Siskiyous
2013-06-26 02:06:11
We are doing the paperwork on my purchase of the F/V Cheryl M, a Crescent City based 42 foot steel vessel with an Oregon troll permit. She is turnkey with a long history of successful seasons.
She does not have a good modern fish finder. What units should I consider for salmon trolling on the West Coast?
carojae
2013-06-26 04:14:32
Furuno's always do the job.
"Furuno 587" looks pretty nice as a stand alone. That unit has enough power to get down there with some power - of course there are the more powerful units by furuno - the 1000 watt. The 600 watt unit works very well though in my experience. When I can afford it, that's what I'm buying.
I presently have a 600 watt Koden CVS 812 but it is getting tired. I have kept it because it has speed and temp functions.
Good luck.
Siskiyous
2013-06-26 13:15:18
It is easy to find reviews of recreational units, and publicity releases of the "chirp" units ($$$$$) but hard to find info on the middle ground workhorses. thanks for the response.
lone eagle
2013-06-27 03:33:21
I don't think you're needing anything but depth and water temp...fishfinders don't find fish, I've used 500w color sounders and $100 hummingbirds...no difference to me
Abundance
2013-06-27 18:30:24
That's what I have always found. I've been in some awesome bites and never seen a blip, even with a good sounder. All you need fishing kings is something that shows you the bottom and the feedballs and you are set. It is kind of nice on a slow day to watch a nice king go under the keel, wait for it, wait for it, bangbangbang!! But that isn't really critical. Mainly with kings, at least up here, you are looking for humps and dips on the bottom at depths that few sounders would be able to find individual fish anyway. I think some really good fisherman use them to good effect though, so what do I know.
Siskiyous
2013-06-28 04:18:09
I know the guy I am buying it from would agree. He looks for bait and temp. i was curious if you guys were having different experiences.
Abundance
2013-06-28 21:42:22
There are situations up here that finding individual fish will help you find where they are laying on fjord walls and kelp beds in the winter and spring, giving you a reference to where to be even if they are not biting. And a good sidescanner or other wide visibility system helps some of the highliners locate and keep on top of coho and chum schools. Wide deep open ocean king fishing like I think you do down below, I didn't think any of those points applied. Still not worth enough to me to sink a week or twos fishing income into buying anything but an average machine.
lone eagle
2013-06-30 23:21:26
Another thing I use is the speed though water...rather than speed over ground which I get on the sounder. There is a so much current and wind that gps speed and rpm don't give you the action you're looking for