Sk8man

I think Rick is right on the money with his answer. My boat is set up for 4 but I have only run three max and not real often as it pretty much precludes running divers on that side where I have the third downrigger position with the boom out 90 degrees so I'm stuck with either boards or outrigger on that side if I run the rigger there. I always run two downriggers with sliders unless fishing very shallow when I omit the sliders

Guess their name fits them nicely

I know there are a lot of charts available printed and on the Internet as far as temperature "preferences but there are also a lot of variables involved such as time of the year, spawning status, matures vs. teens and where the baitfish are located. Chinooks for example may prefer the warmest water they can find early on and then water in the fifties at some points in the season and then 42 or 43 degrees down 125 ft at another point. No totally reliable exact answer in my view. Steelies move all over the lake as well as within the thermocline, The presence of bait (or the particular species of bait they are feeding on) can move any of them out of their so-called "preferred" temperature as will spawning cycle. The charts of preferred temps also vary somewhat but they can serve as a starting point until you can get the particular species figured out at the time you are fishing but don't take the specific values or even ranges as "gospel".

The two units serve different purposes aside from the money issue. The Fishawk X4D gives you nearly "real time" information about temp at depth as well as your speed at the weight, and offers some information (interpreted) about the current direction and strength. The information is therefore much more detailed than a TD which takes a sample of temp and depth at 5 ft. intervals which you can then review afterward. I have used the TD since about the time it came out, and it has its place and is certainly better in all cases than nothing at all. It has one aspect that is actually more flexible than the X4D (which I also have) and that is that you can attach it to your lines to gather temperature and approximate depth information near where the lure is actually running. A major advantage for me prior to the addition of the X4D was using the TD to figure out the thermocline when starting out fishing and especially when using Seth green rigs. Basically I was interested in the first 100 ft. so I attached it to the downrigger and slowly ran it down to 100 ft with the motor off etc. and then recorded the temps at the 5 ft intervals so I could then troll above, within, and below the thermocline depending on targeted species. On the Finger Lakes the thermocline is usually a little more stable than on Lake O so it helps a lot especially in determining where to start out depth-wise in the summer months. The TD is worth what you pay for it in my opinion and often comes in handy out there.

Specific location in Geneva?

It would seem to me that the availability of serviicing nearby would be high on my list of factors. Getting away from the 2 stroke oil injection stuff (reservoirs etc.) and increased efficiency, less noise and increased torque of a new 4 stroke would be up there as well. There are many mercs and dealers/mechanics out there all over the country, and sure not the same for some of the other motors - often have to travel far and I would wonder about the easy availability of parts as well. The easier time of fitting it into the existing system is also a plus. Just an opinion.

Often it is tempting to say " I think I have these fish figured out" but then next time out you have poor results or get skunked. It strikes me that being able to catch your limit of the biggest possible fish every time out would spoil the sport and the experience of fishing. The very thing that "hooks" us is the challenge of trying to figure them out, and the intermittant reinforcement of catching a bunch of them once in awhile or the infrequent big ones. It may be different if someone is benefitting financially from fishing where money might become the actual goal of the activity (e.g. perch selling etc.). The real hooking feature of fishing is not knowing what is going to happen out there, and doing something to make what you want happen. It is really the same principle as pulling the lever on a slot machine and seeing the three stars come up and sometimes it seems like the same odds apply. The Finger Lakes live up to all of those same expectations. Walleyes and perch are peculiar crittters and I am convinced at this point in life that nobody has them totally figured out yet.