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The results of a new sounder

bersim

By bersim
in Freshwater

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bersim Newbie

bersim

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My friend had been really keen to head out to NPD with me to try and catch his first yella so I took him out yesterday morning in search of gold.  I was using the new sounder that we've just put on the boat and I can't believe how much of a difference a good sounder can really make on your fishing.  It's a lowrance elite 5 chirp and although it did randomly turn off on me it was sensational for showing fish.  We picked up a couple trolling down the dam but they were sitting down a bit deeper and I didn't have any deep lures with me so we just had to hope that we could find a few fish and stay occupied.  

I chucked in a pot the other day and we managed a few shrimp to try for the yellas.  Picked up 3 pretty quickly but once they stopped biting we headed back around trolling.  After deciding the sun was just too hot we began heading up the dam and about halfway back I noticed the sounder starting to light up with fish.  Quickly put on the spot lock and sure enough the sounder was absolutely covered.  They were sitting throughout the whole water column and the photo of the sounder was not even close to the amount that we began seeing at the end.  Didn't have long to fish at this school as we had to get home but we got them most casts on jackalls, ice jigs, blades, tail spins and plastics.  Was good fun having our very own school and catching them on any technique that we felt like.  It was also good to be able to mark that spot as a way point as it may be a spot I will check out in future.  

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I had an unstoppable one as well.  Was a bit annoying to lose as I've pulled a 60cm off there.  Makes me wonder how big it really was!

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Will have to ring in about the tagged one.  It was a V one.  

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James

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Tybo Newbie

Tybo

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Some great fish there, and while I don't like freshwater fishing much, I enjoy catching yellow belly. They're great fighters and alright to eat. I've been wondering this for awhile, so may as well ask it now, for NPD you need to be a member to use watercraft there don't you? Not just anyone can go on the dam?

As for the Elite's, I too have one, the 7 like Sam's. It is my second Lowrance, and while when it works it's a great sounder, it too has hardware issues. It doesn't turn off, instead sometimes after an hour or two out on the water, it just fails to find the bottom. No matter what I do, nothing resolves it. Then just out of nowhere, it will fix itself. You have no idea how frustrating this is. I've read up on this and worldwide it is a very common problem, not just on the Elite's, but also the HDS' too. Imagine paying $KKKs for a HDS12, only to have it not find bottom.

The trouble is that because it is so random when it happens, Lowrance cannot ascertain the problem. My first Lowrance had GPS problems, and now with this, I'll be definitely looking elsewhere next time I purchase a sounder.

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Glenn S Newbie

Glenn S

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Thanks for the report James and nice work finding them on the new sounder! 

 

Talking about sounders, I just thought id plug my humminbird gps/sonar/downscan sounder, i bought it second hand a year ago and no problems what so ever so maybe worth looking at in the future? Lowrance seem to be extremely popular these days and i think humminbird gets a bit overloooked.

 

Cheers, Glenn.

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bersim Newbie

bersim

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Yeah something a bit bigger would have been nice but I wanted one that could be mounted on the yak as well @samsteele115.  Imagine an elite 12 on the kayak:P (not that I could even afford the 12 but you get what I mean haha)

Haha still waiting for the day that I out fish you :lol: @Dinodadog

I really hope it doesn't happen that often @Binder.  Will be a bit unhappy paying that much for faulty device!

They are a great fish to catch and especially fun on the lures aren't they @Tybo.  Yes you will need a PRFMA permit to access the dam by boat or kayak.  It's electric only and there's a locked gate so no one else can access the boat ramp.  Sounds like this is just a problem that I will have to put up with until I get so frustrated with it that I upgrade to a different brand!

Thanks @Glenn S.  Yeah I think you're right about humminbird getting overlooked these days.  I really do like the lowrance one though apart from it randomly turning off.  Maybe I will have to look into what you have depending on how this one holds up.  

 

James

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