Good question - I at least on my home lakes, I have in my head leaving the
boat ramp several places in order that I'm gonna try, I won't just pass over
one because I don't see fish, but if I make a trolling pass and don't hook up,
I might move to the next one quicker, where as if it is showing a bunch of
baitfish, I might give it another 30 minutes to produce. I kind of regard seeing
the bigger fish on the screen as entertainment, makes me feel good to see it,
but big wads of shad, or the lack thereof, is what I really pay attention to.
On a strange lake, I'll be looking for brush and at the depth too, marking stuff
of interest on the gps as I troll across it. Strange water, I'd feel totally lost
without it, on some of my spots I've fished for years, I'd hardly miss it.