This is a guest post from Dex Chadsey, who first joined MFCC back in 2013.
I am excited to have Dex contributing to MFCC!
I recently saw this post by MFCC member Ron Enos, in the Cape Cod Canal section of our forum...
“Gonna head down (to the Canal) in a couple of weeks and practice finding some holes to jig, start a journal to keep some notes which I'll use this year...hope it helps. Just looking forward to spending some time there.”
As a canal fisherman myself, I share Ron’s desire to understand what the Canal's bottom looks like.
More...
Rips, Holes & Gulleys
For me, I can envision the Canal's bottom structure to some extent by noticing how the current moves in certain areas.
Brian Dongelewic (member here since 2013), explained this "envision" strategy in a forum post in response to Ron...
“Watch for breaks/rips/swirls in the water and throw your jigs there. Remember to count to see how long it takes for the jig to hit bottom. That's how you will find the deeper holes where the predator fish lay.”
Probably the best way to gather bottom structure intel is to go through the Canal in a boat, and check out the bottom on sonar.
Here's 2 screen shots of dramatic Canal "holes" which Ryan has located using his boat's sonar.
The bottom of the Canal is not a smooth trough where everything is the same. It is uneven with huge differences in depth sometimes occurring within a few feet of each other.
I would love to know where holes like these exist!
Ryan's graphic (see below) shows how fish sometimes relate to this type of dramatic structure. It also shows how tide direction may effect fish behavior.
This spot may not be as productive if the tide were moving in the other direction.
Unfortunately not everyone has the ability, or the time, to chart the Canal by boat!
New Castable Sonar Devices
Three products have recently come to market that may just be the next best thing.
Neither myself nor MFCC are endorsing these products, nor receive any compensation from their manufacturers. I just found them while doing research and thought they might be of interest to all of us here on MFCC.
The products are different in appearance but similar in function. Each is a castable floating sonar device that wirelessly connects to an app on your smart phone or tablet. Your phone or tablet serves as the screen and you use a fishing rod to cast and retrieve the device.
I can envision an angler on the bank of the Canal using one of these devices during slack tide. He or she would cast the device out, then retrieve it slowly, as the sonar images are shown and recorded on your phone.
To scan more area, just move ten to twenty feet to your right or left, and do it again. An angler could certainly find holes and fish by using this technique.
I would also think anglers should avoid using these devices when the tide is running strong.
A slow current however, would allow you to cast the device out, let it drift in the current as you walk along the bank, and chart the bottom structure at say, 50 feet from the bank, or as far as you can walk unimpeded.
The Fishhunter
This device is called the Fishhunter. Below is the device, and a sample image that might appear on the screen of a smartphone or tablet.
The Fishhunter sells for $169 and can be purchased at: http://www.fishhunter.com/. The app can be downloaded from the website for IOS or Android devices for free.
The maximum distance the Fishhunter unit can be away from your smart phone and still work is listed as 100 feet.
Deeper
This is the Deeper Fish Finder. Below is the device and a view of what you might see on your smart phone or tablet screen.
Deeper sells for $229 and is available on https://buydeeper.com/deeper. The app can be downloaded from the website for IOS or Android devices for free.
The maximum distance the Deeper unit can be away from your smart phone and still work is listed as 150 feet.
IBobber
This device is called the IBobber. Below is the device, a USB charger and sample images that might appear on the screen of a smartphone or tablet.
The IBobber website is http://reelsonar.com/. The IBobber can be purchased for $100 at http://www.tackledirect.com/. The app can be downloaded from this website for IOS or Android devices for free.
The maximum distance the IBobber unit can be away from your smart phone and still work is listed as 100 feet.
A Brand New World Of
Fish-Finders
This is an just an introduction to the world of castable fish finders. There may be others out there which I am unaware of.
Of course it is a good idea to completely understand any product before making a purchase. It seems that when products first come out they are more likely to have problems.
Picking a product that has been out for a few years which has undergone a few revisions can help. The following are good sources of information:
- Company websites are a good source of specs for products but they are biased. Know what features you want and make sure that your choice has them all.
- Youtube has many informational videos and reviews. Some of these are by independent reviewers and some are promotional videos by the manufacturer. The quality and extent of reviews vary.
- Make sure you know the source of the video. I Googled “Fishhunter vs Deeper” only to realize that the comparison was put out by Fishhunter.
- Written reviews can be useful if you consider the source. Anyone can post a review. It is like going out and talking to any person on the street.
These products look exciting! Have Fun and Good Luck!
Dex and Gracie
What do you think? Let me know by commenting below!
For years, I have used a similar product, made by Humminbird. It’s the Smartcast, mine is model RF30, which is no longer available, but they had several other models. There is one, a model RF35, on E-Bay right now, with 4 days left on the offering. It’s offered as “New”. The current bid is $46. Research it, though, as it could also be discontinued, meaning there’d be no support if it quits working. It’s pretty cool. It’s a float, similar to the ones shown above, and it sends it’s info to a “wristwatch”. It fits on your wrist like a watch, and there is a small screen showing the depth, bottom, structure, and any fish and their depth that are within the cone. It emits a soft beep, almost too soft to hear. It works great, and has resulted in walleye dinners for my wife. and I.
Good stuff. These should definitely provide some benefit to shore anglers. Seems like a good option and price point for kayak anglers too. Did any claim to have mounts, or were they all cast and retrieve? Just curious.
Deeper and iBobber are both a little cheaper on Amazon.
learning more every time I go to MFCC. Loving those! Thanks
You and me both Alan. We are all very lucky to have found this site.
Tempting….my instincts tell me to resist temptation. I too would be pretty upset if I broke off one of these gizmos. I can also well imagine what my buddies would be saying if they ever found out I was using one of these things. I would be tagged as a “Washashore Poseur McFisherman”.
I bet I would get some odd looks from folks down at the Ditch if I gave this a try! Then again, I got some strange looks when I first started flying the drone! lol
Ned,
The heaviest one of these gizmos is the Deeper at 3.5 ounces. I’m sure that we all have cast many jigs heavier than that and bounced them off the bottom without incident. Having said that, I too have this image of my new Deeper happily bobbing towards the RailRoad bridge and points beyond as my cell phone is flashing “connection lost”.
I will look forward to hearing how the Deeper treats you this season Dex! Plenty of places aside from the Canal as well where it could come in handy.
Ryan,
A useful tool to look for deep holes where holdover Stripers might be hiding!
That’s true too!
Thanks Brian and bigA.
I have ordered a Deeper and will issue another report on my findings once I have had a chance to use it.
Dex – These look awesome, great research! It is amazing what technology can do. My only fear would be snapping off the device and watching if float away! Looking forward to your review.
Ryan,
I have the same fear. In one of the promotional videos they showed the Fishhunter mounted on the front of a radio controlled model boat. You could do some serious mapping with that!
That is a really great idea! Maybe you should bring your portable fish finder and model boat to Cutty! 🙂
Ryan,
I will bring the Deeper on our trip to Cuttyhunk. Should be useful to check out the calmer areas on the North side of the island. Don’t think I’m going to purchase a model boat. The next boat I get is going to read “Grady White” on the side!
This is terrific information. Thanks much, Dex.
It’s a whole new world out there dex. A comedian once asked “do you ever feel like the world is a tuxedo and you are a pair of brown shoes?”