keeganzpapa

If you go on the west marine website it does say it comes with one, after reading Scott F's reply, I am now going to call and have the order changed to the Lawrence Hook-4-Lake with CHIRP Transducer, Built in GPS Antenna, Lake Pro Cartography and Cover. They have it priced down 45% until 12/24/16. I want the maps function, and this is preloaded with Navionics maps, and for just $50.00 more it seems worth it. with free shipping. After both Scott's and Wayne P. 's posts I think this is the better value for a cheaper finder. What say you Scott F? westmarine.com

I am receiving a Garmin Striker 4 DV for Christmas. Does anyone have any time on the water with this unit or any pro's/con's to share? (Sorry for the change, After reading Scott F's post I changed my order to a Lawrence-4-Lake with CHIRP Transducer, Built-in GPS Antenna, Lake Pro Cartography, and Cover.)

Sam..I just moved in two years ago and on my first trip last Fall with my Grandson to Hunting Run Reservoir, while he fished on the dock, I was checking out a footpath around to the right. I heard what I thought was fish jumping in the water, or the noise a carp would make ahead of me just off the bank. Checking further I saw two snakes floating on top of the water. They were the color and size of copperheads, and they were coiled up with their heads cocked back to strike each other, then behind that a full coil, then the rest of their bodies protruding them in the water. They would swim up to each other, then spring forward but I could not tell if they were biting each other but they wrapped their bodies around each other for a few seconds and then separate, then do it ll over again. I watched them for awhile till one of them noticed me and when I started to leave it kept trying to swim ahead of me and I thought it was trying to come up on the bank ahead of me. Needless to say, I made some pretty quick moves till I was sure that I had won the race. My understanding is that water snakes swim with only their heads above water. I don't know much about snakes, but that about did it for me!

I wouldn't do that, the little 'feller might fall off.

Lefty, I misspelled the other poster's name, it is Corker, not Croaker.

I am so glad I asked that question. My dad used to say the fish are out in the middle on the bottom because of the heat. In fact most said that. To have you verify otherwise makes a difference which should help change how I fish and maybe change my luck, as I would have started bottom fishing the deep knowing what I saw on your pics. Thanks.

Wayne P. when I look at the sonic pics it shows the depth. It also shows the temp F. Is that the temp at that depth, or surface temp at the time the pic was made? I never realized, if it is at the depth, that it would be that hot, for a lake as deep as this. No wonder, if this is the case, that the fish move deep during the summer.

Lefty, you will help yourself a lot by getting to know Wayne P. He is THE MAN in this area. I am only passing on information he has basically supplied me, and won't pretend that any of it is mine. I had just opened this thread to suggest you contact him when I saw the above post. Also, there is another by the name of Croaker, (I sure hope I spelled that right.) on crappie.com/crappie/virginia. They are both very helpful. It is frustrating to join a site and have nobody respond so I sent you what I had, but it had been supplied me thru them.

Here's Hunting run, it should open in a contour map, if not click on the button lower left and click on sonar. Drag mouse to see complete map. Best bass lake in this area. https://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=en#search@14&key=}q~hFvw}xM

https://www.topoquest.com/map.php?lat=38.26025&lon=-77.62383&datum=nad83&zoom=4&map=auto&coord=d&mode=zoomin&size=l I forgot I had this also.

Hi lefty, I also am looking for information on the Ni River Reservoir. I live within 2 miles of it and am just now (having moved into Spotsylvania County 1 1/2 years ago) starting to learn about it. I have heard it has been labeled "No Fish Ni". I had my canoe in it two weeks ago and had one nice strike just as I was lifting the lure out of the water but could not get a repeat. I think it was either a good size crappie or a smaller bass, as I did not get to see much of it. It has a sandy boat ramp, is only open Saturday-Tuesday. Electric motor only. Deepest part 20'. I really need this reservoir to be good because it is so close to me, and kind of hope the people that don't like it are the ones that are use to catching mega amounts of huge fish. Hopefully they just did not give the lake a chance, and maybe they don't appreciate a quiet little shallow lake as I do. I was out once with my wife on a holiday and stopped in and it was very crowded. When I took my canoe I went on a Monday at 6:30am and had the whole place to myself till I had to leave around 10:30 because of back pains, as I had surgery in February. You can get a season pass for boat launch and one for access, however if you are senior as I am the access if free. I am not sure about non-resident. If you are looking for a better Bass lake, check out Hunting Run Reservoir. Much better and much deeper. The same passes work for both reservoirs. Both are closed for the winter starting in October I think. http://www.spotsylvania.va.us/filestorage/15913/15925/16011/HuntingRunNiRiverRulesandRegulations2016.pdf Any more information I get I will share if you are still interested.

