Sometimes it not the equipment!

Despite the new SI and GPS and plotting capabilities, I seem to have difficulties keeping my boat near the point I spotted fish.

Here's what I usually do:
Lurk around potential fishing areas, scanning for fish... After I spotted them, i would immediately create a waypoint, and determine the direction my boat is drifting.
I would then drive against the drift for a distance 3x the depth of water and drop anchor. Payout approx 3x the length of rope...
and voila I would be somewhere OTHER than the waypoint! I dunno if its the tide and/or wind.
And the sonar reading will invariably be fishless. JEEZ!

The problem is I would usually be about 30-40 feet away. And the bottom is usually to rocky to cast (I loose alot of lead doing that).

Anyone got some better techniques? Its getting too embarrassing not to catch much with such sophisticated equipment on board. At least before, I was able to blame the equipment.

I fish on coastal saltwater usually around 20-50 feet of water. in tropical waters.

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youngfranco
Fishing on the coastal waters of Singapore on his 20 ft cuddycabin

I fish alone at night and getting on target was hard for me. What I do now is mark my fish then throw out a buoy marker out behind the boat. To see it I put a glow stick around it.

I found it hard it pinpoint where I wanna go just off a waypoint. A marker buoy is dead on.

I also run chains between my anchor and anchor rope to help set the anchor faster and stay put.

Just a idea for ya to throw around
-Jim-

When I cross over an area, where fish is ID'd, I create a waypoint on the gps screen. Then I use the target option to create a grid around that waypoint.
The grid also gives me the distance from the waypoint. As I drift a certain direction with the wind and tide, the drift direction gives me the angle to rotate the grid around the waypoint. The HB 798C SI has 2 grid options: radius or trolling grid. I use the trolling grid because you can set the angle.

Setting the grid, either the y-axis or x-axis parallel with the drift, I can drive my boat the distance I need "windward" of the waypoint, drop anchor and pay out the rope necessary as the boat drifts backwards to reach the waypoint.

In theory it works, but the reality is that its still inaccurate. It would still be about 20-30 feet away from the mark. (given the depth of the water is about 60-70 feet.) and not to mention that the tide turns with time.

I think throwing out the marker bouy is a better idea. The trick is anchoring your boat and getting it within 10-15 feet away from the bouy.

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youngfranco
Fishing on the coastal waters of Singapore on his 20 ft cuddycabin