Bigbarge50

Anyone have any tips on this unit. http://www.basspro.com/Lowrance-Mark5x-DSI-Gray-Scale-Fishfinder/product/10209988/-1753760 I bought it this winter, and have used it 4 times now. The downscan does not seem very "downscan-y" more like old fashion sonar. I have tried both the 455/800 kHz settings, as well as a split screen between the two. I have also tried playing with other settings. The instructions are for all Mark 5x units, not specifically the downscan, so no real help there. My biggest problem is that I am not seeing detail like the simulation shows or how it was talked up to me at all.... might as well be a regular sonar. I just do not think I a remotely close to getting the image I thought I would be. Any suggestions or tips would be very welcome. I have it mounted on a transducer mount (this http://www.basspro.com/Transducer-Brackets-for-Outboard-Motors/product/387/-281961) and not on the motor. Thanks

Well I must be going too deep or something I suppose, or maybe it is just the fact I went to Burke. I can say this, after 4 trips this season and 4 skunks.... confidence not riding very high. With the wind today I am leaving work and going to check out the Fredericksburg Outdoor show I think. Anyone else going? Anyone went in the past and enjoyed it?

This might sound ridiculous but an old school original bomber A in tenessee shad. I throw just about evevry brand, but when all else fails, that model and color seems to get one in the boat.

Went to Burke for St Patties to try to hang out with our favorite little green guys While I was skunked there again, the water temps were consistent between 52 to 54 degrees..... Have to think the rest of the NOVA lakes are around the same temp right? So as this is going to be my first spring fishing here., what temp can we expect these fish to get active? Any spawn predictions? Anyone else get out today? It was gorgeous.

Those are some ridiculously good days..... nice work

Saw a few dead ones last week....like 2 or 3, all very large. About how many dead ones did you see?

How was the walk from the lot to the lake at Mercer?

Frogginstein is dead on, in a brutal 15-20 mph wind yesterday I got blown around some. The most brutal part was fighting back up against the wind. I had to live in the highest speed all day and it ate the battery right up. Ended up having to row it in, which was more exercise than I wanted. This last trip will probably lead to me buying a second battery this week so this never happens again.

When that one fish is 5lbs tough to complain about that.

yeah real curious.... water was murky and 50 last weekend.... Wonder if the rain made it nearly completely dark and made the temp drop.

I use a 55lb thrust minn kotta.... without a transom you will need one of those mounts. I have a new lowarance downscan..... I bought a screw on mount used for pontoon boats from bps and mounted the transducer on that. Works rather well.

Wind at Beaverdam was brutal today too..... BRUTAL. I came in at 4 (rowing I might add because my battery ran out fighting the wind all day). Caught nothing. Water temps were 46. Water was pretty cloudy.

I got a seamax last summer. Canadian company just like zodiac or saturn. Aluminum floor allows me to stand without the slightest bit of problem. Having a keel cuts through the water and does not let the wind shove you around all day. I have posted pics of my set up before so if you do a search of my posts you can see them. I was going to post some this weekend, as I am installing and using a seat this week and can show off the new downscan I am using with it to. All that fits in my 97 honda civic...... hard to beat that.

I was thinking on Saturday of hitting huntsman or beaverdam. Went last Saturday to huntsman .... thought the sun was going to come out, but it did not. The good news for all was the water temp was consistently 50 degrees all over. The bad news is I have been there twice in two weeks with no fish. I know huntsman will be a muddy mess, but figure the double colorado blade spinner bait i cleaned up with there last year and the two new chatterbaits I got could be good options. Anyone been out to beaverdam?

Hey it is great your catching anything, my three trips have been real tough sledding with no action.

Nice fish..... definitely looks around the 6lb mark, give or take a few ounces. A very impressive fish. Throw in the weather and water temps lately..... very impressive. I went to Burke on Wednesday of last week, huntsman on sunday in NOVA... skunked both days. Water temps were between 42 and 46..... not exactly ideal to say the least. Any clue what the temp was in that pond?

Fixed it for you! A tip: after a trip, set the boxes out open to dry. Never store them wet and cold. Dry them out first. Use the Rustex Capsules in your boxes, too. x2 Those boxes are awesome

I can tell you from a visit to the Bass Pro in Maryland that all the Rick Clunn Lucky craft cranks were on a clearance rank..... guess because he is no longer with them. This cause me to buy two..... still 10 bucks a pop.... but a good deal. While the LC is a great crank and a great company..... KVD seems to be doing just fine not fishing them and those cranks are way cheaper.

Hit Burke yesterday..... No action which was not suprising but was very pleased with the lowrance downscan.... very impressive piece of hardware and found a lot of deeper underwater structure. That unit in the limited 2 hours I was out on the water quickly schooled me on how wrong I was about how deep parts of that lake are. I was also marking fish rather easily, they were just all down in like 30 ft of water.... and the water temp was 42 degrees, so was not like there was a lot of action to be had. If I get a chance I'll upload some pics I took of some of the downscan.

From my experience yesterday...... Burke's boat launch (the free one) is iced in still..... was a no go for me. Huntsman was almost completely ice free

OK fellas, going to serious get the boat on the water tomorrow..... and definitely on Friday...... and hopefully Thursday as well...... So where should I go? Are the lakes still iced up? Would Pohick be so shallow that all the fish not be there because they went deeper? I would hope that the lakes are de-iced after a few warmer days, but I have not been able to take a look myself. Top Candidates include: Burke Pohick Fountainhead Huntsman Any info on ice or other suggestions would be very welcome.

NOVA guys.... 60's the next three days with friday supposedly getting to 68...... Anyone hitting the water? We think we will be ice free? Might have to try out the downscan if we will break the ice

Just bought a 3/8th's ounce for the occasion..... and I needed a new buzzbait. Also got some of those shakey heads.... not a technique I used a lot last year, but planning on changing that this year. Hopefully those help.

Smallies this is not my stream or my question and I will say thanks for such an awesome answer. Even though I have heard and experienced a lot of what you said myself, was still one heck of an answer and a great effort put out there. While never been one to pursue the bronze cousins of the beloved largemouths, your post is enough to make me try out the upper Potomac some point this season with some spinning gear and senkos and see what I could stir up.

A win is a win.... and with these temps it is a job well done landing anything.