36 minutes ago, Rouge Minnow said:

So I know there are areas on the forum specifically for talking fish finders but just curious what the guys fishing in my area use/think. 

I predominantly fish upper Osage end of LOZ, lots of shallow flats and boat docks so I'm guessing side imaging will be crucial. Is there a certain brand/model that anybody could recommend?  Anybody try Garmin fish finder with side view? 

Trying to stick around $500. (Boat is only worth about $3k so trying to keep every thing in perspective). Any and all advice is appreciated and sorry if I'm messing up the flow of the discussion with this. 

Garmin's got the clearest scanning sonar on the market, and their units are far and away the easiest to use.

I also wouldnt scale the cost of electronics based on what you paid for your boat. I'd rather fish against the guy with $50,000 of boat who cant find em, versus the guy with the $5,000 aluminum and the best electronics.

This'd be your best intro to quality mapping/side/down https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-the-water/fishfindergpscombos/echomap-chirp-73sv/prod529885.html

19 minutes ago, conorsixtakc said:

I also wouldnt scale the cost of electronics based on what you paid for your boat. I'd rather fish against the guy with $50,000 of boat who cant find em, versus the guy with the $5,000 aluminum and the best electronics.

Agree with this 100%. You can always remove your electronics and put them on a different boat if you decide to upgrade. 

11 minutes ago, awohlwend said:

Agree with this 100%. You can always remove your electronics and put them on a different boat if you decide to upgrade. 

Yup! @Doc-Drew did just that!

I'm hoping that once I get a few bites punching I'll get a bit more confidence in it and that will probably go a long way...

On a related note- hit Wolf Creek for the first time Sunday from about 9 to 4... Tried looking for some largemouth via jika-style punch with a beaver specifically looking at heavy stuff adjacent to deeper water, timber, and grass/cabbage transitions both in the southeast coves and southwest island without any action. I was able to locate some better smallmouth (15-18") on a bubba shot beaver on the windblown edges where scrub weeds met some of the heavier weed growth. Additionally found a few more good smallies wherever I could find thicker rocks in the 20 foot range along the dike, but these fish seemed more finicky.

Cool lake, but at some point mid-afternoon the wind seemed to die down a bit and it got stupid hot.

13 hours ago, KCFinesse said:

I'm hoping that once I get a few bites punching I'll get a bit more confidence in it and that will probably go a long way...

If you're using anything >1 oz. I would hardly consider it punching. There aren't too many lakes here that would warrant anything over an ounce, to be honest. My tournament partner (well, he's more of just a stranger now...), won't use anything less than 1.25 oz. I've gotten 10:1 more bites with a 3/8, to 3/4 (on the high side). That's just where my confidence is. Don't get too caught up in trying your hardest to get through the thickest stuff with 1.5 oz tungsten. Find openings and flip on in. It can be done with less and I think you'll be happier with the results! 

19 hours ago, conorsixtakc said:

I'd rather fish against the guy with $50,000 of boat who cant find em, versus the guy with the $5,000 aluminum and the best electronics.

Oh hey who's that guy?! 

21 hours ago, conorsixtakc said:

Garmin's got the clearest scanning sonar on the market, and their units are far and away the easiest to use.

I also wouldnt scale the cost of electronics based on what you paid for your boat. I'd rather fish against the guy with $50,000 of boat who cant find em, versus the guy with the $5,000 aluminum and the best electronics.

This'd be your best intro to quality mapping/side/down https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-the-water/fishfindergpscombos/echomap-chirp-73sv/prod529885.html

Thanks @conorsixtakc. I have a buddy who works for Garmin who can get me his employee  discount so I'm glad their stuff is good! I should be able to get more for my money that way.  I'm definitely going to check that model out you suggested. 

The fact that you say they're easy to use is a plus; this will be my first fish finder so I have a lot of learning to do...

thanks again. 

2 hours ago, Ondrejka said:

Oh hey who's that guy?! 

You once you spring on a panoptix and upgrade to some networked 7612's hah!

 

 

JK it's totes u 

45 minutes ago, Rouge Minnow said:

Thanks @conorsixtakc. I have a buddy who works for Garmin who can get me his employee  discount so I'm glad their stuff is good! I should be able to get more for my money that way.  I'm definitely going to check that model out you suggested. 

The fact that you say they're easy to use is a plus; this will be my first fish finder so I have a lot of learning to do...

thanks again. 

Sure thing. Milk that guy for every discount he's got!

7 hours ago, Rouge Minnow said:

The fact that you say they're easy to use is a plus; this will be my first fish finder so I have a lot of learning to do...

Check out the electronics page on this site. Great tips and tricks on there and plenty of knowledge on this site to answer you questions. Don't be afraid to ask. 

On Monday, July 25, 2016 at 11:08 AM, gardnerjigman said:

Pretty sure it's just a tungsten brick with a hole drilled through it. 

Lmao, come on guys...haven't used anything heavier than 2oz tungsten punching weight. And have used as light as 3/4oz too. But there are times when even a 2oz won't even penetrate the jungle.

Have a trip planned for Wabaunsee later this week, anyone been there lately.   Any help with getting started there would be appreciated.

1 hour ago, Molay1292 said:

Have a trip planned for Wabaunsee later this week, anyone been there lately.   Any help with getting started there would be appreciated.

Make sure your boat and trailer are clean and dry.  Don't really have to worry about your livewell since the aquatic nuisance nazi can't climb up and look, lol.

She still hosing everything down with bleach?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/

1 hour ago, Molay1292 said:

She still hosing everything down with bleach?

