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Fishing with sub-par electronics #10687574 03/11/15 05:07 PM
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flynnbo Offline OP
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I'm struggling to find fish with the HB unit that's on my boat. The boat came with a HB 398 that doesn't do much. Just down imaging. I primarily fish Texoma and I know there are brush piles marked over on the Oklahoma side, but I cant seem to find them. Any tips or tricks for finding them the hard way. Just not having much luck other than at my slip that's decked out with trees. It'd be nice to get some use out of the boat for a change. Not asking for anyone's secret spot, but just some general advise. How long should you fish a dock before moving on? What are some methods for finding brush? Just stuff like that. Thanks a ton.

Re: Fishing with sub-par electronics [Re: flynnbo] #10687629 03/11/15 05:27 PM
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I'd just make sure the settings are for the most coverage that di & 2d would have, it should have a "wide" setting....other than that "time on the water" is your best friend to finding structure.
Not sure if that unit have maps but fishn the channel edges will put fish in the cooler also.....


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Re: Fishing with sub-par electronics [Re: SK.] #10687645 03/11/15 05:32 PM
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flynnbo Offline OP
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Originally Posted By: silentkilla
I'd just make sure the settings are for the most coverage that di & 2d would have, it should have a "wide" setting....other than that "time on the water" is your best friend to finding structure.
Not sure if that unit have maps but fishn the channel edges will put fish in the cooler also.....


Thanks. I'll check settings next time I'm out. I may not have it set-up properly. Just seems like the only thing my fishfinder tells me is that im on the lake and the lake has a bottom.

Re: Fishing with sub-par electronics [Re: flynnbo] #10688048 03/11/15 08:06 PM
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IMO, the quickest way to learn what you are looking at on your electronics is to build a brushpile, drop it in next to a buoy marker and make several passes over it.


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Re: Fishing with sub-par electronics [Re: flynnbo] #10688089 03/11/15 08:19 PM
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Ketchn Offline
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set it on dual beam if it has that option
increase the sensitivity and contrast some
and for sure ccbirddogman is right drop your own pile and go over it several times
and I would set it on 2D not DI .....
let the computer chip figure out what is fish and what aint ..... thumb

Re: Fishing with sub-par electronics [Re: flynnbo] #10688132 03/11/15 08:31 PM
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ezgoing Offline
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1. Go to all the local marinas and ask them if they have any coordinates of nearby brush piles. Many marinas maintain such lists and will provide them if you ask them.

2. Buy a contour map of the lake and study it. Look for drop offs and other structure on the map. Then go to those spots and see if they hold fish and brush piles.

Some lake maps will show locations of known brush piles.

3. When you see somebody anchor or fishing a spot mark it on your finder. Then come back at a later date and check it out. Then look on the map for similar lake conditions and check those locations to see if any brush piles are located there. (Many here will decry this practice even while doing it themselves.)

Re: Fishing with sub-par electronics [Re: flynnbo] #10688338 03/11/15 10:03 PM
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flynnbo Offline OP
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Thanks guys. Helps a bunch. I like the "sink your own" method. Anyone have any thoughts on how long to fish a certain spot on a dock? 2 cast, 10 cast? We have a ton of marinas on Texoma. Sometimes I wonder if one of the best crappie spots on the lake is in a chair at my slip.

Last edited by flynnbo; 03/11/15 10:10 PM.
Re: Fishing with sub-par electronics [Re: flynnbo] #10688377 03/11/15 10:21 PM
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ezgoing Offline
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Originally Posted By: flynnbo
Thanks guys. Helps a bunch. I like the "sink your own" method. Anyone have any thoughts on how long to fish a certain spot on a dock? 2 cast, 10 cast? We have a ton of marinas on Texoma.


That depends on what else you have to do for the day. roflmao

I've seen a lot of people recommend fishing a spot for five minutes, then moving on. Which may be fine for a boat. But if I'm fishing my slip and don't have any plans on taking the boat out that day I may fish for hours without catching anything.

Of course I will move among the slips I have permission to fish on the dock but it doesn't concern me whether I'm catching or not, I just enjoy the "fishing".


Originally Posted By: flynnbo
Sometimes I wonder if one of the best crappie spots on the lake is in a chair at my slip.


It can be if you do the work of making it into one. Add brush piles. lights, canvas, etc. to make the crappie feel at home.

Re: Fishing with sub-par electronics [Re: ezgoing] #10688801 03/12/15 01:14 AM
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Originally Posted By: ezgoing
Originally Posted By: flynnbo
Thanks guys. Helps a bunch. I like the "sink your own" method. Anyone have any thoughts on how long to fish a certain spot on a dock? 2 cast, 10 cast? We have a ton of marinas on Texoma.


