Greetings Everyone, I'm new to the forums and this is my first post and I'm starting off with a rather dumb question--- but so be it! I'm a novice fisherman but love to throw a line in. I've read some opinions on other forums that a fish finder is a pretty useful thing to have in the BWCA and Quetico but I don't want to overdue the tech/gadget side of things if I'm still trying to perfect a decent technique. Thinking I should not spend the dough and just focus on putting into practice the great advice from all of you on this site! Can anyone help me out and/or make a suggestion for finder if that is indeed a very useful thing to have?

Glad you made it in. ;)

You don't NEED one but after borrowing units for a few years I finally broke down and bought my own. I have a   (You need to Login or Register. I got the portable version with the 8 D cell holder but 8Ds are darn heavy so I replaced it with an 8 AA pack from Radio Shack like most people use. I rigged up a way to velcro it to a thwart so I don't use the bag or the stand either but it was on sale for like $110 so I though what if. The portable part was a waste of $30 for me but it could definitely be rather convenient for someone else.

Their nice to have for trolling. Less wasted time guessing = more time catching. There's a minimum depth alarm that probably saved me a couple lures no doubt but mostly it's just fun to know what it's like below.

I agree with db, they are very nice for trolling and will save you money on snagged lures. Two years ago I left mine home and was frustrated as I trolled and kept snagging in the rocks.  Waste valuable time going back and trying to free the lure.  I also lost two $10 rapala divers and now will never leave the depth finder behind.

If you don't troll much they are invaluable for finding reefs and structure.  It is just a time saver as you don't spend time in unproductive structure ie: a flat featureless bottom.

Hey db and Tom T, Thanks! That's really helpful. I've certainly lost my share of good lures and waded back up to shoreline muttering "nuts!" under my breath (or generally something worse! Good recommendation on a fairly inexpensive units db --- any other suggestions before I go hit craigslist or ebay to sort out some potential options? :dankk2

Don't rule out stores like Gander Mountain, Dicks Sporting Goods and Bass Pro Shops.  They all have the unit for $80 currently.  You can sometimes find them on sale for below $70, if you have the time to wait.

dd

p.s. I don't have the Lowrance X4, but its predecessor under the Eagle brand name and I'm still using it (if that gives you any clue about durability of the unit).

Thanks DentonDoc. Forgot about Gander and Dick's. Actually the Dick's close to our home in Bloomington/494 has aisles upon aisles of tackle and gear. I'm usually lost in there trying to figure out jigs, lures, spinners, etc. Reminds me of that scene from Moscow on the Hudson with Robin William's character wondering the aisles of the local supermarket, overwhelmed by the rows of coffee and not being about to make a choice..."coffee, coffee, coffee..." :-/

I've used an Eagle Cuda for years. Never head north without it. ;)

Old Salt wrote on May 1^st, 2013 at 8:47pm:

I've used an Eagle Cuda for years. Never head north without it. ;)

:thumbup :)

At home, my bass boat has depth finders fore and aft, including one that displays topo maps of most lakes in North America. One fly-in trips I carry a portable Humminbird. So, I am familiar with the utility of the rigs. In the wilderness, however, I go without. Too heavy and I don't want to mess with carrying the darn thing through the woods.

Mine is adapted to run on 8AA batteries. I carry an addtional backup set. It is mounted in canoe. At portage, I just turn it off and rotate the head down. It weighs about a pound. Well worth it IMO. ;)

Ancient_Angler wrote on May 1^st, 2013 at 10:47pm:

At home, my bass boat has depth finders fore and aft, including one that displays topo maps of most lakes in North America. One fly-in trips I carry a portable Humminbird. So, I am familiar with the utility of the rigs. In the wilderness, however, I go without. Too heavy and I don't want to mess with carrying the darn thing through the woods.

I'm with you on this AA.  In WCPP and the more remote parks where I do my tripping I really believe I could catch fish with a safety pin and a piece of string.  So why lug another piece of gear and stick that ugly thing on the bottom of my beautiful canoe.  That being said, I take chairs and books and a travel Scrabble game so when it comes to carrying extra gear, who am I kidding  ::).

When I was offered a finder a few years ago I declined at first on the messing around concept. I honestly only took it because I was borrowing a canoe and it seemed rude not to take what was offered and suggested. After that I borrowed a different canoe and was offered another finder as well and since the 'ducer was part of the boat.... anyway I got hooked. Much appreciated guys.

Now I want a box just like I have that takes the batteries internally and the 'ducer to be connected via bluetooth.   :thumbup   ;D

The fish are dumb indeed but I like eating walleyes better than I like fishing.

I would never go without a "fish finder".  They really aren't fish finder, but depth finders and structures finders.  Graphing fish and catching fish, at least for me, have a very small correlation.  Some shorelines drop off very fast and other very gradually.  You need to know if you are in 20 feet of water verses 60 feet of water.  If you are trolling, once you find how deep the fish are you can keep your lure in the proper zone.  Plus, sometimes, it just cool to know that you are in 200 feet of water.  I think Old Salt said without a fish finder, you are wishing-not fishing.

Ditto to what Westwood has said.

