Marker Buoy's

[SoFlaBassAddict]

While heading back to the launch today, I came across a giant hump on the lake I was fishing.  Water went from 30+ to 6.5-7.  I looked at my buoy and said my myself, gotta remember this spot for next time.  I don't have GPS on my little unit, I don't really need it, the lakes I fish are fairly small.  Where do you guys like to toss out your buoy's?  Drop it right on the high spot and work around it?  Right on one of the edges?  I've never really used one in this situation, so I don't have a real clue.  I'm more worried about spooking fish than anything else.

[evrgladesbasser]

If the lakes are fairly small do you really need to mark it with a bouy? Seems like you could find the spot again without a marker. Why waste the money?

[aarogb]

Alton Jones said something about this on Classic Patterns while he was fishing Sugar lake in Mexico with deep diving crankbaits.  I will try to remember it the best I can so  what he said I can tell it to you.

He said that he likes to drop the bouy on the high spot and fish around it, and when he gets bit he will use the bouy as a reference point so he can make the exact same cast as before.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

If the lakes are fairly small do you really need to mark it with a bouy? Seems like you could find the spot again without a marker. Why waste the money?

Well, I'm comparing it to the big lakes in other parks of the country.  It's by far the largest lake in the area.  I don't know how to calculate the acreage, but it's big (at least to me).

[Sam]

Once you pass the site it is almost impossible to relocate it.

You need two buoys.  One red and one green.

When you see a hump or other structure you grab the red one and with your arm straight out from the boat drop it in the water.

You then take the second buoy and do the same.

Turn around and you now have a "road" to follow to the spot you saw on your sonar.

Remember, by the time you see the structure on your sonar you are past it.

And depending on where the transducer is located on your boat, the object will be to your rear left when it appears on the screen. 

[5bass]

Drop it right on top, line up reference points on the surrounding banks and write the info down if you dont think you can remember those ref points. Fish all around it, across the hump and everything in between. Then pull up your marker until you locate it on the next trip....if you just leave it you'll have everybody and their brother on your new found sweet spot.

I keep markers right where I can grab 'em quick and throw them over. If I see something interesting on my graph, the marker goes in the water then I make a few circles and investigate further. It's a real easy and cheap way to find new stuff.

But if you can afford a side scan/structure scan, do it. It will cut way down on your time spent 'looking' for and at stuff.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

But if you can afford a side scan/structure scan, do it. It will cut way down on your time spent 'looking' for and at stuff.

You know, I've got side imagine for my offshore boat and absolutely love it.  I bass fish out of a Jon boat, I've been sitting here for a while telling myself how cool it would be.  It's just a little impractical to put a thousand dollar set of electronics on a boat I slide in and out of my truck bed.  That being said, don't be surprised if I end up buying one at some point anyway....can you mount that side imaging transducer to a TM?   ;D