot spots, but it was out of being on the same water ALL the time, and at times being on water clear enough to see weedlines and dropoffs.  Other than that, it was bankbeating and top-water.

I have owned a bassboat for a while, and now my buddies have grown-up (sorta) and we are big-time now with our bassrigs and electronics.

Being on both side, you don't NEED electronics to catch fish.  But if you want to improve and be able to catch fish ALL the time, you do NEED electronics. There is no argument about it - it isn't even a debate.  You have to see what is underneath you to be able to find where to find fish year round. There is a reason you will never find an angler that does it for a living that doesn't have them - there is a reason more than just hooking them up and spending money.  In fact, I wish I was more resourceful in using them. There is as much skill in using them as there is in the fishing itself.

Those of you saying you are catching fish you see on your graphs...how do you know?  I think the graphs show you depth, structure, and some sorts of fish (size/depth of the fish), but you never know what those fish exactly are, though you may have a good idea.