This must sound crazy considering how capable today's electronics are, but do any of you fish without electronics?

I do not, however I am reminded that sometimes the fish don't show especially when they are buried in the mud.

I use my electronics primarily for locating structure/features, and less on the fish/bio mass.

I mainly fish the bank therefore no electronics. I do have friends of mine with boats I fish with and they all have electronics.

I consider it a bit dangerous to go out with no electronics. They really help a lot with safety. If neither of my fish findes worked i would either not go or stick to very specific stuff on a handful of lakes

There are certain situations where I do not use electronics for fish. For example if I am fishing bridge pillars for crappie.

As anglers collectively get better electronics, their fishing pressure becomes more intense. You can do the same stuff you did in 1984 and catch fish. But you won't catch them like you did in 1984.

The primary purpose of my electronics is the use of the lake map. Also to find to my waypoints, as I can't remember all of them. Finding and marking structure is more important than to me than finding and marking fish.

No I don't, but that doesn't say they aren't useful. About all of my fishing is shallow water chasing eater channel in the spring.

Yeah, I've been using the Garmin maps on the computer at home. So, I am using electronics. For me I spend my money on cameras and such. I'm going to catch fewer fish just because I concentrate so much on filming documentary-like videos.

However, I really want to hunt big blue cats this next year or so. Guess it's time to think about some electronics.

I use my electronics every time out but 99.999% of the time, it’s on Charts. I fish creek beds and contour lines drifting for catfish so I don’t care about suspended fish. Shorelines and boathouses for bass and don’t have side scan to look at them. Plus, there are shallow places in Eagle Mountain out in open water that you’d better avoid while the lake is low.

They are nice for finding specific depths. I don't depend on them to make my boating safer.

I do on the 14 foot Mon Ark, but rarely the 12 footers. However, I have another one (Cuda 300, I think- 2008/2010) to stick on my new 12' Tracker flat bottom. I bought if for my Uncle- a birthday gift (but he never got his boat going) & hit a lean patch, so I bought it back for $60 so he could get some needed cash). I generally use them to see the depth & if the fish are thick, running thru that area (like a freeway). My uncle even rigged the Cuda 300 for my sister's 12 foot Porta-Bote (fold-out vinyl) on the Navasota River down the highway here (1.5 miles from the house). He had a 2x4 mounted on one oar lock hole that swiveled (mounted the Monitor there). Then mounted the transponder on a 1x4 and C-clamped it to the transom. We were able to find a few nice 10 foot holes in this shallow river (like a big creek).


For bank or small boat, or kayak fishing, you can get a portable model, as I got one from Harbor Freight Tools about 15 years ago (2002/2004). I could not find them recently in searching online at HFT. But Amazon had some listed. Look for ones about $30 to $50. You want about at least 10 feet of cable to the transponder which the line has a float (possibly adjusting). It cannot get you out as far as you can cast from the bank, but it will give you an idea of what is just around where it is.

For using the portable in a small boat, get a 1 to 2 gallon bucket, fill it with about half of water & put the transponder in it. Put the bucket in the back. It should read Ok, possibly being about a foot off in depth. We used it that way quite a few times. That way you don't have to rig it to your boat, but yet still utilize it. Possibly in a kayak, you might be able to set the transponder in a baitwell. Not sure if it will in a dry compartment tub though

I have a Cuda 128 (2002/2003) on the 14 foot MonArk.

For catfish I use my electronics like someone said earlier for water depth and bottom contour. I don't use them to find fish.

Wouldn't a chartplotter be better for depths and contours? For me I want to know the depths, contours, if there are fish in the area, and if they are feeding. Honestly, I've gotten tired of fishing like it's 1978. I like the quickdraw contours many of the new gen fish finders have, but I wonder if I should pony up and get a full blown chartpotter?

Thanks for everyone who chimed in. Just bought a Garmin Striker Vivid 4cv.

Speaking of I haven’t seen one of your videos in a while . I used to enjoy them !

Yeah, I've been retooling a bit. Want to target big blues this fall, winter and spring. B'n'M chipped in and donated all the rods from their Freedom series and a Silver Cat Elite. Finally bought and installed some rod holders. I should be back out there once I get my other two reels in mail right now.

Switching to braid. I plan to run 40 lbs braid, then bump down to 20 to 30 lbs leader running Santee rigs with my own Draggin' Egg rattle floats. Ain't no monster rig, but I'm a light line person. I'm trying to make some driftboards out of wood. I've two sets of prototypes out of plexiglass and foam just to get and idea of how they work.

I mostly want to target 20 -40 lbs blues. I figure the lower Black Warrior River will be warmer this time of year. At any rate at least I have Garmin Striker 4cv to see what's happening below the boat. I may save up and get the 9 inch screen next year. First I need a proper bow mount trolling motor, nothing fancy, just something that will hold a straight course while I'm deploying rigs and boards.

I figure four rods on planerboards plus a handline or two right below the boat might be a good setup.