While I HAVE actually witnessed fish taking the hook & being reeled in on a friend's larger, more powerful, higher resolution "fish" finder, my small unit packs more easily & answers my main need: to establish depth.  Am I in lake trout depth or walleye depth?  Tells me which lures to put on the end of the line or what water I need to move to depending on what I'd like shore lunch to  look like.

Having said that, in the interests of minimizing weight, I COULD be persuaded to leave my depth finder at home if I KNEW there were no lake trout present in the waters I would be fishing.  If there was a lot of portaging or bushwhacking involved, I might just leave it at home if no lakers were to be had [this remark comes from someone who has finally learned his lesson from chronic "overpacking" on bad-ass trips].

Jimbo   8-)

Jimbo wrote on May 4^th, 2013 at 11:56am:

Ditto to what Westwood has said. While I HAVE actually witnessed fish taking the hook & being reeled in on a friend's larger, more powerful, higher resolution "fish" finder, my small unit packs more easily & answers my main need: to establish depth.  Am I in lake trout depth or walleye depth?  Tells me which lures to put on the end of the line or what water I need to move to depending on what I'd like shore lunch to  look like. Having said that, in the interests of minimizing weight, I COULD be persuaded to leave my depth finder at home if I KNEW there were no lake trout present in the waters I would be fishing.  If there was a lot of portaging or bushwhacking involved, I might just leave it at home if no lakers were to be had [this remark comes from someone who has finally learned his lesson from chronic "overpacking" on bad-ass trips]. Jimbo   8-)

I'm hardly what you'd call a seasoned veteran when it comes to fishing but based on the parameters that you've set for what you need to know, Jimbo, I wonder if a depth finder is the best thing considering the bulk, weight etc.  Consider a Fish Hawk
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This is a tool that fits in the palm of your hand and weights a couple of ounces.  If you're concerned about trout (or Walleye,) it seems to me that depth isn't really what you want to know anyway.  What you want to know is temperature.  Trout tend to be where the water temp. is between 48 and 53 degrees.  The Fishhawk will tell you the temp every 5 feet, the depth and whether your bait is in the zone.  That's a lot of useful info.  It won't tell you anything about structure.  So, unless somebody tells me about it or I happen to paddle over it or get some clue based on outcroppings, sand bars etc. I won't be able to know that there is an underwater reef, for example.  However, in terms of likely fishing spots, people have been fishing with great success without depth finders for years.  I can generally get a pretty good idea of what is going on under the water by paying attention to what is going on above it.  A hard drop off like a a cliff face above the water is probably not going to be a good place to fish whereas a gentle drop off or point with large rocks and small boulders ought to be a spot worth looking for Walleye.  And if there happens to be blow down and such like then there's a good chance for small mouth and pike etc., although I'm sure you get all that already.  I don't know if this Fish Hawk will be the ticket for me.  I bought one and I'll be trying it this summer when I stalk the wily trout.  I'll let you know if it's blaster or disaster come September.  I have high hopes.  I did pretty well last summer based mostly on guess work so I'm hoping a little tech will just add to my success.  But really, I don't quite buy the notion that without a fish finder, you're wishing, not fishing.

oh the great discussions!

the simple answer to your question is yes and no, it depends!

but seriously, it depends on what you are planning on doing on your trip and how many times that area has been visited by you in the past.

i got a fish locator, lowrance x4, 2 years ago(one trip so far). we basecamp and weve been on the same lake for 4 years now. i knew the lake pretty well and basically the depth finder just gave numbers to my mental image. i probably could get by without it now.

if you plan on exploring new stuff, i would definitely say bring one

:dankk2

All great advice and appreciate sharing the perspective!

A depth finder would be useful during a summer or fall trip to locate the deeper structure the fish will relate to during these warm water periods. I might also bring one if I was targeting lake trout. From mid-May to mid-June when most of the fish are active in shallow water it would just be needless extra weight for me.

Like someone before me said . . . "If you're not using a depth finder, you're wishing, not fishing."

Although I suppose it depends on what your fishing goals and expectations are that determines whether you bring one or not.  Honestly, these things are so light and easy to use that I don't understand the "added weight" argument.  Anyway, w/o a locator you are paddling over trophy fish sitting on midlake structure.  Shoreline is easy enough to read to give you a pretty good idea of depth and what's down there but when you come across midlake structure . . . that's "treasure buried in a field" man.  I know of places on Pickerel, Jean, Cirrus, Quetico, Batch, Kasa where the bottom comes up from 60+ feet to 8 feet in the matter of a paddle stroke.  All the big fish party mid-lake.  But, if you don't want to catch them, that's fine by me.

Maybe what you really want is fishing knowledge/experience. Try skimming through "how to fish" books at home. Learn about the seasonal patterns and behaviors of the fish you're after. Then if fishing is the focus of your trip, by all means get a fish finder to show you how deep it is and an idea of the bottom. I don't think equipment catches fish as much as the fisherman's experience does. They also know how to use all the tools better. It's a fun journey to put knowledge together and see it prove out in the field. Plenty of very knowledgeable fishermen here.

There are plenty of rigs that catch fish but don't snag up too easy. Bead chain sinker and a plastic worm rig is cheap and works OK for me. But I'm not too focused on fishing and go at times of the year when the fishing isn't that great.