importance of having electronics

[Humminbird_Greg]

Several of the Humminbird units - including the Side Imaging (Si) ones - can use our WeatherSense Fishing Barometer. If you fish the same structures time and again, you probably won’t see the benefits of a GPS or Si unit, except that maybe that GPS gets you back to the dock in the middle of the night or heavy fog. Now if you want to find new structures to fish and be able to easily navigate back to them than you should get a GPS unit. The Si units will help you cover a much wider area than you can with a more conventional downwards only pointing sonar (we call this “2D” sonar) unit and a whole lot faster. In this day and age of higher gas prices, who knows, it could pay for itself in gas cost savings. Hitch a ride with someone who has one (well, someone that will admit they have one and wants to share their secret!) and you will see the benefits. Color units will allow you to more easily see the different sonar signal strength returns. You will be able to distinguish differences in bottom composition, structure and sonar targets (aka: fish) far easier as it is easier to see the difference in two signals that are different colors versus different shades of gray. This does not mean that a seasoned monochrome sonar user is at a disadvantage to someone using a color display sonar. It just means that the learning curve is far faster with the color display as both units take the same raw sonar signals and display them with either shades of gray or colors.

But all of this still won’t make that crappie bite your hook! :D

[Darryl Morris]

I can't imagine not being able to see under the water with my sonar and fishing at the same time. Don't look common sense but learning and using today's electronics is DEFINITELY an advantage.

[Spiderman]

In my opinion the Lowrance H20 gps unit I bought has helped me locate known structure out in the lake and has really helped me catch more fish this year.

[Cane Pole]

hello fellow slabhunters!

i have another question out there for everyone. obviously electronics and more advanced technology are a major advantage we as fishermen have now. what i want to know is how much am i missing out on. iv'e pretty much became a full time crappie fisherman, and i know i've got a ton to learn. i use a fish eagle mark 480 that i purchased just last year. i did'nt want to spend much and i did a lot of research on them and i decided with that one. just how important is having gps, color screen, thermocline, barometric pressure(if there is such one)also the newer ones that show sideviews, and all the added features that come with a more expensive one. will it help me that much more? i just have a 15' aluminum lowe with a 15 horsepower 2 stroke, nothing fancy. but it's kind of like when i was in highschool, i drove a ford fiesta i paid $300 for and had $1000 speakers lying in the hatchback, so if having a more advanced fishfinder is gonna make me a better crappie fisherman then maybe i need to start looking around. thanks for any advice

jeff the crappieslayer

Your smart. I just spent 2500 on a new 15 hp Suzzie for a 1962 14 jon boat. I ain't nuts. I just ain't into rowing old boats around. haha. I doubled up on all the xducrs, mounts, etc . Now I can run all my stuff on either boat or rig both with different options. Always keep your options open.

[Cane Pole]

Ain't technology wonderful! I gonna miss it when I am gone.

[joejv4]

I wish I had a big boat and lots of electronics - but I don't. It would probably be easier to find some Hot Spots if I could see bottom structure.

Only electronics I have is an ipaq and a TomTom bluetooth GPS so I can mark my spots once I stumble across 'em.

I still catch plenty of fish without any sonar, so I can't complain.