05-29-2006, 05:59 PM
Interesting discussion. Fishhound's comment about the multiple gadgets is a good one. It depends on your type of fishing and what you're trying to accomplish. I find the often maligned Fishin' Buddy with its narrow 9 degree to be quite useful when fishing for trout in shallow lakes. In that situation a good reading on fish beneath you is nearly useless (other than telling you the depth) since you probably won't fish for them in 5 or 6 feet of water beneath your tube. The sidefinder however is very useful for spotting cruising trout in water less than 6 feet. (By the way, Bottom Line has a new Buddy model that has an 18 degree cone.) Likewise, the Smartcast is useful when fishing from the bank since there is no way to use a conventional finder in that situation. Often our differing opinions are more the result of the type of fishing we do than a difference in functionality.
Something to keep in mind.
z~
[signature]
Something to keep in mind.
z~
[signature]