so whats everyone doing in the "off season"

[TRUBBS]

now that Kokanee fishing on the gorge is done for the season, what is everyone doing to gear up for next year?

got a few small projects to do before the boat goes back up but that wont be tell early spring when the boat comes back out of storage, going to add a second transducer for the Humminbird 999 & move the screen to the back. add one more downrigger mount of the swim deck and reinforce the 3 pole holder/downrigger mounts that are currently there.

 

[liketrolling]

I was at Scheels and they had a humminbird onix on sale, I bought it. so will put my 998 hmminbird transducer on the minnkota trolling motor and the onix on the back of the boat. I need to find two good batterys for the minnkota that will last longer than 4 hours. then stop spending money and hope gas gets to $2.00 and stays their.

 

[Scoots]

Sounds like you have a very nice set-up!

Sadly, I went after kokanee only once last summer. I went to Wickiup with my wife. First time out - the outboard quit! I figured some crud got into the carb and would require a rebuild. Four months later I finally got around to investigating and it ended up being the welch plug popped off the carb and it has since been repaired. I even found the welch plug sitting on top of the engine underneath the cowling!

I have only a small car topper for a boat (a 12' Porta-Bote), but I have since manufactured brackets to hold rod holders and the downriggers I made. I have room on the rear bracket to install a fishfinder, and my education has begun!!!

Studying fishfinders is like studying for semester finals ..... and I haven't done that in nearly 40 years. There is a LOT to learn!

Garmin, Humminbird, Lowrance, Raymarine, Furuno - out of the picture $$$$, down imaging, side imaging, chirp, transducers, pixels and power! Holy Smokes! stomper

The only clear decision, other than trying to keep the cost around the price of my boat & outboard, is GPS - so that I can find my way when a fog bank rolls in and No Touchscreen.
Here a few that I'm taking a look at:

http://www.humminbird.com/Freshwater/Product-Category/Series/HELIX-Series/

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-the-water/fishfindergpscombos/echomap-53dv/prod169414.html

http://www.raymarine.com/view/?id=6854

With all of the new technology on fishfinders are there any features not really required for fishing kokanee?

Your experience and input could really help me out.

 

[liketrolling]

You don't need, Side Imaging/Down Imaging, for Kokes. I like the DualBeam so I can see under the boat and to the side. and beable to see the downrigger balls. I have 3 downriggers.
you need GPS Chartplotting and I like the maps. (lake master or Navionics ) are paper map. Fish-n-Map this is the best for the money. I put some of the waypoints on my fishfinder.
https://www.fishnmap.com/

 

[mrmike]

Haven't posted in a while been a great year with record number of Salmon some boat problem am looking forward to 2015 purchased my tags already my goal for 2015. Out fish my wife. Purchase a new Garmin with bottom imaging 741. Starting working tying some tube flys and working on that 2nd dragging hook behind my tube fly. Been on you tube they have some assume educational material on how to tie a fly.I made up a mysis shrimp pattern/maggot/etc I in joy thinking out of the box have no idea if it will work,but kokanee love to trail baits.My tube flys killed the kokanee last year.Didn't fish any kokanee tournaments had my reason looking forward to posting as the seasons progressive.Have a safe New year and tight lines.