08-09-2003, 08:41 PM
[cool]Welcome, Jed. We have already been e-chatting. so hopefully between this board, the Utah board and some of the stuff I am sending, we can get you properly tricked out.
I hope you have had the time to go back through some of the previous threads on fins, waders and fish finders, to pick up some input from the gang on the forum here. But, even though we have already discussed some things, we can work them over again if you would like.
I suggest you PM Emuscud or some of the other guys you will recognize on this board, from the Utah board. A few of them have done some original research in the local tackle outlets and have a handle on what is available.
Right now, a couple of the better values for float tube fish finders are the Eagle Fish Easy and both the Cuda 128 and the 168. See if you can find the demo setup at Sportsmans on the Cuda 168. It actually has a demo mode built right into it, and you can play with the different menu items to get a feel for how they work. Figure on spending around $100 for a system you will like and be able to use for a few years.
You will also need a battery to power it. I recommend looking at the gel cell and charger combo in Cabelas for about $30 total. The low wattage on the Eagle units does not suck a lot of juice, so a battery with at least 5 amp/hours will power your sonar all day without recharging.
Look for some of the pics that have been posted showing how to mount the sonar transducer. I can send diagrams and suggestions on how to rig something up, when you are ready. The main thing is getting some kind of rod to mount the "skimmer" transducer so that it points as much straight down as possible. It does not have to be perfect to work.
If you are going to get serious about jig fishing, vertical presentations and overall expanding your horizons, you have made a big step. Once you get on the water with your quarry, and have to learn to approach them just the right way, on any given trip, you really begin to hone your powers of observation and your overall fishing skills.
That being said, you will probably both be happy and unhappy about tubing Utah Lake. It is so shallow that the fish finder is not too good for locating large schools of fish. But, the sonar will help you in knowing conditions of depth and bottom contours. Sometimes a minor dropoff or difference in bottom composition will make a world of difference in where the fish are holding and feeding on any given day. And, on the Cuda 168, there is a built in temperature reading that will help you in locating those hot springs that come into the lake in several areas. Early and late in the year, when the ambient water temps are lower, many of the lake's fish will be around the warmer water inflows. You can't tell them by looking, but when your temp guage suddenly rises several degrees, you know you are in the right area.
Perhaps the biggest benefit you will enjoy with your mini-cruiser is being able to work your way down the shoreline and fish areas not easily accessible to shore fishermen...especially in the shallower water conditions. Being able to work your way out to find even a small area of deeper water, beyond the casting range of the bankers can sometimes have you catching fish after fish, while the guys on shore only mumble...or try to hit you with a heavy sinker.
Welcome to the board.
[signature]
I hope you have had the time to go back through some of the previous threads on fins, waders and fish finders, to pick up some input from the gang on the forum here. But, even though we have already discussed some things, we can work them over again if you would like.
I suggest you PM Emuscud or some of the other guys you will recognize on this board, from the Utah board. A few of them have done some original research in the local tackle outlets and have a handle on what is available.
Right now, a couple of the better values for float tube fish finders are the Eagle Fish Easy and both the Cuda 128 and the 168. See if you can find the demo setup at Sportsmans on the Cuda 168. It actually has a demo mode built right into it, and you can play with the different menu items to get a feel for how they work. Figure on spending around $100 for a system you will like and be able to use for a few years.
You will also need a battery to power it. I recommend looking at the gel cell and charger combo in Cabelas for about $30 total. The low wattage on the Eagle units does not suck a lot of juice, so a battery with at least 5 amp/hours will power your sonar all day without recharging.
Look for some of the pics that have been posted showing how to mount the sonar transducer. I can send diagrams and suggestions on how to rig something up, when you are ready. The main thing is getting some kind of rod to mount the "skimmer" transducer so that it points as much straight down as possible. It does not have to be perfect to work.
If you are going to get serious about jig fishing, vertical presentations and overall expanding your horizons, you have made a big step. Once you get on the water with your quarry, and have to learn to approach them just the right way, on any given trip, you really begin to hone your powers of observation and your overall fishing skills.
That being said, you will probably both be happy and unhappy about tubing Utah Lake. It is so shallow that the fish finder is not too good for locating large schools of fish. But, the sonar will help you in knowing conditions of depth and bottom contours. Sometimes a minor dropoff or difference in bottom composition will make a world of difference in where the fish are holding and feeding on any given day. And, on the Cuda 168, there is a built in temperature reading that will help you in locating those hot springs that come into the lake in several areas. Early and late in the year, when the ambient water temps are lower, many of the lake's fish will be around the warmer water inflows. You can't tell them by looking, but when your temp guage suddenly rises several degrees, you know you are in the right area.
Perhaps the biggest benefit you will enjoy with your mini-cruiser is being able to work your way down the shoreline and fish areas not easily accessible to shore fishermen...especially in the shallower water conditions. Being able to work your way out to find even a small area of deeper water, beyond the casting range of the bankers can sometimes have you catching fish after fish, while the guys on shore only mumble...or try to hit you with a heavy sinker.
Welcome to the board.
[signature]