Fishing from a boat without a depth/fish finder 2024
helms83 reply :
I don't own a boat, but a small lake in a near by town has jon boat rentals and only allow trolling motors. So I bought a battery, a small trolling motor; and rent a jon boat every weekend to get my fix. (I'm thinking of buying a cheap portable depth finder, but for now I'm fishing by sight/feel.)
What clues am I missing to determine possible fishing "hot spots"? How do I find drop offs, weed beds, determine rock ledges, or other structures? What else am I missing?
Wayne P. reply :
You can find bottom depth, and bottom changes by using lures that are used on the bottom such as Jigs, Tx rigged worms, Carolina rigs, etc
When you catch one, there is a "hot spot".
Shad_Master reply :
If there is standing timber - you can get a pretty good idea of the channel by seeing how the trees lay out - the bigger trees (the ones that were there before the pond/lake filed up) will be on the edges of the channel.
Also, look at the bank and see how it angles into the water - this can give you some clue as to where points may be.
As to cover, fish what you can see and then probe around for what is under the surface with a jig or T-rig.
These are simple clues to get you started.
helms83 reply :
QuoteIf there is standing timber - you can get a pretty good idea of the channel by seeing how the trees lay out - the bigger trees (the ones that were there before the pond/lake filed up) will be on the edges of the channel.
I'm still trying to get a grasp on this "channel" thing, I'm fairly new at this. Is there anyway you could explain this with what you previously wrote?
slonezp reply :
Google maps satellite view can give you an idea of how the lake is set uo along with a good topo map if they make one for that body of water.
helms83 reply :
QuoteGoogle maps satellite view can give you an idea of how the lake is set uo along with a good topo map if they make one for that body of water.
I found a topo, however, it had no contour lines to indicate depth. I haven't been able to find anything else either.
Shad_Master reply :
QuoteQuoteIf there is standing timber - you can get a pretty good idea of the channel by seeing how the trees lay out - the bigger trees (the ones that were there before the pond/lake filed up) will be on the edges of the channel.I'm still trying to get a grasp on this "channel" thing, I'm fairly new at this. Is there anyway you could explain this with what you previously wrote?
It took me a little while to catch on too - as you look down a row of trees - they may seem scattered and random - but if you look at them individually you will notice that some of them tend to have larger trunks - these were the ones closest to the water (i.e. the creek or stream) before the lake or pond filled up - this will help you mentally map out how the channel runs. You can also see where road beds and fence rows were as the trees will be lined up in a fairly straight row.
SirSnookalot reply :
Isn't technology wonderful ? I'm sure many of the oldtimers like myself grew up fishing in a rowboat with no motor, needless to say no electronics and we caught fish. 60 years of bass fishing and I've yet to use a fish finder, I use them in saltwater only to mark depth.
If I had a boat today for bass I would definitely have one, but I think good fishing instinct is the best tool you can have.
K_Mac reply :
When I was refurbishing my boat I used a buddies. It didn't have any electronics. I have always fished with one eye on the sonar. It was a real challenge, but it probably made me a better fisherman. It forced me to pay closer attention to the lay of the land. I began to focus more on changes in the slope of the bank, cuts, pockets, points, transitions from rock/gravel/mud/grass/wood to rock/gravel/mud... I found a C-rig to be very helpful in figuring out bottom topography and composition, and finding structure. Add a good topo map and you can begin to get an image of what is under you.
I have never regretted one penny I spent on quality electronics. I don't have side imaging (yet) but even the best units still only give you a snapshot of the bottom. Putting it all together to get a comprehensive mental image of any area takes patience, skill, and practice. I am not that good, but I enjoy the process. ;D
Good luck.
helms83 reply :
I agree with the last two posts completely. I'm fairly new to bass fishing. I have been reading alot and taking everything in. I feel to become a much better fishermen, I should learn how to fish without electronics first. The only reason I want it now is 1) my lake is so small there is no topo contour map 2) it's summertime, a good chance to learn some about deep water bass fishing, and a depth finder would be helpfully.
But I'm trying to learn by using my senses. There's just so much to try to take in, and I'm not sure exactly what I'm seeing or feeling.
