If you don't know, live imaging sonar is the latest major "advance" in fishing technology. It gives you a live view under the water, up to a few hundred feet in any direction.
I think the actual device is fantastic. I've seen them in action on the ice and watching a fish approach your lure, turn and go to your buddy's is crazy. Being able to drop down the transducer, spin it around and scout a 200' radius circle in seconds is sci-fi like.
As far as how this changes the game of fishing, I absolutely hate it. Hooking a fish and bringing it in is only the very end of the fishing process that starts with learning fish behaviour, learning structure, and locating the fish. These are skills that take a lifetime to develop, with immense satisfaction to be felt with each gain.
Now you can drop 3 or 4 or 5 grand and bypass all that bullshit learning and skill-building stuff.
Most of the fishing videos now seem to be guys in a $50-$100k boat, using $10+k worth of electronics, going out and locating and casting to individual fish and acting like they have accomplished anything other than spending money. Might as well stay home and play video games.
The guy I fished with that has one spends most of his time moving around staring at a screen, waiting for Moby Dick to appear, rather than finding likely spots and putting a line in the water. I don't fish with him anymore. It has no appeal to me at all
In case you think I'm just being a grumpy old man, tournaments have started banning this tech. One, it minimizes the skill required, and two, it becomes a game of who has the most money to spend on gear.
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Have you seen these? Used them? Do you love them and think I'm out to lunch?
I think the actual device is fantastic. I've seen them in action on the ice and watching a fish approach your lure, turn and go to your buddy's is crazy. Being able to drop down the transducer, spin it around and scout a 200' radius circle in seconds is sci-fi like.
As far as how this changes the game of fishing, I absolutely hate it. Hooking a fish and bringing it in is only the very end of the fishing process that starts with learning fish behaviour, learning structure, and locating the fish. These are skills that take a lifetime to develop, with immense satisfaction to be felt with each gain.
Now you can drop 3 or 4 or 5 grand and bypass all that bullshit learning and skill-building stuff.
Most of the fishing videos now seem to be guys in a $50-$100k boat, using $10+k worth of electronics, going out and locating and casting to individual fish and acting like they have accomplished anything other than spending money. Might as well stay home and play video games.
The guy I fished with that has one spends most of his time moving around staring at a screen, waiting for Moby Dick to appear, rather than finding likely spots and putting a line in the water. I don't fish with him anymore. It has no appeal to me at all
In case you think I'm just being a grumpy old man, tournaments have started banning this tech. One, it minimizes the skill required, and two, it becomes a game of who has the most money to spend on gear.
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Have you seen these? Used them? Do you love them and think I'm out to lunch?