I have heard that using a fish finder can up your chances of catching fish. With all the other expenses this year I have not been able to get one yet. What i have figured out is that with my hut up I can look through the ice hole and see alot of detail.
Last week up at strawberry I spent a lot of time peering through the hole and watching the trout swim at various depths. I could even see my jigs at 26 feet deep.
I know this seems cheap and weird but I am catching more fish and I only set the hook when I see the fish has the hook in his mouth. It is also really exciting to see the fish react to certain movements. I am sure this is not what everyone should do but I am loving this new trick.
Doesn’t sound like you’re being “cheap”, it sounds intelligent to me! (Well, but you are ice fishing[;)]) But, If you can do this everywhere you fish, screw the fish-finder. The eyes win over any sonar on the planet. I wish I could do it at 80 feet at the Gorge!
Cheers to ya. If I were forced to ice fish, that’s how I’d want to do it!
Using the old-fashioned, free, manual, fish finders that God gave most of us is a blast. Unfortunately they don’t seem to work very often. Most lakes are either too muddy or too deep and you need to be in a tent also. - But boy is it fun watching the fish take your bait!