Here's what I've learned:
-The nature of bass and why they are at certain locations, and not others
-Seasonal effects on bass
-Feeling the bottom: I can tell mud from rocks from grass (somewhat, lol)
-Visually looking for possible depth changes; points are easier to notice
-Types of fishing: searching, fast, slow, changing retrieves, positioning
-And loads of other info
This site and its' members have been helping alot.
helms83 reply :
QuoteQuoteQuoteIf there is standing timber - you can get a pretty good idea of the channel by seeing how the trees lay out - the bigger trees (the ones that were there before the pond/lake filed up) will be on the edges of the channel.I'm still trying to get a grasp on this "channel" thing, I'm fairly new at this. Is there anyway you could explain this with what you previously wrote?
It took me a little while to catch on too - as you look down a row of trees - they may seem scattered and random - but if you look at them individually you will notice that some of them tend to have larger trunks - these were the ones closest to the water (i.e. the creek or stream) before the lake or pond filled up - this will help you mentally map out how the channel runs. You can also see where road beds and fence rows were as the trees will be lined up in a fairly straight row.
Ok, so if I'm starting to get this, then a 'channel' is the main 'underwater current' of the lake?
With what you just said, I gather that the beginning main flow of water, before a lake becomes this massive body of water, could have started as a creek or small stream. This is where trees were lined up by the small shoreline. But over time, the stream flooded and became this lake, and that once small creek/stream is still there, but now it's the underwater current or channel. The trees haven't gone anywhere, they're still where the creek/streams' shoreline and current use to be, but now they plot a course above water of the underwater channel.
Is this correct?
helms83 reply :
I just noticed a few of you guys are from IL, I'm originally from N.Illinois (Rockford area). But I've lived in KY since 2005 cause of the Army. always nice to see fellow Illini here 
Shad_Master reply :
helms83 - the quotes are getting too long - but yes this is one way to start disecting the contour under the water - on my local lake I find that the bass tend to drop down into the channel during the heat of the day and then pull up on the flats on either side in the evening to feed.
By following the channel and noting the time of day, I can some times figure out where the bass will be and what their mood is. Of course I have to take into account the time of year and weather conditions as well.
Wow, sorta sounds like I know what I'm talking about don't it 
All this is just a starting point and figuring out the rest w/o a depth finder just takes time and practice.
Paul Roberts reply :
QuoteQuoteIf there is standing timber - you can get a pretty good idea of the channel by seeing how the trees lay out - the bigger trees (the ones that were there before the pond/lake filed up) will be on the edges of the channel.I'm still trying to get a grasp on this "channel" thing, I'm fairly new at this. Is there anyway you could explain this with what you previously wrote?
Creek channels are where creeks/water drainages ran through through the landscape before it was flooded. As you drive around in your car you'll notice that creeks/streams often have larger trees along them bc of added moisture, richer soils, and he fact that farmer's don't need to cut trees to create fields where there is a creek. Now flood the area and you can see what meant by "creek channels" and larger treelines. Treelines may be old hedgerows too, or steep areas that were never cut or.... .
Take a drive and imagine things flooded.
Wayne P. reply :
This is what a creek channel looks like with sonar when crossing from one side to the other:
Wayne P. reply :
This is a creek channel shown on Side Imaging Sonar:
Wayne P. reply :
This is a Side Imaging creek channel (left side) traveling parallel to it. Standing timber on the right side.
NBR reply :
When I started fishing there weren't any electronic depth sounders. We used a map and either an anchor with the rope marked in feet or roughly figured how much anchor rope was out. The rope method is just as accurate as a sounder but takes an incredible amount of time for the same amount of information.
brant7171 reply :
I don't know where you are fishing but check out angling technologies mapper. Click the layers tool and then click depth contours or depth profiles. If nothing shows then they don't have depth data for your lake but if something does show then you can see channels and points and other structure before you head out. The depth profiles feature has recently changed I see and really makes depths stand out for places like kentucky lake.
