Portable Depthsounders/LCR's

[pondhopper]

The technology improves EVERY year. I used to "upgrade" every few years...I quit when the first 3-beam transducers came out. I have a "Humminbird Wide 3D-View" that I occasionally take into remote ponds/lakes. Rather than replace lantern-type 6 volt batteries in pairs- I use a motorcycle-type, non-leaking battery from Cabela's. And use the empty battery pockets in the portable carrying case for fishing tackle etc.

They can be an invaluable asset when trying remote ponds/lakes for the first time. Oddly enough, I can remember a lakes contours after just one visit...yet I can forget a person's name the next day

So, does anyone else use em' ? And if so, what brand/type ?

[wildbrookies]

Pondhopper,
I like taking my fishfinder(Eagle portable 10 yr. old model)out on the ice.Tells me what depth I`m in and were the fish are and what size they are.I feel lost when I leave it home.I like the fish alarm on it.You can be busy cooking or jigging and it goes off when a fish passes by.Sometimes I`ll drop my jigging rod to the depth the fish is and will pick up that fish.I`ve never used it in a pond or softwater yet.Its alot of added wait carrying into the ponds.Is yours heavy?Talk later.

WB

[Gray Ghost]

I use lead core line in the inland ponds and lakes so I know how deep I am, and the DEC has some topo maps of some waters on its website. I would love to bring in a fishfinder of some sort, but like WB said, I am concerned with the weight aspect. How much does yours weigh?

[wildbrookies]

Well, its probably around 6-7 lbs. with the batteries and all.But, its not just the weight aspect, its the space it takes up also.When we go into ponds ,I have the canoe and paddles,small backpack and fishing gear.I always feel like I have to cut back on items I bring now.So, carrying the fishfinder in is probably never going to happen.

WB

[pondhopper]

Yeah, the battery is the only item that has any noticable weight. I prefer to have it somewhere near the center of my knu-pac. I always seem to have enough room even during solo overnighters. Most my friends use Eagle's. Very handy, for example: Last year, 3 of us went into a remote lake and we had 2 canoes, only the guy fishing solo had an LCR. The other guy and I fished in the usual places with varying techniques and didn't have any luck. It was early spring and we noticed the fellow hanging in one spot at the other end of the small lake. Later, when we were closer, he showed us a couple of 3 lb. plus trout that he had landed (he's generally a catch & releaser) while fishing in 4 - 5 feet of water. Apparently, he said, a loon had swam through and dispersed the school of trout he was fishing.

He said that he hollered to us.........but, we still don't beleive him.

Sounds like you don't have a good system worked out WB.

[wildbrookies]

Well, it depends mostly how far in the pond is and if it is overnite.Most of my trips now are day trips.The canoe is alittle heavy at 47lbs. and add in the weight of the gear and paddles it adds up.Anything over a mile is tough.Looking for a lighter canoe.

WB

[protocoldroid]

The "sportman's connection" fishing maps have lakes & ponds with GPS grids, so that's one thing you could consider as a reference....

...I bought a portable fish finder on ebay this winter, cheap as get out.... Transducer / Cable / Unit / 4 AA's ~= 4 lbs. It's a Hawkeye (if anyone cares I'll go find the model number). Anyways.... I didn't buy it for backpacking, I figured I might take it anything I can reach from the car or in the span of the day.... Especially cause a float tube / fins / PFD / waders is enough to have to haul in when you're trying to stay light. I haven't tried it yet, so I can't give any good opinions... I saw it so cheap I figured it'd be fun to fart around with.

Also, with a photocopy of a map w/ the GPS grid, that's pretty much good enough for a generalized idea of the bathymetry.... and I'll definetely already be toting the GPS. True too, it's a limited number of waters, but... still a little info to tuck under your cap.

[pondhopper]

The "sportman's connection" fishing maps have lakes & ponds with GPS grids, so that's one thing you could consider as a reference....

...I bought a portable fish finder on ebay this winter, cheap as get out.... Transducer / Cable / Unit / 4 AA's ~= 4 lbs. It's a Hawkeye (if anyone cares I'll go find the model number). Anyways.... I didn't buy it for backpacking, I figured I might take it anything I can reach from the car or in the span of the day.... Especially cause a float tube / fins / PFD / waders is enough to have to haul in when you're trying to stay light. I haven't tried it yet, so I can't give any good opinions... I saw it so cheap I figured it'd be fun to fart around with.

Also, with a photocopy of a map w/ the GPS grid, that's pretty much good enough for a generalized idea of the bathymetry.... and I'll definetely already be toting the GPS. True too, it's a limited number of waters, but... still a little info to tuck under your cap.

