Sk8man

"is that 150 to 200 feet of copper out or down." - out When I think of browns in the Spring (regardless of where) I think light line (12 lb test) mainline and a 10 lb fluoro leader about 20 ft long with a very small black ball bearing swivel tied into the leader about 4 ft up from the lure and the lure connected by a very small duo lock snap for spoons and sticks alike. Sometimes a couple large size split shot placed a few inches above the swivel (toward the rod side) above helps to keep things down a bit and also may keep grass from the lure especially with jointed Rapala type lures. Forget the split shot in real shallow (less than 6 or 8 ft.). Run your lines as far away from the boat as practical (e.g. depending on boat traffic etc.) or run on boards out long and constantly move them in and out along the shoreline. Run your stuff right up near the shoreline when conditions permit (light levels, wind direction, boat traffic, or obvious snags etc.)Try to find the warmest water you can. Fish your stuff in and out of any mud lines or "scum lines" and fish the inside edges of any thermal bars you encounter. Look for birds and bait and fish there back and forth. Continually monitor and modify your boat speed and try different things like "s" turns start and stops (when out deeper or using just floating lures), and even rock your boat back and forth if in a smaller one to impart different action to your lures. With downriggers use longer leads than usual when in shallow (e.g. 50 ft or more back)

I'll still go with the problem being with the internal board's interpretation of the data coming from the transducer rather than the transducer itself. My hunch is that because the problem is similar for others it may be inherent in the hardware (board design) too if there isn't software update capabilities. I'll be surprised if it turns out to be the transducer since most are primarily "conduits" for receiving the signal transmission rather than "interpreters" of the data per se.

Usually around November is the main spawning but right about now there may well be some in shallow water if you know where to look

I didn't know Jim but as a fellow Viet Nam era vet I have a deep respect for him as it was not an easy time to be in the military. Sounds as though he was a great guy and certainly one I would have connected with had we met RIP.

Yes Sean it probably is the difference in formatting. It also happens sometimes when and SD card is formatted on PC's and then tried in a digital camera (especially if formatted on a MAC) and the camera doesn't understand it and kicks out an error message or else says the card is empty because it can't read that format. Always try to format a card on the device that it is intended to be used on.

I just got off the phone with one of his re-election people seeking my vote I gave him a piece of my mind and ended it with "I don't vote for emperors or dictators".

Pete you have another PM

Thanks John. Had a wonderful trip out west, Didn't get to fish for tuna this time because my buddy's mother-in-law died so maybe next time. I know what you mean about the water level over there....a couple years ago we barely made it out of the launch at Sodus near Arney's (especially where guys had "power loaded"). I imagine guys are fishing for the perch in the bay around now but a bunch are probably after the ducks and bow hunting. One of the reasons I gave up hunting....pretty much have the lakes to yourself at this time of year

These situations are always a "mixed blessing". The cormorants are very bad polluters of water (feces) and they eat massive amounts of bait as well. They are hated in most salt water environments and places with fresh water ponds such as Cape Cod. Sometimes they mess up the pond water so bad that swimming is about impossible.

You might also want to keep in mind that on most of the Finger Lakes many smallmouth bass suspend during Summer and Fall and frequently appear as rainbows when we are thinking "trout" and they usually don't respond well to the spoons. Sometimes you can test out by running a 4 inch Rapala like stick bait in with your spoons (e.g. onmain downrigger line with a small cheater spoon above it and they may grab it and if rainbows they may as well. I use 8 ft long sliders nearly all the time and usually run the main line spoons about 30-50 ft back this time of the season.

Tim is right.... "slow" and "down" are the keys to it. if fishing from land. Sometimes when trolling it from a boat tying in a small ball bearing swivel about 2 1/2 to 3 feet above it and tying the line directly to the lure can give it a more natural appearance (action) too. The larger sizes can be good for jigging by adding some of the "V" shaped imitation pork rind pieces used on bass lures