Sk8man

A couple things seem worth mentioning: 1) many newer CHIRP depthfinders have a wide range of features; some of which are highly sophisticated; but the issue of effective use of them is still the same as with the old ones - the person using them has to fully familiarize themselves with those features in order to get the most out of the unit. A lot of people don't take the time,or invest the energy to do so. 2) Larger screens are in general more expensive, but they also better display smaller items and bits of information that may be important to consider while fishing. The TYPE of fishing most frequently done should be factored in to the buying decision. Fishing for bass and walleyes in high structure weedy places is very different than trolling on Lake O or the larger Finger Lakes for trout and salmon. Down and side imaging is most useful in the former environment rather than the latter. Again, if the bulk of your fishing is done for warmwater species, and in waters that you have little familiarity with the SI and DI can be important features and the suggestions regarding screen size are also important. If on the other hand, you do a lot of trolling on Lake O and the larger Fingers, having a solid CHIRP depthfinder with GPS may be all you might need and again, the larger screen will give you enhanced information BUT no matter which unit you decide on the most valuable advice may be to spend the time thoroughly familiarizing yourself with the features you need to use, are able to buy, and have paid for. By the way, one of the most valuable features of GPS may not relate to fishing itself but rather to safety. Some units allow you to initiate a Man Overboard function when you start out from a launch and then the unit tracks your movements during fishing. If fog sets in or you are outside view of land you can return to port by following the arrow on the unit.

The above info is all good. The original question didn't specifically ask "what to get", or I would have said Furuno to guarantee your happiness (despite not owning one yet myself). I have friends with them that I fish with, and have seen them firsthand used in the salt water environment. It was a choice between the two units mentioned, and the fact that he fishes for BASS, Walleyes, and other lakes. For general trolling purposes on Lake O and the Finger Lakes the side scan is not necessary, and perhaps not even desirable. The downscan can sometimes be helpful when fishing for lakers and trying to separate out fish lying right on the bottom that may be mixed in with other things like bait,and jigging. Most of the current generation high definition CHIRP fishfinders with very good target separation will do the trick. Something to consider with Lowrance ( i have owned them for many years) is that the Tech Suport basically sucks; so unless you are a "techy" yourself or anxious to become one, Lowrance may not be the best choice out there,and a lot of it relates to the arrangement of their nested menu screens, and piss poor manuals. When it comes to accurately marking fish, something that will hold a long time, and for general trolling use - Furuno is top of the line, (or at least close to it) within the general trollers price range; but for the money you may not get as big a display unit as with other units. Nearly everything involved in the decision is a compromise when price of the unit is factored in..

A little warning when using the bleach (or bleach containing compounds) approach.....don't wear good pants

Triple shot seems the most versatile for the fishing you do.

Just a suggestion, but you may want to include information about the kicker (e.g. long shaft or extra long etc), how you intend to steer it, and maybe a pic of the transom if you have it.

Tilex and or Tuff Stuff and a scrub brush

Just a thought Mike, but if your unit supports software updates you may want to check the Garmin website for any possible update and install it. Sometimes some units need to be set back to the factory default condition first and then install updates to get rid of potential glitches.That way if you know the unit is up to date etc. it may be hardware (e.g. possibly transducer or its location etc.) related if still doing the same thing and if not you're home free.

GPS speed is calculated as "speed over ground" which means it is the speed of the boat moving over the lake bottom. You mentioned that you wanted something accurate for trolling. Although the GPS speed is better than nothing, it tells you little about what is going on BELOW while trolling. You didn't mention anything about price so the suggestion of the Fishhawk X4D is based on the question you asked.

Fishawk X4D. trolling speed at both the boat and downrigger weight and also water temperature at both surface and at weight (at probe and all information transsmitted wirelessly. You can also use an Android phone as an additional display.

Its the kind of thing that makes LOU special...great community of people. Snox49X

I feel for ya BP, and the situation is not limited that that particular area either; or to one generation or another. I've had perch guys on Canandaigua, Seneca, and Keuka do about the same thing, and some of it was on purpose as they were experienced older fishermen and certainly know better. The bottom line here is that our culture has changed greatly over the years, and many people now display a lack of courtesy in many different ways; and sport fishermen or recreational boaters are no different. There are always some people that don't seem to absorb or integrate basic courtesy, shared values, rules of the road, or patience for that matter. As a culture we often seem to be pretty selfish, self-absorbed, and in many cases downright rude. Just travel out of the country sometime and observe some Americans interacting with different citizens speaking different languages, and notice that they expect those people to all speak English, and adapt to our language and customs while in their own country. We are a great nation with many generous, caring people, but not everyone of our citizens fits that model. Some display poor manners, a lack of respect for others, and I'm sure their report cards said "Doesn't play well with others"

I can attest to the fact that they work. I have fished with him using those boards, and they are brute double boards. After watching him repeatedly, I have yet to fully figure out his deployment and retrieval technique. It is very different than mine or anyone else that I know (or have known) and I've run them for about 50 years. I can understand why he isn't trying to explain it here.It is truly sweet to watch in action though. I'll run (4) 5 leader rigs at a time,but I won't be trying Jason's method anytime soon despite its high degree of effectiveness...something about an old dog and new tricks....I've gotten into enough rig messes over the years to know when to play it safe and go with the familiar. I can say that you probably won't be able to find boards that pull weight the way his do; including Amish boards.

http://stores.tunasreeltroubles.com/

Welcome to the Hotel California

I know the guy is just trolling for responses and reactions but maybe he/she should ask themselves did they belong here in the first place with that attitude?

They are half dead when you hook them or at least the process has started. It is a major reason I stop fishing them after they start to blacken up...I figure let them spawn in peace but I know that isn't a very popular view for many folks especially the people looking for egg sack material..