8/10/11 Wednesday Port Douglas (Digital Auto pilot test)

[digitroll (ron)]

3 weeks ago was my last trip out on our lake out of the Winooski river with one of my shoot-out partners Lazy C's. We launched out of the Winooski river with a lake level at 95.6 ft. There were places less than 2 feet coming out on plane but managed to have no issues out of the delta. We headed across to fish south-west of Schuyler Island after reading a report of two nice steelhead taken there the weekend before. We set up in the bay that shelters Port Douglas and marveled how protected everything was with deep water right up to the launch. Marked a few fish and fished it hard for 2 hours trying a little of everything. The wind was blowing out of the west and we went in tighter to shore and trolled north for another few hours and ended up at the ferry crossing at Port Kent at 1 pm as we bagged it as the winds got over 20 mph for a nice surf in straight across to the Winooski river. Todays catch: 3 salmon and a lake trout. Tough bite! This was the first time I have ever fished off Port Douglas in Corlier bay. I was impressed with the layout and the calm waters with the west wind a blowing. I can see why Champlain Fisher and our northern friends like this launch and area to fish!

The best part was trying out my new Raymarine X5-R Digital autopilot and my Fish Hawk X-4 temp. probe. The new autopilot replaced my 5 year old Raymarine analog sportpilot plus. This new unit is digital with a computer. It learns the handling characteristics of your vessel when programming it on it's trial run. Just amazing response time from the new technology! I really like the FishHawk X-4 display and probe as well for my aging eyes at 50 yrs. old this year.

Can't wait to get out again as I hope to have Wally Andre as a guest on Sept. 7th my Wednesday off. This Wednesday I am bringing my son to his first day of school.

Good luck everyone.

Ron

[raz]

Thanks for that report Ron. Fishing has gotten very tough lately no doubt. Glad you guys did a few fish.

I'm considering getting an X-4 myself. Marknfish just put one on his boat and loves it. One the other hand, I have a friend or two thinking a probe is a waste of money. Decisions, decisions, decisions! I can certainly see it's advantages.

Your new auto pilot learns the characteristics of your boat...amazing technology.

Hope you guys get together on the 7th and have a successful outing...keep us all posted!

[Reelax]

Nice report Ron, glad to hear you finally got back on the water... Sounds like some fun new toys you have on board!

[Salmoneye]

New toys are always fun!

[FISHCRAZY(LALLY)]

Thanks for that report Ron. Fishing has gotten very tough lately no doubt. Glad you guys did a few fish.

I'm considering getting an X-4 myself. Marknfish just put one on his boat and loves it. One the other hand, I have a friend or two thinking a probe is a waste of money. Decisions, decisions, decisions! I can certainly see it's advantages.

Your new auto pilot learns the characteristics of your boat...amazing technology.

Hope you guys get together on the 7th and have a successful outing...keep us all posted!

Raz I have read those opinions that the Probe is a waste and that Lake Ontario mentality doesn't work on lake Champlain and I say "Really"? There is definitely something to it. The day before I met you on the broad lake I had perfect cold water temperatures and I was slaying the fish one after the other!!!! Then there was a BIG thunderstorm that blew out of the East all night.... I know because I was camping on the island remember. The next day I could not find temp or fish!!! When you saw me I was trying any way to no avail So waste of time?? I don't think so. Learning where and why the temp moves during certain conditions....... VERY valuable My buddy on lake "O" can tell you exactly where and why depending on previous nights wind where temp will go. Some times it's just plain gone for a couple days and in the case of the kings you just fish right on bottom for them. I believe if you own a probe and spend a lot of time on the same body of water that it will become an "Invaluable" tool.

Several trips to Champlain and I have filled my boat one day and struggled the next. Everytime it was because I lost temp and didn't know which way to go. That's good info. It's at least "One of the pieces to the puzzle" I do agree that fish definitely swim out of their "Preferred" range to feed on bait, but that range needs to be somewhat close by to begin with.

Once again just my opinion, I'm still learning and welcome the challenge and am grateful that I have tons more to learn

[raz]

Thanks for keeping the "light on" RL. I'm pretty sure it's on a gift list somewhere around here!

[digitroll (ron)]

The other very significant piece of data a probe will give you is speed at the ball. This for me is where I look for strikes when I change my trolling speed any given day and direction with currents. Temp and speed at the ball "priceless"! Learned this important tip from Crazy Ivan about speed. Started using my probe again 2 years ago as I used to just use it in Ontario for 30 years. Sure enough paying attention to hit speed at the ball has resulted in larger fish .

[FISHCRAZY(LALLY)]

The other very significant piece of data a probe will give you is speed at the ball. This for me is where I look for strikes when I change my trolling speed any given day and direction with currents. Temp and speed at the ball "priceless"! Learned this important tip from Crazy Ivan about speed. Started using my probe again 2 years ago as I used to just use it in Ontario for 30 years. Sure enough paying attention to hit speed at the ball has resulted in larger fish .

