Sk8man

A thoughtful note Trouthunter. We do indeed have much to be thankful for in this great country of ours too and it is a good time to remember those folks that gave their very lives so that we can live the way we do and enjoy these special resources and activities. Happy Thanksgiving to all the LOU "family".

Maybe you could even dig deep and make it a beer

Sometimes you make too much sense Mike As an old time stream guy one of the things that has always bothered me greatly is watching people trample redds without any apparent concern. I would certainly respect a decision to give the rainbows a break for a year or two....(and who knows how many I have left)

Nick - an example of limitations of what goes into the decision making process is the one rainbow limit on Canandaigua. It wasn't really based on the data per se.;it was based on the desire to keep things consistent among the western Finger Lakes. This was even admitted to me by DEC folks. This is truly an inexact science in stocking these lakes right now and setting creel limits as well. There is a lot of "shooting in the dark" and it is understandable given the complexity of present environmental circumstances. Many of these lakes are experiencing difficulties and are in varying stages of trouble and it is unclear whether or if they they are capable of "self-correcting". There are a variety of interests that need to be "balanced". and I like you am willing to leave it in the hands of the biologists for the time being

It can help to take photos at different stages too so you can be sure of getting it back together correctly

Or another option: https://www.jannsnetcraft.com/fly-tying/

As far as bottom coverage goes this may help illuminate that particular issue: http://www.airmartechnology.com/bottom-calculator.html It may be worth mentioning that the transducer is an important component; but only half of the total equation. The unit being used, its capabilities, and how it is adjusted accounts for the other half. An additional factor in the bottom clarity (and target from bottom discrimination) is the type of bottom itself and the signal power of the unit (e.g. signal strength returning from the bottom) which is related to the type of bottom and structure as well. A CHIRP unit should give you increased resolution and better discrimination of target and bottom separation and discrimination between targets, but it needs to be properly adjusted and fine tuned (e.g. sensitivity,etc.) to get the best result regardless of transducer. To get the most from the unit and the transducer it has to be properly matched and located as well. Even a standard unit transducer can excel in some cases when these factors are properly set. Airmars are top notch transdducers. It is unclear what exactly is meant by "deep water" as some may think 100 ft is deep water while my fishing buddy thinks that 600 is where we start fishing in his boat

If you really want it done right get an acrylic cover custom fitted to your boat by John Mann of Sodus Bay Canvas at Sodus Point. Keep it waterproofed by using the outdoor version Scotchguard periodically. Place an extendable pole inside the boat if stored outside so snow will slide off it and then cover it with a tarp secured by bungi cords. It will last many years and keep your boat in perfect shape. Tarps by themselves are OK for temporary situations but over winter high wind can rip them and/or rip the grommets out of them in high wind combined with adverse weather exposing your boat interior. It is worth spending money at the outset not having to worry and protecting your substantial investment.

The shark fin type. PM me if you have and are interested in selling them. Thanks.

Ready or Knot makes a good point. It really does depend on how you intend to use it and what features are actually necessary (not necessarily desired as a lot of stuff ends up not being used). If only a fish finder is sought Furuno is day in day out year after year dependable and is the way to go. If you fish for multi-species in addition to trolling for trout a such as walleye etc. and use mapping extensively the combination units made by Humminbird, Garmin, and Lowrance etc. offer more sophisticated charting features which can be pricey and some enticing but seldom actually used by many folks (e.g. down or side imaging etc). So regardless of the unit selected it should fit your actual specific fishing needs and is worth the time to think it through and do your homework researching it rather than relying on other folks opinions (although they can be helpful information-wise). Another aspect worthy of consideration is the American belief that "size matters" . In reality "bigger is not always better" despite the enticing quality of it. *Advanced selection of the space available for locating the unit selected is critical and the ability to clearly see the display (especially in bright sunlight) and not have the unit interfere with other important things such as the steering wheel