When I first started fishing, I would just cast my line out wherever I could find a good spot where my line and hooks would not get caught in weeds, bushes, or trees. I wouldn't catch a lot of fish. I would go at the right time of day-early morning or evening, when a weather font was moving through the area, when it was raining, and so many more of the 'tips'. None of them really paid off.

The best advice I listened to to improve the number of fish that I reeled in was concerning 'structure'. I wondered what that meant when I was younger. As I read more magazines and listened to TV shows and videos, it became very clear what was meant by the idea of 'structure'. Structure are the places that attract and hold fish; the things surrounding the fish are the structure; the fish hold up there because what the fish like to eat either go swimming by or floating by in the current and the structure offers the bigger fish camouflage.

This is why fishing the undercut banks of rivers is productive; when things fall off of the vegetation into the water, the fish are right there to snap it right up, or the current carries things almost into the fish's mouth. Weed beds are great because the little fish can hide more from the bigger fish until a big fish finds it. Under waterlily pads are wonderful protection from the hot sun while the fish waits for something like a frog to miss landing on the pad and falling right into the water into its mouth. Any type of big rock, pole, post, or tree can be a holding spot for fish on the downstream side because while the big fish waits there, it does not spend as much energy fighting the current. Points of land or rock piles that jut out into the water usually are places where you will find fish 'hang out'; these also offer protection and some camouflage until the bait come in close enough to get gobbled up.

All of this is good and will give you the opportunity to increase your catch, BUT now in the scientific age of all of our gizmos and gadgets, we have wonderous products available to us called fish finders or fish detectors. These operate on sonar just like submarines use to detect ships during wartime; that is where the fish finders were developed from that sonar on a scaled down size with tweaks added specific to fishing. Some fish finders are simpler than others which have all kinds of bells and whistles so to speak. Certain kinds are made to use from shore. While others can be operated from small craft like kayaks. Bigger and the fanciest models are utilized on bass boats on up to huge ships in fishing fleets. The fishfinders' displays range from black and white to many colors and can be loaded to show the fish as arcs or fish images depending on the models.

There are a few things to keep in mind when using these fish detectors. One is that they usually do not work well in rough or white water; this is because the sonar beam that is sent out bounces off the fish or structure, and when it returns to where the fish finder was supposed to be, the fish finder is no longer pointed in the proper direction to receive the signal back. This also happens when folks are using the smaller fish detectors that are like bobbers; they think that they can increase the area that the sonar will work in by floating them sideways to reach the shoreline from a boat, but the sonar can't return properly under those conditions, The same thing is true in the white water of a river or in the surf of a beach. The depth of the water is similar to these scenarios where water that is too shallow will give false readings. Then when these things happen, people think that their fish finder is broken or it's a piece of junk.

When deciding on which fish finder to purchase, you will need to be the judge of which one fits your own needs. This will probably start off with how much you have available to spend on a fish finder. Then progress into which features will fit your style and location of fishing.

Once you purchase a fish finder that is perfect for you and your fishing style, you won't leave home without it. That is because you will see how many more fish you catch when you visit your special secret fishing holes. Those fish can't hide from you and those hiding spots won't be a secret from you any longer! Go wet your line.

I have enjoyed learning new things since I was very young. I love to share my experiences and knowledge with others to improve their lives. I feel that this is the way to creating a better world through communication and shared knowledge which leads to a more harmonious global community.

To get some ideas, check out: My Best Fishfinder Reviews

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