Thanks for mentioning the rig you used. Those pics are awesome!

I can see that I am destined to beat the bank. I spent 3 hours today trying to locate bottom cover as shown on Navionics by guesstimation from looking at contour map pics while in a canoe that sways back and forth and no sonar or locator equipment and became very frustrated, while trying to stay in one spot to stay overtop said cover without dropping an anchor in the slightest breeze. Giving up, moving to a lagoon and within 30 minutes beating the bank I had bass in the boat. So, until I can afford the equipment, I will have to be satisfied with that.

I read an article recently that pretty much nailed me but I can't locate it to refer to, however it described most people like me as bank beaters. We boat out no further than we can cast from the shore, and spend our time casting back to the shore, (bank beating) not realizing that we are only catching, if we are lucky, 1/10th of 1% of the bass, with the rest of the bass being behind us. We don't know how, nor do we have the tackle or technique to fish structure and cover such as is located in Hunting Run Reservoir. I guess we do it because we know that at the bank, we know we are on the bottom, and as we reel back to the boat we pretty much stay along the bottom. How do you do it successfully facing the other way, with the drastic depth changes and what tackle do you use? How do you get the lure down where the fish are without hanging up every time in tree tops and bottom cover and when do you know you are in the fish's face? In studying the sonar graphs on Navionics it appears all the cover is further out and much deeper than what I have been covering while bank beating. What must I change and what technique would improve my luck?

I will tell you this, and you can take it to the bank. I have had several friends think they could float close to the Naval Weapons Station yard and sight see. There is a distance you must keep from it, and all military vessels. Learn it and exercise these requirements unless you want to be staring down a BUNCH of vessels with some very nice firepower trained on you and your occupants. They just don't fool around.

I have to admit to you that I enlarged the pic to 250% just to see the spinner baits you use that are below the fish. Hope you don't mind. Looks like a trip to Walmart for me.

ok Thanks

That's a very nice bass. I will be happy to catch just one like that this year. I have had to take another break due to health reasons but I certainly hope to be out again soon. Having no location or depth equipment I still feel much better equipped and positive after talking to you guys, and will certainly get the map from the check-in.

Wayne P. ......What is the deepest part of Hunting Run? I assume it is around the dam. I thought I read around 60 feet.

After reading Goose52's response, I went out last night, spray painted the milk jug black (actually it is the bottom half cut off and filled with cement with a piece of rope in it like an upside down "U") and is about 4-5 lbs. I went out today and it worked great. Nobody looking could tell the difference between it and store bought unless they were to pick it up. Held the canoe just as well in about a 7 mph wind. Thanks.

Thanks..

Looks Great! Wish I had thought of the conduit. Do you use an anchor? What kind. The guy that sold my wife the canoe had a milk jug filled with cement, but I really don't want to be laughed off the dock.

Trick Worms, I am a new member, and don't want to chime in inappropriately, however, I own a Old Town Guide 147. Just received it this year used as a Christmas present. I have only had it out once, and loved it. I have a small trolling motor on it, that came with it, mounted to my left side (port side). The standard motor comes with power cables that are just not long enough to let you get away from the cables and battery, so I spliced a cheap 12' jumper cable set onto it so I can lay the cables to the side, and extend the battery to the bow, for better weight distribution, otherwise when you turn the motor off to cast, the wind tends to turn you in circles because the bow is somewhat lifted out of the water if you and the battery are in the back half together, unless you have a passenger in the bow. I would give my eye teeth to have Goose52's rig, but you just gotta do what your present situation permits. Hope this helps.

That's awesome, I did not realize you could get pictures like that. Last time I saw pictures like that you heard in the background....."that's one small step for man....................

Those pics are pretty awesome; Would you mind saying what kind of locator, or depth finder that is? It shows the structure like a camera would and the fish around it show very clear. Looks like it would be quite expensive. The cheaper ones I have seen show bars and graphs, and I have read where a lot of frustrated fishermen are having trouble deciphering what they're seeing on their screens. Being on a limited income being retired, opinions count when you're buying "toys for papa", or do you recommend a lower cost finder that would give similar information that's understandable?