Smart Phone vs Sonar

Do you use a smart phone more than a sonar unit? I am proud to say I use a s________onar more than smart phone.  Although sometimes I think it is more important to know where or who is climbing aboard for a fishing day than where the fish are. It also helps my wife know where I am, do you get an invitation from your wife on your phone to attend a gathering?  This is an efficient way to get in front of me when I am not looking down at the sonar.  The sonar helps me figure the next move while fishing, the Phone guides me to the next event or the next endeavor.

Sonars are great, I use Lowrance HDS 10 and an older LCX 111CHD.  I love em both for what they are.  I have a buddy with a Hummingbird 823, I am learning this unit as well as it will be fished over also.  I have another  fishing buddy in Texas who states this is what happened to fishing it only takes money now, anybody can find fish if they use a unit and learn it.  He is an older gentlemen who just loves to fish and has been around to see the evolution of our sport, some is good and some is bad. I think this is just like the smart phone and my love/hate ( sometimes I could just throw it in the lake ) relationship with it. 

Now on to some funner stuff like being excited for fall and the change of fishing styles and the fish putting on the feed bag for winter.  My all time funnest bite is crappie in Texas, the declining lilly pad, the 24" - 30" ones hold lots of mature crappie ambushing minnow and the last hatch of shad for the year as the water warms each day.  This is target fishing.  Micro targets as sometimes it is only a stalk that is holding a fish. My favorite and now I let the cat out of the bag is PK Predator with its blade and ability to change the view of it 80 or so percent with only moving the target half the length of the lure which is only an inch long. The crappie have loved this on a 8' 6" fly rod and old Eagle Claw Trail Master that stays down there just for this bite.  I just hook it on 6# mono and drop or should I say plunk it 8" to 18" under the surface and 1' or so away from the target and twitch, don't watch the stalk watch the target.  The crappie make a sweeping bite at it and they just seem to appear.

Now for some local fare, the Kokanee will be schooling soon and already are at Blue Mesa.  If you have not tried spooning for salmon try it with Robby Richardson of Sportfish Colorado www.sportfishcolorado.com.  It is a fast and furious bite at times and really unique opportunity to fish a different way.  The Kokanee in Grand County are always fun and there are so many ways to catch em and places, more to come on that as the bite develops.  The lakers will start to spawn as the color changes on the leaves, it is awesome to be in a boat, to be quiet and hear elk bugle.  Plan some time or times to get to the hills and enjoy the changing season the evening temps are already droping and I am lowering the old motor just in case a freeze surprises us.

 FYI, Bernie with FishingwithBernie will be on large fish right up to the spawn and right after if you want some adventure and stamina fishing for plus 20# fish consider it. Sometimes using a snow shovel in a boat on a big fish day is a blast.