No, they just look it over now, it's way more laid back.

Drag a jig, probably on the deep corners or the docks by now. I like the flatter bank on the southeast side of the lake in the west arm. Ned always catches fish and a drop shot has been good the last couple times. A weightless t rigged senko, not wacky rigged for some reason, works very well. Dragging a black and blue hula grub is good too. Never have had a good moving bait bite there.

2 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

No, they just look it over now, it's way more laid back.

Drag a jig, probably on the deep corners or the docks by now. I like the flatter bank on the southeast side of the lake in the west arm. Ned always catches fish and a drop shot has been good the last couple times. A weightless t rigged senko, not wacky rigged for some reason, works very well. Dragging a black and blue hula grub is good too. Never have had a good moving bait bite there.

Thank you, that helps a ton.  Been a few years since I was there and it was so windy that we only got to fish a very limited area. I'll leave a report of how we do.

Gonna fish Wolf with Doc (Drew) on Saturday...and since it's a mandatory wear your PFD at all times lake and being warm summertime temps...I was wondering if anyone has an inflatable type PFD that I could borrow instead of having to spend $60-100+ for a new one? 

14 hours ago, Advantage said:

Gonna fish Wolf with Doc (Drew) on Saturday...and since it's a mandatory wear your PFD at all times lake and being warm summertime temps...I was wondering if anyone has an inflatable type PFD that I could borrow instead of having to spend $60-100+ for a new one? 

LOL let me know where you've seen one for $60 new...cheapest is $89 at Academy.

I bought Coty's last night. Guiding Wolf on Sunday. 

@Advantage I have one you can borrow but it's a little out of the way to come get it and return it lol.

15 hours ago, Advantage said:

Gonna fish Wolf with Doc (Drew) on Saturday...and since it's a mandatory wear your PFD at all times lake and being warm summertime temps...I was wondering if anyone has an inflatable type PFD that I could borrow instead of having to spend $60-100+ for a new one? 

Only $1.50 at Walmart! 

1 hour ago, Ondrejka said:

LOL let me know where you've seen one for $60 new...cheapest is $89 at Academy.

I bought Coty's last night. Guiding Wolf on Sunday. 

The stearns belt inflatable was around $60 at one point, but I'm not sure who sells them anymore. I bought mine years ago, and I think now they run around $80 and it's not the same one. I much prefer the belt over the suspenders. The one I have http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=9184

 

https://www.amazon.com/Stearns-16g-Manual-Belt-Pack/dp/B012BL5GQI

 

4 hours ago, cbass12 said:

The stearns belt inflatable was around $60 at one point, but I'm not sure who sells them anymore. I bought mine years ago, and I think now they run around $80 and it's not the same one. I much prefer the belt over the suspenders. The one I have http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=9184

 

https://www.amazon.com/Stearns-16g-Manual-Belt-Pack/dp/B012BL5GQI

 

Thought I'd seen the H2O brand at $60 at one time. Could be wrong. But at any rate...I may wind up doing the floaties for $1.50 at Walmart! Lol 

The usual DoCo things, and proof that men CAN multitask.

 

18 hours ago, Advantage said:

Thought I'd seen the H2O brand at $60 at one time. Could be wrong. But at any rate...I may wind up doing the floaties for $1.50 at Walmart! Lol 

Go big and get the puddle jumper

This one is $60   http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/onyx-outdoor-adult-automaticmanual-inflatable-life-jacket#repChildCatid=277702

Scheels has them on sale sometimes for  $65 or $70

Wanted to leave a quick and dirty about a trip 4 of us made to Wabaunsee on Friday 7/29.   We arrived at the ramp at 6:00 and waited for quite a while before someone showed up to open up.   We missed a lot of the morning bite that we had hoped to fish because it took about an hour to get both boats on the water, the Lady running things seemed to be very confused about what she was doing most of the time. Any way on to the fishing.   We fished most areas of the lake throughout the day looking for quality fish but had no luck.   Used a lot different techniques to try an entice the fish, but realized at some point that dark colored senkos were going to catch the most fish.  We caught several largemouth and smallmouth bass between 1 and 2 pounds and many large bluegill.   The trip was not without its fun but certainly not what we had  hoped for.  Planning another trip for this fall.

 

1 minute ago, Molay1292 said:

Wanted to leave a quick and dirty about a trip 4 of us made to Wabaunsee on Friday 7/29.   We arrived at the ramp at 6:00 and waited for quite a while before someone showed up to open up.   We missed a lot of the morning bite that we had hoped to fish because it took about an hour to get both boats on the water, the Lady running things seemed to be very confused about what she was doing most of the time. Any way on to the fishing.   We fished most areas of the lake throughout the day looking for quality fish but had no luck.   Used a lot different techniques to try an entice the fish, but realized at some point that dark colored senkos were going to catch the most fish.  We caught several largemouth and smallmouth bass between 1 and 2 pounds and many large bluegill.   The trip was not without its fun but certainly not what we had  hoped for.  Planning another trip for this fall.

 

They don't open until around 7am most days. I've night fished it a few times and never had any luck with topwater. I've had a couple days where it was cloudy that I got a decent buzzbait bite, but never anything worth losing sleep over. This time of year out there, I can pretty much plan on having a jig rod in my hand all day. It's always a matter of figuring out what part of the docks they're holding on, what color jig, what color trailer, pork or plastic. Something about the big fish in that lake, they like mismatched jigs, and pork trailers a lot of the time, at least for the largemouth. The smallmouth eat the plastic trailers better, but I still catch the big ones on pork.