Is it just me, or...

[speck tackler]

This is not intended to be a "cute" post, I am truly interested in everyone's thoughts on this, as it is a question that crosses my mind from time to time...

Today, our expensive, tricked out boats look like floating porcupines with poles protruding out in every direction. We have down / side imaging sonar and GPS. We have suitcase size tackle boxes, crammed full of every imaginable crappie bait. We have the technology and equipment that will allow us to do everything in the world, short of sitting at home and having the fish caught for us remotely. What does all this get us? We catch fish, lots of fish.

However, I look back 30+ years, and remember crappie fishing with my dad. We had a 12' Alumacraft with an OLD 6hp Eska on the back, a sculling paddle (I was the trolling motor - SMILE), a cheap rod and reel apiece, a house brick tied to a piece of rope (I also served as the depth finder), and a tackle box that I could almost fit in my hip pocket. What did all that get us? We caught fish, lots of fish.

I HONESTLY don't see that today's crappie fishermen (as a whole) catch any more fish than they were catching 30 years ago. Is it just me? I will certainly agree that the fish can be caught more quickly. It absolutely took us a lot longer to find the fish back then, but we did find them. I wonder if finding them so quickly is always a good thing. When my dad and I went fishing, we got to enjoy being on the water from daybreak to dusk. Any more, seems we limit out and are back home by lunch.

I am not knocking the technological advances... I love it. I am also not knocking the folks who take advantage of all the advances... I am right there with you. It just crosses my mind from time to time, and I have to smile. Wonder what my dad would think of all these gadgets, if he were still alive?

[shipahoy41]

I know my dad would love the fishfinder technology. We found fish by throwning bread crumbs on the water. If fish started feeding then we would fish there. Had a 9hp motor on the boat so we did not go far or very fast.

My best memories are still from the old Jonboat. It was a lazy way of fishing. We did not "Run and gun" it was more "Launch and relax" back then. I miss the good old days and I miss my dad. When I grew up I eventually did get a 17 foot Tracker with all the whistles and bells, but now that I am 64 guess what? I love the old way with a Jon boat...but I kept the fishfinder.

[Herewego]

This is not intended to be a "cute" post, I am truly interested in everyone's thoughts on this, as it is a question that crosses my mind from time to time...

Today, our expensive, tricked out boats look like floating porcupines with poles protruding out in every direction. We have down / side imaging sonar and GPS. We have suitcase size tackle boxes, crammed full of every imaginable crappie bait. We have the technology and equipment that will allow us to do everything in the world, short of sitting at home and having the fish caught for us remotely. What does all this get us? We catch fish, lots of fish.

However, I look back 30+ years, and remember crappie fishing with my dad. We had a 12' Alumacraft with an OLD 6hp Eska on the back, a sculling paddle (I was the trolling motor - SMILE), a cheap rod and reel apiece, a house brick tied to a piece of rope (I also served as the depth finder), and a tackle box that I could almost fit in my hip pocket. What did all that get us? We caught fish, lots of fish.

I HONESTLY don't see that today's crappie fishermen (as a whole) catch any more fish than they were catching 30 years ago. Is it just me? I will certainly agree that the fish can be caught more quickly. It absolutely took us a lot longer to find the fish back then, but we did find them. I wonder if finding them so quickly is always a good thing. When my dad and I went fishing, we got to enjoy being on the water from daybreak to dusk. Any more, seems we limit out and are back home by lunch.

I am not knocking the technological advances... I love it. I am also not knocking the folks who take advantage of all the advances... I am right there with you. It just crosses my mind from time to time, and I have to smile. Wonder what my dad would think of all these gadgets, if he were still alive?

This is so true. I remmeber those days myself.

[fished-out]

Boy, does that bring back memories. I'm told my first fishing trip was to a local lake after midnight (that's when the family closed the bar ) when I was 2 weeks old. The whole family (dad, mom, grandma, uncles-you get the picture) would go night-fishing with me in a basinet covered with mosquito netting. As I got older, my dad would take my mother, brother, and me to local lakes, rent a boat, and strap his 6 HP johnson to the back. My brother and I fished from the center with cane poles, bracketed by mom and dad with old mitchell spinning rods and reels. Caught my first walleye that way.

But I also remember that the lakes were alot less crowded, we didn't get washed by 250 verado's on rangers going 75mph (biggest motors I saw then were those 8' tall 100 HP mercs, or those 4' in diameter evinrudes! We didn't worry about the Chryslers, 'cause they were always being towed in....), and the fishing just seemed easier.

I've got a nice boat now with all the bells and whistles--but it's not to catch fish, it's self-defense :D!!

[beagle man]

time marches on,

[Papa Dawg]

Reading this reminded me of my fishing days with my Dad. We fished on the Satilla River in SE Georgia. We also had a small jonboat. And most of our fishing was done in the spring (Red Breast and Bream, seldom did we catch a crappie). This was before the days of the hybrids that have come along. We did not have a motor at all. We would put in early and start paddling up stream at a steady stroke. When we got to a sand bar I would get out on the sand bar and pull the boat up stream as far as I could and then we would get back in, paddle like crazy to the next sand bar. We did this early when we were not tired and we always went upstream. When we got as far as we wanted to go (or were exhausted) then we would relax and fish down stream the rest of the day, get our boat out and go home. In those days we fished with one pole or reel if we could afford one. If you laid a pole or reel down you were subject to losing it as the Red Breast and Bream wolu take it in a minute. If you had to lay it down you better put it under your budt or secure it in some way. Those were good time.

NOW, I think I need to go fishing soon as I have just wet my appetite just thinking about it.

[rockmike]

You boys can have your sculling paddles----been there and done that. Back in those days most people only crappie fished in the spring and fall. I catch a lot more fish suspended in open water in the summer and winter. Besides, I was too poor to have any toys when I was younger.

[tritonman]

I got to admit those were some pretty good days, if for mothing else the time my dad and i got to spend together on the water. I can remember most of our trips very vividly now that you brought this up and I think back.

["G"]

The good old days were not all that bad....we had lots of fun and caught lots of fish....but it sure is a lot more comfortable in my G3 boat. :D

[crappieseeker]

Hey speck, cane pole can catch them remotely. He is one heck of an intelligent gadget man. His robot boat can catch fish