Ron, yes of course speed.... That's just a giv'n to me so sorry for the overlook. Very interesting your view on leaving feeding or active fish of relative same size Probably because my first big water encounters were on the ocean and working on charter boats, but I was always taught to "Never leave fish, to try and find fish". I'm more inclined to go the thought process of Crazy Ivan and set a lure deeper than the rest and try for the big one there. I find it hard to leave an area that has "EVERYTHING" right to trigger fish activity. That being said I have never caught a Giant land-loc either so.......?????

Interesting......

Remember my last post on lake "O"? I made one pass and caught 5 fish of the undesired species and marked a large school of bait and then went chasing after other boats that were catching salmon, just to later return to that same spot after being "spanked" and after a few adjustments "Dialed in" and had a most wonderful trip. That whole evening I kept saying in my head "STUPID!!.... Can't you remember ANY of the basics?" Don't leave fish to find fish!!

That's why I love this sport so much. So many fish's, so many bodies of water, so many different techniques..........

[digitroll (ron)]

Some very good points Ric. I did delete out the cookie cutter part as this might be mis- understood. Thanks for your input! It's a work in progress every time we hit the water and it changes everyday. Deeper is a good suggestion! And do not leave fish to find fish. I have been burned on that one. I stand corrected.

[FISHCRAZY(LALLY)]

Ron you can't do that!!!.... I was just thinking over coffee that maybe you had something there??? I can think of several scenarios that would have fit with what you said. Remember that slob salmon from pleasant lake in NH??? That thing was caught WAAAAAAAY out of temperature in super shallow waters!! One of the most focused salmon fisherman I know had been fishing that lake for two years trying to find a fish like that and then that young man was bass fishing got board and started trolling instead!! Go- Figure!!

Was not intending to "Correct"....... just sharing insight

[digitroll (ron)]

Actually I wanted to edit that out before your post minutes after posting. I had to wait 10 minutes for my wifes Apple to download and restart with software updates. No problem as going deeper below cookie's is a good idea if around bait. I edit on the fly till it comes out right. Real time editing. No worries.

Very good replies.

R

[MarknFish (Mark)]

Speed is one of the reasons I put the X4 on. After that July day with my brother and two nephews in rolling waves the frustration was too much for me. We killed fish rolling in the north wind but couldn't buy one going against. We tried up to 4.0 GPS but thinking back now, I still don't think we were getting the right speed at the lure. Maybe it should have been 5.. or more. That's what keeps me coming back for more, cuz it's all about the chase!

[instigator]

Raz the probe is the way to go, I am glad I put mine back on, just need to be more carefull with it
down, gets expensive when lost,,Reggie(cool forum)

[raz]

Raz the probe is the way to go, I am glad I put mine back on, just need to be more carefull with it
down, gets expensive when lost,,Reggie(cool forum)

Glad to see you swung in Reg...

[Flashpoint]

Guess I just had to put my $.02 in guys! I have had the pleasure of experimenting with two probes this season, though I have headaches with both....there is no doubt that they do work! I know this topic has been batted around on many forums....what is the right speed...for which unit....etc. I have had a fish hawk for the last two years with the old style probe. This probe gave unreliable read outs & ate batteries! I had intentions of replacing the probe with an X4 until I was lucky enough to win the Cannon unit at one of this years taping events(thanks Ron & Vt Home & Marine!) i used this unit flawlessly down on the Hudson for stripers, the unit is one of the only ones that not only shows you lure speed & temp but also lure DEPTH!! Oh how very critical when fishing any where below 50ft! this unit is a coated cable unit & it has alot of blow back from 80-100ft down( with a 12lb pancake weight)! Almost 15ft!! I had some troubles with it later in the season on Champlain, have to keep the attena wet to get signal when fishing deep. The critical part is that on windy days when trolling into the wind....you may have a surface speed of over 4.5mph.......& lure is barely crawling at 1.9mph!!
Well....do to some questions with the unit, I decided to fork out the extra $$ and by the X4 probe before leaving for Lake Ontario. GOOD MOVE! The Old fishhawk unit has adjustments on the back so i could zero the units in together with the probes only 5ft down. I played around with heavier weights out on the Big Lake.....15lb torpedos....which helped with my blow back issue. But low and behold, on day three my Cannon unit quit... I tried new batteries, adjusting the anntenna, cutting and resetting the cable.....to NO avail! So the X4 saved the day & worked Very well under some adverse conditions. Most of our fish were coming from 80-140 ft down.....so this is a LONG way for the signal to travel. Some days with switching currents the signal would bounce around....but as Rick said finding the temp was critical to our success!
So any way.....now that I have babbled on...YES probes DO work & are a great tool! They all have thier ups & downs. One of my close friends lost a probe out on the O this year....we trolled next to each other so he could check speed & cable blow back angle with current.....he actually out fished me when i told him what depth I found temp at!! So yes,.......you CAN fish with out it! But OOHHHH what a great tool!
Good luck to all......save up the $$....maybe santa will bring you a new X4!