How good of a fisherman are you without your electronics? How good do you think the pro's are/would be? I have an inferior fish finder (its a Humminbird 1993), but I can normally catch the fish ok...but I certainly can't wait to get my new Humminbird 385 CI with Navionics here in a week or two. Then its on!

I won a boat with no electronics.

It all depends on the lake and time of year. If its spring or fall, you really dont need any at all... All you need is your rod tip. If its winter or summer, Graphs really come in handy. I use mine alot that time of the year.

I use my electronics every month of the year. Unless I can see bottom I'm always watching the depth, not to mention water temp. I am very dependent.

I am, at amistad because I never really had a fishfinder to work with until last time I went.... but now I cant live without it if they arent shallow where were used to catching them I know how to work the electronics and get on the fish its great...

I don't know if could honestly say this day and time. But I think way back in day when all I had was a 14' flat bottom and a trolling motor....I had a lot better fishing days.....25 years later and $40k in the hole with everything but a butt wiper....the fishing aint been near as good...........I try to convince myself that fishing in general has just gotten tougher........youthink????...softens the hurt a bit....

On a lake I know, its no biggie, but on a new lake, electronics are a must.

I know I have become very dependent on my electronics and if they are not working correctly, it bothers me while I am fishing. I do not believe I would be as productive without them. That is, in part at least, because they can help you to be better and partly because of the places I fish, Falcon, Amistad, Ivie and Choke. On those lakes I am not up close beating the bank all the time. Most of my time is spent in deeper water fishing structure so electronics are a big plus.

I Bought my first boat without electronics because i could not afford it, I just ordered a graph for my bow. 898 and the only thing i have on the console is a lms 480.

I have 3 depth finder on my boat. I rarely use them.

Everyone has there own opinion, but the fact is this. If they didnt help you find structure and locate fish then we all wouldnt have one. Think about it like this,would you drive at night with no headlights on? You would probably be ok and would make it home, but its so much easier with the lights on. If you know the lake and have certin spots you already know then heck no you wont need it, unless you have a certin depth range you need to find to fish that spot. But if your somewhere you dont really know then your at a disadvantage without good electronics.
Can you catch fish without them,,yes. Will you catch more fish with them << that depends on how you use it.

I think the fishing has gotten tougher because there is so much more fishing pressure on the lakes these days. Bass fishing has become basically a fad. Electronics are especially important if you are fishing tournaments. With the technology electronics has to offer these days, you have to have them to compete because most of the other boats have it. You can eliminate a lot of non productive water, thus eliminating a lot of wasted time.

I'm like RedRanger. I have three units on my boat for over $4000 worth. I don't utilize them enough at all. On lakes I fish all the time, I like the gps for speed and where i'm at. I pay attention to the water temps (at least in the spring) and when i'm on front fishing, I just want to know how deep I am and if there is any change in the depth.

Now for fishing lakes I don't fish too much or a new lake, then I may pay a little more attention.

What I would really like to do is have someone that is really good with their electronics to go with me and teach me how to use mine more efficiently.

I think so. I use my electronics mainly for three things:

1. Water depth
2. Water temperature
3. I use my GPS for waypoints and so I can follow a trail at night.

Of those three, the one I use most is the GPS at night.

I have rarely found a mother lode of fish idling around using electronics. What I've done a lot more often is waste time throwning at symbols on a screen that don't bite.

I've had this set up since 04, and fished alot of different lakes and tournaments never had any problem, an old hummingbird from the 90's that I hardly ever use and a flasher. If I could change one thing, it'd be knowing the temp. And Big lakes are kinda tough without a GPS.