Crestliner2008 reply :
Have been fishing for over 55 years myself and had to do some "improvising" to learn what the bottom looked like. Get yourself about 50' of 1/4" line from the hardware store. Tie on a 4 oz. saltwater, lead sinker. Tie an overhand knot about 10' up and again at every 5' intervals. Within these overhand knots center a 4" length of colored ribbon - a different color for each 5' interval. Keep this in a small bucket in your boat and use it to "sound" your bottom at various points of interest. It will not take very long for you to pattern out the bottom contours in such a fashion.
Did this for many years before getting my first "Green Box" (Lowrance flasher). I would not consider going out on the water now without a sonar of some kind. But the above suggestion will help you out in the mean time. Save your pennys and pick up a "Fishing Buddy" bottom finder. This is an inexpensive (~$100.), clamp on sonar, which is operated on regular AA batteries. It'll do until you can afford better.
Above all, don't let anyone tell you that you can be just as successful on the water without a sonar. This baloney about "feeling" a good spot is pure, unadulterated BS! You can get "lucky", but that's only an occasional shot in the dark. Use the drop line for starters. Save your money and get a sonar. And start to really learn how to fish.
Eddie Munster reply :
Here's a youtube video detailing how to use Google Maps to learn a body of water.
32251 reply :
look at the bank. contours, land type, rock formations etc. continue out into the water. just follow them with your eye.
Fishes in trees reply :
Cerestliner 2008 has the right idea. Save your pennies and get yourself one of those Fishing Buddies portable depth finders. I bought one of those years ago, (when they were made by Bottom Line). They are incredibly handy and will save you alot of time so far as figuring out how deep where goes. Mine also had a temp. guage feather, which I found really hand in the early spring for finding the warmest water in the lake.
The only down side I found was that they were battery eaters, i.e you pretty much had to buy new batteries every time you went - really not that big of a deal, unless you forget to buy batteries as you are heading out.
done reply :
I fished my lake for 8 months in my first jon without electronics. Learned pretty good how to find the hot spots.
1. Watch other fisherman with electronics. Watch where they stop, let their investment pay you dividends.
2. Get a topo map. They are not always 100% accurate but they give ya a great idea of where to look. With a large lake this is key to minimizing the learning curve.
3. When you get to a spot throw a jig or a weighted weedless plastic for a bit. Keep the line tight and bounce your bait along the bottom, you will get a feel for the depth, terrain, structure, etc. This is assuming you are in a spot too deep to really see what is going on .
4. Watch the food source. In the fall especially in Wylie, you start to see HUGE schools of shad in specific spots in the lake. Bass love shad. So where I found these schools, I would frequently start pulling out nice bass with shad crank baits. Last night I saw a spot in a cove where the water was covered with small black flies. Bass were eating them up. Threw some of my dark colored smaller spinners and nailed some Bass.
I LOVE having electronics now and seeing the structure on the bottom makes a big difference but I had some good success without them as well.
BobP reply :
Fin@tic, I'm no sonar expert but there are a few things I try to keep in mind. First, a standard 21 degree transducer will show you what's in a cone whose diameter is only about 7 ft in diameter on the bottom in 20 ft of water. So it's pretty easy to miss structure or fish unless you run right over them. Remember what you see on the screen is a history of what you have been running over, not a live TV screen (which is the way we all have been programmed to see it). Sonar can spook fish so it's best to turn it off when fishing shallow water. They don't seem to spook as easily in deep water and you can use the sonar to stay on a shad school that bass are attacking (maybe they can't hear it in the commotion, or just ignore it to gorge themselves). A screen fish hook is produced as a fish swims into, through, and out of the center of the sonar cone. When the boat stays directly over a bass for a few seconds, what gets painted on screen is a thick line that looks like a worm. A school of bass looks like a pile of worms. Lastly, if a fish is literally sitting on the bottom or is in close contact with cover, you won't detect it. That's why sonar should mostly be thought of as an aid to locate where bass SHOULD be, not necessarily where they ARE. If you find structure and/or cover and/or baitfish on the screen (all three are best!), you deduce that bass are there even if you don't see them on screen. Take your knowledge of fish behavior, seasonal variations, weather factors and prey behavior, then add sonar to refine and confirm what you think bass should be doing. It's a great tool but not the only one in the tool box.
Wayne P. reply :
The "Father of Sturcture Fishing", Buck Perry, didn't have sonar to find bottom contours. His lures did that for him.
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