jaximus wrote on Dec 22^nd, 2012 at 1:35pm:

even just this last trip, my first with the fish locator, i found myself too entranced with the screen and not enjoying the outdoors enough. i got caught up in watching every bottom contour and fish i marked and i lost touch with what quetico is all about.

If one is not aware of it this very scenario can take place. I became aware of my propensity to have my eyes glued to a fishfinder from a friend.......we used to go to a fishcamp with a tin boat/motor up around Sioux Lookout Ontario every year......once while looking back through our pics we came across one of me while trolling.........Dan said, "that is how you looked every time I looked back".......what do you mean"......."well, you always had your eyes glued to the depth finder".........

Once you are aware that the pitfall is there it is easy enough to avoid. While I do dearly love to catch fish my depth finder is as much a "hassle eliminator" as a fish finder. I can happily troll along knowing my deep diver is trailing along out of harms way, be it a big log or a big rock pile. That way I can concentrate a bit more on my surroundings than constantly worrying about where my lure is. I go to canoe country to get away from hassles and complications and fishing can be prone to both if truth be told. The depth finder helps avoid both, preserving my blissful state  ;D  8-).........otherwise my nirvana is upset by the unexpected bending of my rod and another dadgummed snag  >:(