Do you turn your graph off

Lookin for opinions. When I pull up to a brush pile I catch a few, turn my graph off and I swear my bite turns off for about 5 minutes.

My finder is turned on when I get in the boat and is turned off when I leave the boat at the slip. I often turn it on at the slip just to see what is in the area.

Never turn mine off while on the water

Depends on what I am fishing. If I am fishing timber all day I turn the console off. I have run my crank battery down fishing timber all day and never starting the big motor.

Hmmm I didn't know they pulled that much juice

If wanting to save juice I turn mine to stand by so I don't have to wait for it to reboot each time I move. Never turned off while on the water!

I keep a PowerStation in the boat to solve that problem.

I rarely run any sonar if I'm fishing 10' or less. I dont do it to save batteries, but because I'm convinced the fish can hear it through their lateral lines and dont care for it. I can't prove it nor do I care to prove it, but it seems when crappie are shallow, my bite rate has increased because I turn the sonars off. and the only reason I even do it is because I fished a guided bass trip on lake Okeechobee with one of Roland Martin's guys about 12 years ago and he would not run a sonar unless he was running the channels at 50mph. he said shallow fish "probably" dont like it, plus, when you're fishing that shallow you dont need a sonar anyway.

but who knows, right? there's been times I would have sworn you could have a polka band playing on a 24' pontoon, and catching fish the whole time. I know in tournaments I never run sonars when fishing shallow. I used to, but I dont anymore.

several good trains of thought here for sure ....
interesting post

great info to have

Never gave any thought to it. I leave the 5" Humminbird on the entire trip on the boat. It doesn't draw enough to drain the battery. Just got a kayak and the 4" Lowrance ran the entire trip without draining the little 12 volt deer feeder battery either. Also, I usually try not to fish right under the boat.

I found a vibration "scientific" research study on lateral lines that suggests several folks here are on track ......

Depends on what type of fishing I am doing...there are times, I leave it in the truck....then there are times I never power it down...then there are times I will turn it off most of the day. Basically, if I need it I use it, if I don't then I turn it off or leave it in the truck...

How electronics affects the fish catching is debatable, I don't take a position either way (or presume to know), but given the choice...using less battery power regardless of the gadget, is the best strategy, as it allows me to focus on fishing, instead of messing with gadgets.

Lane,
You need to fish with me one day soon, I will show you what I have found. It's almost cheating.

thats a deal, kirk. like bobby says, "say when."

Interesting. I have never thought about that. May just have to try it.

If I'm out pre-fishing for a tournament or just fishing for fun, I never turn it off. During a tournament, I turn the console unit off every time we stop and I turn the front unit off unless I have to have it. For your average crappie, I don't think it makes a bit of difference. But for a big 'ol 6 or 7 year old crappie that's been hooked a time or two, I try to gain every advantage I can. After fishing in the Spring at Grenada the last 3 years, I am absolutely convinced turning your electronics off and staying off the trolling motor as much as possible will get you an extra bite or two from big fish.

Sure I get it. Fat boys can't ride in your boat.

this is coming from the team that holds the world record for a one day weigh-in total. I believe there's a lot to it.

But was your hydrowave on?

Stealth is usually a wise course of action when stalking any prey.

Don't have a Hydrowave yet--but I'll probably have to try it some day.

Was able to get in a fishing trip, where a test unit was involved...not sure it helped.

hydrowave ,,,,,,hehehe
I do turn my graph off sometimes when the fish are in a stupid tight pattern though
if I am ketchn I don't care what the graph sez ......

I never turn my units off when I'm on the water, but the different theories are interesting. The transducer soundings are a 'tick' sound, much like the sound that bait fish make, so I have always thought that it can't hurt....of course, I've never caught a 3# crappie...much less seven of them