That depends on what else you have to do for the day. roflmao

I've seen a lot of people recommend fishing a spot for five minutes, then moving on. Which may be fine for a boat. But if I'm fishing my slip and don't have any plans on taking the boat out that day I may fish for hours without catching anything.

Of course I will move among the slips I have permission to fish on the dock but it doesn't concern me whether I'm catching or not, I just enjoy the "fishing".


Originally Posted By: flynnbo
Sometimes I wonder if one of the best crappie spots on the lake is in a chair at my slip.


It can be if you do the work of making it into one. Add brush piles. lights, canvas, etc. to make the crappie feel at home.


Ezgoing, sounds like me! Have a "tight line" is fantastic, but they call it FISHING not CATCHING! If someone can't enjoy being on the water and enjoy it, whether they are catching or not, it just seems like they should quit fishing and be satisfied sittin' on the couch watchin' the same ol' movies, gettin'fat! eek2



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Re: Fishing with sub-par electronics [Re: flynnbo] #10688856 03/12/15 01:26 AM
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Don't know what part of texoma your on so go to odwc website click on fishing then look for fish locators by lake it will give you date as to when they put there plus GPS coordinates. Also most of them will have big white bout marker on them. I have found that most of the brush is not directly underneath but of to the sides.l start in the middle and make a circular pattern around bouy dropping my marker bouys as I mark brush haven't found one yet that didn't have fish on it some more so than others

Re: Fishing with sub-par electronics [Re: Charlie47] #10691195 03/12/15 10:28 PM
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Originally Posted By: Charlie47
Originally Posted By: ezgoing
Originally Posted By: flynnbo
Thanks guys. Helps a bunch. I like the "sink your own" method. Anyone have any thoughts on how long to fish a certain spot on a dock? 2 cast, 10 cast? We have a ton of marinas on Texoma.


That depends on what else you have to do for the day. roflmao

I've seen a lot of people recommend fishing a spot for five minutes, then moving on. Which may be fine for a boat. But if I'm fishing my slip and don't have any plans on taking the boat out that day I may fish for hours without catching anything.

Of course I will move among the slips I have permission to fish on the dock but it doesn't concern me whether I'm catching or not, I just enjoy the "fishing".


Originally Posted By: flynnbo
Sometimes I wonder if one of the best crappie spots on the lake is in a chair at my slip.


It can be if you do the work of making it into one. Add brush piles. lights, canvas, etc. to make the crappie feel at home.


Ezgoing, sounds like me! Have a "tight line" is fantastic, but they call it FISHING not CATCHING! If someone can't enjoy being on the water and enjoy it, whether they are catching or not, it just seems like they should quit fishing and be satisfied sittin' on the couch watchin' the same ol' movies, gettin'fat! eek2


Or buy a throw net if they're active or a hoop net if they're a little more lazy. roflmao

Re: Fishing with sub-par electronics [Re: flynnbo] #10692215 03/13/15 10:16 AM
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Big Papa gave you some excellant advice. Find the 'fish attractors' and use them to learn your electronics, not only what structure looks like but, also how to find it with your gps. Make a 'waypoint' and then go back to it to learn how to do that.

To answer your question about how long to stay on any waypoint (dock, brushpile or whatever) I don't stay on any waypoint more than five minutes if I don't get bit. There are just too many places to fish, I'm going to move on to the next one.


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Re: Fishing with sub-par electronics [Re: flynnbo] #10692311 03/13/15 12:17 PM
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Dang, I guess I have sub-par electronics too... frown


Re: Fishing with sub-par electronics [Re: ezgoing] #10692330 03/13/15 12:29 PM
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Originally Posted By: ezgoing
1. Go to all the local marinas and ask them if they have any coordinates of nearby brush piles. Many marinas maintain such lists and will provide them if you ask them.

2. Buy a contour map of the lake and study it. Look for drop offs and other structure on the map. Then go to those spots and see if they hold fish and brush piles.

Some lake maps will show locations of known brush piles.

3. When you see somebody anchor or fishing a spot mark it on your finder. Then come back at a later date and check it out. Then look on the map for similar lake conditions and check those locations to see if any brush piles are located there. (Many here will decry this practice even while doing it themselves.)

number 3 .......
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Re: Fishing with sub-par electronics [Re: flynnbo] #10695147 03/14/15 03:53 PM
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I bought a book "Texas Lakes & Bays". I gives lots of lakes and good info on different places to fish for different species. I use it when I go to a lake I have never fished. It is a good place to start, I think. fish


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