Depth Finders

[warmfishernc]

In my area there are a number of public lakes and ponds. So my preferred method of fishing is from a canoe. I have slowly outfitted my canoe for fishing.

In an effort to speed up the learning curve of figuring out what the bottom looks like in all these lakes/ponds, I was thinking about adding a portable depth finder to my canoe. Are any of you canoe fishers using depthfinders? Is anyone else using these Fishin' Buddy type sonars? Do you find them helpful?

The last thing I want to do is add more weight and junk to my canoe when I go fishing but it seems like something, if used correctly, that could really help me find the breaklines. I'm sure I could do soundings with my anchors but that could take years on a 650 Ac. lake.

[SKershaw]

Seems to me the weight would be negligible compared to the value of finding fish and structure... my fall/winter project... find a fish-finder for the FishCat

[dixieangler]

I have a portable sonar unit (Fishin' Buddy Model 1101 with a fixed transducer) that has a clamp/sleeve. I use it to find water temperature, depth, and structure. While it does show fish, I have found that it is more valuable to me for the other info it gives me.

[Joe Hyde]

Warmfishernc,


What kind of hull material is your canoe made of?


Joe

[warmfishernc]

Joe,
My canoe (old town predator) is made out of that plastic (polythylene) stuff. Tough as nails, heavy as lead....

[Joe Hyde]

WFNC,


I went on-line and looked at your canoe's specs. That I can tell, your boat's "Poly Link" hull is not one of those sandwich-type hulls (where two plastic sheets are bonded against both sides of a sheet of foam).

However, the Old Town site claims the boat has "built-in flotation" -- which means either the hull material floats or else flotation tanks have been encapsulated (usually in the bow and stern ends).

The question of whether the canoe's hull material contains trapped air is relevant. I wanted to suggest that you install a portable fish finder whose transducer is mounted INSIDE the boat and shoots its ultrasonic beam through your boat's hull. But if your boat's hull uses a layer of trapped-air foam then that suggestion will not work. It might be you need to go with an externally mounted transducer, or one that's hand-held, or something cast-able.

I will soon be writing a Warm Water story that describes (with photos) how a "through the hull" transducer can be inexpensively mounted on suitable boats. Meantime, I submitted a new story Saturday about a recent trip in which I used my canoe's portable fish finder to do exactly what you want to do -- find out what's down there. Fish finders, even the very cheapest ones, give us a lot of information we'd be hard pressed to acquire by other means.


Joe
"Better small than not at all."

[tailingloop]

I have been using an older Fishing Buddy II model for 10 years on my float tubes, rental boats, and others boats in both fresh and saltwater. It would be perfect for a canoe I think. Like the other responders noted, I use it primarily for looking at depth, bottom composition, and temperature. The one I have has a sidefinder along with the look down capability, which is sometimes useful but not essential. The lookdown angle is fairly narrow at 9 degrees on my model so I do not rely on it as a fish finder per se, but just the ability to look at the bottom is a great advantage.

[crappiecrazy]

I have been using an older Fishing Buddy II model for 10 years on my float tubes, rental boats, and others boats in both fresh and saltwater. It would be perfect for a canoe I think. Like the other responders noted, I use it primarily for looking at depth, bottom composition, and temperature. The one I have has a sidefinder along with the look down capability, which is sometimes useful but not essential. The lookdown angle is fairly narrow at 9 degrees on my model so I do not rely on it as a fish finder per se, but just the ability to look at the bottom is a great advantage.

I was wondering if the sidefinder option worked well enough to mark fish under a pontoon boat or boat docks?

[crappiecrazy]

Meantime, I submitted a new story Saturday about a recent trip in which I used my canoe's portable fish finder to do exactly what you want to do -- find out what's down there. Fish finders, even the very cheapest ones, give us a lot of information we'd be hard pressed to acquire by other means.


Hi Joe,
Where can I find this article?
Thanks,
Tom

[J Castwell]

The key word is 'submitted'. It's here and will run in the next issue.