any one NOT use electronics?

[lookincalifornia]

i began my days of ice fishing in the clear waters of the iowa great lakes, where during daylight, a locator is not needed. i was able to use this experience to watch the fishes reactions to my lures. i know i can find fish with my old school methods, likely not as quickly as you electric guys. one of my favorte icing memories was a day near ames ia catching suspended crappies next to a couple of guys with flashers. they could not understand how i could catch fish without electronics.

any body else stuck in the stone age?

[fisherking01]

I make several early season trips, and late as well without electronics. They do offer a hand in locating fish, but they are not needed for many trips.

They offer help in ways like finding the fish's attitude. He may look at many lures, but only hit one, be in a depth range unknown to those who don't have electronics and the such. Are they necessary? No. Are they helpful and fun? Yes..

I fished without electronics tonight, caught a couple walleyes for the pan. In my haste to get them prepared and into my mouth, I didn't take any pics. Bummer for a first day back on the ice trip, oh well, hopefully there are many more trips with the camera in hand! Brent

[Kylersk]

My father-in-law is old school. At everything..

I buy him cool gadgets and they end up in storage.

He'd rather fish with an old school, not sure what they are called, but rod with hand wound reel on it, than a new fancy rod and reel combo..

Electronics? Heck, I think the only electronics he takes fishing is his wrist watch.

He always outfishes me.. and I never hear him complain about his hunting trips.

Granted he's got about 40+ years on me.. so.. I'll take any edge I can get.

[Bob Horn]

Before the St. Croix Legends were on the market I was taught by Greg (maker of the spring bobber) how to use the rod without any electroics. I tried to get him to buy , a flasher, but he refused. Greg never used electronics until he won one a few years back. It's a great tool to save time but if your old school(stubborn) you can get by without one.

[vikingmeatwad]

Quote:

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My father-in-law is old school. At everything..

I buy him cool gadgets and they end up in storage.

He'd rather fish with an old school, not sure what they are called, but rod with hand wound reel on it, than a new fancy rod and reel combo..

Electronics? Heck, I think the only electronics he takes fishing is his wrist watch.

He always outfishes me.. and I never hear him complain about his hunting trips.

Granted he's got about 40+ years on me.. so.. I'll take any edge I can get.

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Haha, my old man is like that as well. Using just the old stuff and still outfishing me every time.

[looneyducer]

My dad is old school. He runs a Sitex Fl5 he bought back in the 80s. Awesome unit.

If you're not going to run electronics though, try running a minnow on a small bobber rig in a hole right next to the one you're jigging in. When that bobber starts to move, stop jigging, hold still, give a very slight jiggle, hold still, slowly raise, nod, and set the hook. It won't be as effective as knowing whether or not he followed you and adjusting for that, but you will catch about three times as many fish on the pole you jig and do that with as you will on the bobbered rig right next to it.

[Mudcat21]

If I head to a new lake I will use electronics.....Otherwise it's the good old fashion jiggin' stick's, a depth bomb, and heck my shack still has a wood stove for heat.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I'm sure I could go without.. but I dont want to so I wont!

[Hammer Handle]

Never used electronics, and probably never will.

I do fine without it...especially on lakes I have fished for many years.

My father-in-law was amazed a few years ago when I went fishing with him on one of my favorite lakes in his boat. I would tell him the bottom and depth and he would check his electronics and I was right on or very close.

I even see less reason to use them in the winter time.

I guess I am "old school", although I am not old.

[Duffman]

Quote:

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any one NOT use electronics?

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That's crazy talk.

[Eric Wettschreck]

I started using a flasher 3 years ago. That's more than 30 years going without. I bought an FL-8, used, from a fellow FM'er on this site. I can live without it but I would rather not go without. Yes, I can catch fish without the flasher, but I can catch a lot more with the flasher.

[olski]

Maybe its my a.d.d. kicking in but I need something to keep my mind on not just a stick and a hole. I do have a funny story though. My wife grew up on Chequamegon bay in Wi. And her father and brothers are "ooooold school" I went out for the first time on the ice out there a few years back. I had my H2O and vex. Found a break right away and startred fishing. A little while later I here somebody walking up to my portible. It's one of the brothers, so I say "what's up" He says "I'm going to find this hole out here." I offer my vex and tell him he can shoot it through the ice to check depth. He says "no thats OK" and fires up the auger. Punch 4 holes and go with the lead weight and 2 arms length then 5 more holes then 5 more and so on and so forth. After what was probably 20 holes or so I took a peek at the H2O took my flasher checked 2 or 3 spots dropped a glove on his spot and walked past him and said "there's your hole" He was still about 20 yards off. But he did probably catch more fish than me.

[Farley]

Unless one of my buddies are fishing with me, it's just the trusty ol' depth bomb and a hand auger.

[Chode2235]

I dont typically use electronics. Not because I have something against them, but because I cant afford anything. Fishing, although, a lot of fun is not the be all end all of existence. There are plenty of things out there that are more worthy of $300 bucks or more (or $150 on hsolist).

That isnt to say that I dont love ice fishing, because I love my time out there and talking about it online, but I have slighly different priorities and places for my money.

I mean the apple stock I bought 4 years ago for $300 is now worth over $1500. You may catch more than me on the ice, but I am laughing all the way to the bank.

[ozzie]

I started ice fishing 7-8 years ago and for the first 2 years I just looked at my buddies vex while fishing with them and then on our way to LOW one trip I just said I can't fish without one any more and put one on a CC.....best purchase I have ever made!!!

[fishrguy]

All I've ever done was drill a hole and drop a line...maybe thats why i don't catch anything...huh...

[jigginjoe]

This will be the first year that I will be using any kind of electronics. and the only reason I am is because cabelas had the club sign up weekend and I got $250 in free stuff for signing up 5 people. I also recieved $70 dollars off for spending $300 so I purshased a camera, Mr Heater alot of jigs chubby darters and such and got $350 of stuff for $30 out of my pocket. Man I love a great deal.

[Shack]

I have been using some form of electronics now since I was around 13 years of age (I got two flashers from grandpa and great grandpa when I was a kid, blue and green boxes, which I converted to car battery power). All I have to say is it nice to be able to see crappies coming in ay 10 fow, when fishing in 18 fow. That or right under the ice. Besides that, presentation and bait is the only thing that will get a fish in the end of your line.

[bluebill]

if i forgot my fl-18 i wouldnt even drill a hole got 1 for my wife 3 years ago so she would let me use mine again there are so many suspended fish that tou wouldnt even see if you didnt use 1

[Down Deep]

I always use electronics. 25 years ago when I moved to northern MN I sat on my bucket using the truck for a wind break and used a clip on sinker and the hand over hand method to determine the depth. My rod was a fiberglass stick with no reel just two pegs to hold the line. Ice fishing was more of a early December and late March thing then..

25 years has past and now I use the Otter, Mr. Heater, graphite rods spinning reels and the best Marcum money can buy. I might not need all that stuff, but now I look forward to spending a cold winter day on the ice trying to hook a few fish.

[Fish Fry Guy]

While I always bring my flasher, I'll often times not use it in clear, shallow water capable of sight fishing. Also, in shallow water, unless you have a "dimmer cable" the feedback gets so tough to see. But I just don't have the patience in deeper water to fish w/out it.

[hanson]

If I forget the Marcum at home, I'm turning around to get it.

It truly is my eyes to the underwater world through the ice. It tells me depth, shows me weeds, shows me fish and shows me what depth my lure is at. But I think the most important thing is it shows me how fish react to my presentation. This info allows me to change colors, change lures, and change the speed and aggressiveness of my jigging to have success.