That's great advice, Proto ! I have all the latest morphometric maps. Yes, they're very useful. From a personal standpoint, depending on the time of year, I'm VERY specific in what I'm looking for/contour I want to "hug" and I don't find the maps detailed enough for my tastes. But, that's just because I'm fussy.......I'm sure most people would find them very useful.

[Creekwader]

Pondhopper,
I like taking my fishfinder(Eagle portable 10 yr. old model)out on the ice.Tells me what depth I`m in and were the fish are and what size they are.I feel lost when I leave it home.I like the fish alarm on it.You can be busy cooking or jigging and it goes off when a fish passes by.Sometimes I`ll drop my jigging rod to the depth the fish is and will pick up that fish.I`ve never used it in a pond or softwater yet.Its alot of added wait carrying into the ponds.Is yours heavy?Talk later.

WB

I've got the same exact one, fisheagle portable. I use rechargeable D cells in it which are lighter and cheaper in the long run than alkalines. I haven't used the thing in a trout pond in years. Too much hassle, not enough results. In the days before Adirondack Lake survey when I was making hand drawn bathymetric maps it was somewhat useful but now not IMHO. I question the effectiveness of the fish finding ability as well. In the fish ID mode, I haven't been able to differentiate the actual fish sizes correlating to small/med/large screen displayed fish. On top of that, it seems to really have trouble in weedy and log filled waters, sending back returns as fish that were actually logs poking into the sonar cone. Turn the fish ID off and you rarely see the tell tale 'hook' shape which indicates a decent fish. I'm sure the technology has advanced since I bought mine but I'm not really sold on the need for one while pond fishing. I'd rather have a digital thermocouple for IDing springholes or a speed paddle to standardize trolling speeds.

[wildbrookies]

Creekwader,

I think mine is the Eagle supra Pro something.I also use 8 rechargeable "D" batteries.I found out the hard way .The first year of ice fishing.Between the cold and having it on for 5-7hrs at a time wears the batteries out almost every trip.Got smart the second year on.I keep it in the auto mode and keep the alarm on and the fish ID on.It seems pretty accurate when its in the stationary set-up I use for icefishing,I never used it in a canoe or boat yet.Does it work the same i wonder?My brother never really liked the fishfinder,but I like to take it for something to do when the action slows and fish are still being picked up by the finder.

WB

[marzrw]

We never really used WB's fishfinder in the ponds or lakes like most bassfishermen use it. We pretty much used it for icefishing. WB is right, I never cared too much for it because it gets pretty exasperating seeing and hearing the damn fishfinder and not getting hits on out tipups or jigging rods. WB did catch two nice splake once when he spotted some fish on the bottom and dropped his rig right down to the fish. A couple of weeks ago he caught a nice brown on a jigging rod whish wasn't set too far from the fishfinder and it never went off. Other times the thing never stops making noise. I find we used to sit in front of it too much like a tv set and watch it instead of looking at the beautiful Adirondack surroundings. It is very good at checking the depths of a lake though, especially if you aren't familiar with it.

[wildbrookies]

Come on bro, I think you`re just becoming an old adirondack hermit and want to keep things primitive and earthly and simple like the old days!!!!!!(LOL).It is nice to leave it home from time to time.I agree, alot times it just makes all kinds of noise but no hits.It does take away from the mystique of ice fishing especially the way icefishing used to be.But, its got its pros and cons. Oh, by the way it was very quiet friday at Indian L.And,the outcome was just that,very quiet.No fish around me at all.4 flags that were hits and drops.I still wonder where they go.Does anybody know!!??

WB

[pondhopper]

Obviously, there woudn't be much need of an LCR in small bodies of water. I said that they CAN be an asset which, I have witnessed many times. I wonder how many charter boat captains on Lake Ontario prefer digital thermocouplers to find springholes where, certainly, a few fished are schooled.... while the greater numbers of fish are out in the main body of the lake relating to structure and/or thermoclines at specific depths.

Just another tool that someone may find useful.

[marzrw]

Well, I complain about it, but I do watch it from time to time and get a bit anxious that there is a BIG fish in the vicinity that MIGHT hit one of our rigs. It does have it's use for charter boats and such since they need it to make a living, but once again I prefer flyfishing or trolling with a fly, or just plain ice fishing. I guess it also might have been interesting to see if there were actually fish in some of the ponds we didn't do well in. I'm not against them, I guess I just wouldn't buy one when I have so much other gear I still haven't gotten around to buying yet. Besides, you bought one, so I didn't have to. You work the fishfinder, I cook, I guess it works best that way.

[wildbrookies]

fishfinders...worth it or not?

I hear ya!,it works best especially when my brother whips up his specialty...egg omelets on the ice and he makes enough for 4 instead of two.I`d say its worth the extra weight in eggs....not gold.We should try bringing it in a pond this year or a small lake like 13th.

WB