Depth finders......or not!

Much has been bandied about lately concerning depth finders.......no question about they can be a great asset. But they are not "the be all, end all". Quite a few folk enter canoe country without one. If that is you and you still want to catch a few fish for dinner or a diversion........well fear not!

Use your noogin as Marlin used to say.......(I talked with him yesterday......he seems to be doing fine.......not sure why he quit us)

A few things to bear in mind.......first and most important, fish are going to gravitate to where they are most comfortable. If you can find an old recliner that someone has sunk........Think food first! Fish want to eat and they don't want to travel real far to do it. Soooo where are the groceries? I like diverse habitats......Mud and sand bottoms, weed growth, gravelly fist sized rocks etc all hold life forms that fish can eat.

Avoid the smooth rock that is so very common in the shield lakes. Even a crawdad would have a tough time making a living there. For the most part you can also avoid the steep plunging dropoffs (although I have caught a few fish on them).

But you don't have a depthfinder.........how do you find such spots? Use your eyes and use your God given intelligence. I always look at the topography of the shoreline to ascertain clues as to what may lie beneath the waters. Is there a steep ridge on that west shoreline? Chances are it continues on down into the depths. That long rocky rubbly point is probably quite similar out into the water.

See where the point goes out and then a bit later up pops an island and then perhaps another? It is likely it is all part of the same point system. You get the idea.......pretty simple actually.

Wind and currents can also impact bait and fish in a big way. Below a falls is a fish magnet.......no depth finder required. That windy shoreline where bugs and baitfish have congregated is also a fish magnet. How about a slot between islands where the wind has been blowing........One thing to keep in mind about wind generated bites......the longer the wind has been blowing onto a shoreline the more likely the food chain is in high gear. After that all day blow wait until it calms a bit and slide toward the snotty side not that peaceful calm cove (Be SAFE!!).

What about lures? Topwaters can drag fish up from quite a distance and often they can be nice ones that fall for them. I like trolling and it can still be down without a depthfinder. A rod holder is helpful as the information the lure sends when it hits weeds or rocks is much easier to interpret. On a diving lure I advise taking off the front treble and replacing the rear with the next size larger. You are apt not to have so many hang ups that way.......don't worry, you will still catch plenty of fish and taking the hook out is much safer and easier.

There is still more to be said and I invite comment and further suggestion. But don't let the lack of a depth finder discourage you from fishing. Use you senses and a bit of contemplating and you to can catch plenty of fish with the least amount of gear.