The Spoonpluggers Forum

I start this thread with a degree of trepidation. I've read many postings about starting with a blank page and hand drawing the lake’s outline and spoonplugging to map the contours.

With that said, may I ask, how GPS can come into play once a spot has been found?

Let me give an example to illustrate why I ask about GPS units.

I went with a buddy to Sardis Lake, Mississippi. We started out from the engineer’s point by the dam which runs southeast to northeast, rounded the marina point and headed out diagonally to mid lake. We passed the 6 mile marker on a north easterly bearing. My job during this run was to hold a hand held GPS unit and note to my skipper “come to port (or starboard) a bit,” to keep us headed toward some unknown spot. I had never bee to this spot before!

As we approached the “waypoint” and our distance to the marked spot diminished, we throttled down until we had apparently over run the spot. After coming about, we then watched the fish finder looking for a hump on the bottom structure. Suddenly, there it was and we threw out a marker. The “hump” was a submerged duck blind. We were in 18 feet of water and the “hump” came up to about 9-10 feet.

We were in the middle of the lake and far far from the shore—either shore. I had to squirm about and strain to see the 6-mile marker on the southeast shore, and then again ahead to the 7-mile marker. Way-way across the lake I could see the 6-mile marker across the lake. I was trying to triangulate our position.

If I had to find that spot again, on my own—outside if the fact I don’t own a boat, would be impossible. A GPS would take me straight to it!

Let me wrap up the story. My buddy had often caught a lot of fish on this old sunken duck blind, but that day we zeroed out. I had been talking to him about Buck’s methodology and had loaned him Buck’s book.

So I asked him, “Where’s the closest deep water from this spot?” HE said, “Why the old river channel is just the other side of the blind.” I said, “Man, that’s where the fish are; they’re behind us in the deepest water close by if they’re not up on this hump!”

But it was time to go.
So, gentlemen, do you use a GPS to mark the spots where the breaks are next to the deep water so you don’t have to draw, photograph, and keep a note book? OK, I would keep the note book to record conditions and lure presentation.

A gps is a very important aid if you are fishing waters that are very large and have no way of getting a shoreline sighting. They will get you close to a spot that you may want to fish. They will get you back to the ramp in a foggy situation and may save your life. They will not interpret a structure situation. Once you get where you want to be, throw out a marker (in the right spot) and go from there. I have had one for one season and have used it very little. I dont really know how to use the darned thing. Even when we fish lake erie, I still depend on my shoreline sightings to get me to the spot and then throw markers. Use it for getting you to the spot and then turn the darned thing off.
Fishermen put way too much into these things instead of learning the basic guidelines of spoonplugging. Learn how to catch fish first and then you will understand when , how and why to use these less important items. John

A GPS is a tool, as John says. I've been using one for several years and find it's not a substitute for mapping with markers. It's quite different to look at the shape of a bar outlined with markers vs one outlined on a GPS. Sure, you can see the outline in both cases, but one is a picture(GPS) of the bar and the other is the bar in real life. I outline a structure with markers, map it, then mark waypoints on the GPS and save it to a MMC card. That way I can always go back to the structure and quickly place markers, if necessary, or use a waypoint to find a casting position. As many have found out, markers have a way of disappearing when you're not looking; waypoints don't.

If there's a lot of boat traffic some numskull jet skier or water skier can run over your marker but can't run over a waypoint. Don't misunderstand me, I may find a spot with a waypoint on a GPS, but then I'll place a marker whenever possible.

Points to ponder: What do you do if you forget your handheld GPS? The battery goes dead? The GPS fails for some reason? It goes overboard?

It's one thing to try to set up trolling passes using the GPS and another using the markers and range markers(rifle sights or shore-line sightings as Buck calls them). Even more difficult is to try to follow a trolling pass going from waypoint-to-waypoint.

I use a recording sonar/GPS, as well as a hendheld, and have software that will translate the log into a contour map. Again, it's a tool; it's a starting place, then go back and, as Buck says, MAP IT!.

Regards, JWT

John, JWT,
Thanks, You have put it into perspective for me!

JWT, which hand held do you have and use?

If the home of the fish is deep water, why can't I get my friends to fish there?

That question is easy....
It takes effort to fish the deep water. Iv'e had times where it was downright hard work!
On the plus side....the fish will be there for us [/quote]

Bill:

Although the info is described under General Discussion, might be better for me here.

Really like the idea of the mapping software and can see where it would be very usefull. I see it as sort of a fill in the space type thing. I'm thinking the computer/GPS takes all the hit points and connects them logically, whick produces the contour lines. Excellent!

On the otherhand, seems like to me as a newbie(greenhorn) that sometimes contact points are horizontally small and the the only way to find them, (other than with my camera, ha ha) is to bump into them with a lure. In other words; basic mapping.

So to summerize; I think the software idea would be great from a macro point of view but in order to get the micro view you're going to have to troll some lures.

Ron