Who doesn't use a sounder and why?

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    Posted: 15 Mar 2021 at 7:14pm
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Bought one, never used it, sold it almost a year later.
Just can't bring myself to add complexity to the yak, having spent a fair bit of time peeling away as many things as safely possible to get the yak as simple and sparse as I can. I call it the Zen yak ethos. 

Is that a little strange amongst yak fishos?
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Reel Deal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Mar 2021 at 8:58pm
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fished many years without due to cost. Wouldn’t be without one now. Not just fish but safety and habitat knowledge etc. 
The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men's lives the hours spent on fishing - Assyrian Proverb
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote kingiFiddla Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Mar 2021 at 9:08pm
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Can you elaborate please? I have started using navionics on my phone occasionally but that's about it.

How does not using a sounder make me less safe? Heck, I'll still capsize regularly with or without a FF ;-)
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Muppet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Mar 2021 at 9:49pm
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You can sight fish with a sounder just like trout on a clear river.
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Sounder is good for finding depth, and when locating gurnard or fish that congregate in certain depth in an area. Don’t need to find the fish themselves although when do find sign even better. Or establishing reef edge to livebait along or an set anchor just off the foul where your anchor might not come back easily. Also good for seeing bait schools. Lastly locating a few fish like snapper.
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A sounder does add a little to safety on a kayak, more so on a boat re: identifying that bit of reef that just appears from nowhere.

As for fishing, not using a sounder is like having one arm tied behind your back. Obviously, your choice though, if you get good results without, good on you.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote kingiFiddla Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Mar 2021 at 6:19pm
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If the water being fished is not your regular patch, then I can see a FF/sounder being useful, and if targeting certain fish lurking in certain features.
But that's just not me.
I'd rather have one hand tied behind my back, and be forced to really learn to read an ocean and build up a knowledge of an area.

If that means a few zero fish days, that's a cost I'm happy to pay.

Whilst paddling in circles isn't much fun, this one-armed yak fisho is doing OK this Summer without a FF:






I'm not bagging anyone with a FF, it's just not my thing and I'm wondering if there are other yak fishos who don't use one and if that's the case, what are their reasons?




 

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Pretty certain I could easily fill the bin without any FF but honestly it’s more fun.
We have had similar debates before and I reckon the further north you go the easier the fishing gets and less need for an FF.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote kingiFiddla Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Mar 2021 at 8:18pm
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It must be quite satisfying seeing a fish on the FF, targeting and landing it.

Or trying different methods to get that fish to strike, learning by seeing what it does. Like if it comes up to meet a jig but doesn't strike, etc.

That said, it's not what spins my wheels.

I'm still hoping someone can detail how the FF/sounder makes a yak fisho safer as has been claimed a few times now. When it comes to safety, there's always room for improvement, so hoping to learn.

It would have to be a super glassy/calm day and/or slack water to not notice a reef that would threaten the safety of a yak fisho. So, maybe there are other things I have yet to consider and it would be good to learn.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote shaneg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Mar 2021 at 9:02pm
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I basically fish same area off east coast bays, have done for longtime, over 30 years. I know area well, better than most. I like to anchor off a certain reef sometimes, just off foul, so I can livebait and strayline on to it. With the fish finder I can find sand just off reef and retrieve anchor easily. If I anchor on reef, without using fish finder I have had great difficulty retrieving anchor and on one occasion had to get a nearby boat to retrieve it, after almost capsizing kayak trying to pull it off. I could probably comfortably swim to shore from said spot or get back on kayak. However in middle of winter, who knows. And I could possibly lose gear and catch a cold, which could lead to pneumonia.
So yes using fish finder makes anchoring and getting my anchor back less hassle and safer.

It also gets me on to the optimal Gurnard spots virtually straight away in winter, saving unnecessary paddling and energy. This is sometimes when on longer paddles I don’t want to be using energy and wasting time to move spots, meaning I can load up quickly and come in earlier before wind blows up as often happens later in day. Again adding to safer trip. 
I’ve fished for years in dinghys and kayaks off here without sounders. Still lost anchors and also caught a lot of fish. So no,  don’t have to fishfinders to be safe or successful, but in some situations depending on what your doing particularly anchoring on near reefs it makes it safer.


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Muppet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Mar 2021 at 9:11pm
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Been out in thick fog a few times. GPS was awesome, one day off Army Bay was a particularly memorable day when I hunted down a nice snapper in the shallows as I did not venture far out.

And yeah watching snapper clear ten metres of water in no time to intercept your lure is as good as any sight fishing.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote DenimViper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Mar 2021 at 9:18am
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I find FF is handy for finding liveys and fishing in spring when looking for snapper schools ( good old motuora days aye Dan ). Havent had a sounder for couple of years and I didnt end up replacing my unit as I dont get out as much on the yak.
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