Transducer Stick

[TacticalKeychains]

Does anyone else use a stick attached to their transducer to angle it in the hole and "look around" before punching another hole close by?   Or do you just blindly drill holes?

[wiel0059]

Does anyone else use a stick attached to their transducer to angle it in the hole and "look around" before punching another hole close by?   Or do you just blindly drill holes?

That's not a bad idea actually. I'm hoping someone has a picture of something they have used to post (if anyone has lol). When I'm on a good crappie bite on a flat / basin, when it cools off (school moves), I'll "swing" my transducer in the hole to see which direction they moved to (it works quite well actually). This would be a very similar idea, for when you're first starting at a spot.

[frogmaster]

Many of Tournament guys / gals, would swing the transducers cable to cause the transducer to "rock back and forth" thus looking to the "sides" of that hole.  I have not seen any fish directly below and then did the swing-cable to rock the transducer and did see fish and even drilled in that direction and hit a Bigger School .

Bless

[Drifter_016]

Does anyone else use a stick attached to their transducer to angle it in the hole and "look around" before punching another hole close by?   Or do you just blindly drill holes?

I don't blindly drill holes. 
I clear a section of ice, put my iceducer on the ice and pour some water on the ice to couple the ducer to the ice.
This enables me to shoot through the ice and determine depth. I have even marked fish this way.
Unfortunately this doesn't work with white or layered ice.
Works perfect through clear ice though. I have successfully done this through ice over 5 feet thick.

You really don't want to be blindly drilling when the ice is that thick!!
WAAAAAYYYYYY too much like work!!!!!   

[joedevera]

Like this???

http://sportsmensdirect.com/shop/Sonic%20Ice%20Hopper/ice-hopper-hoppn-pole/

[FishGut]

Fishin' Buddy anyone?

[perch_stalker]

This is definitely an interesting idea! I might have to see if I can rig up something. It'll keep me busy until I can get on the ice!

[chilly-willy]

all about reading the bottom of the lake now a days and gps technology...  get out now mark the weed lines/ structure if after gills with the gps on the lakes you fish the most.. this will save time and effort in the long run  finding fresh weeds/structures that are still alive... your idea works in theory but if you think about the big picture why are they there its cause of structure of the lakes bottom... the bigger gills and crappie and perch hang in most areas adjacent to deep water...see my point here if you got a small shallow bay off a deep area of the lake that is prime area for fishing any kind of crappie and gills the plankton move in to the bay and so does the bait fish and at night so do the  gills and crappie that feed on them..so catching them before they go to leave or come in is key  these are called funneling points and you catch them in a  log jam stacking up some times... coming and going.. best way to figure out funneling point is read the book ice fishing secrets.. a lot of guys that fish for sport do that but tourney guys like to run a nd gun ln the deep water trying to find suspend schools of fish... then try to entice them... "why" cause they don't got the time to bait and set a trap and wait in one spot for them for a heard to come in.. 



any ways how would you drill blindly? if you use strategic places to drill holes  the only blind drilling is by tourney guys searching for suspended fish that did not mark the gps coordinate of the lake earlier right? and that why the circle scan was designed? for tourney fishermen...so they can get one and stay on the gills/ crappie better..  but would fishing a deep water say 30 foot deep rocky bar be better for gills? sine the bigger fish hang deep? not shallow?  may win a tourney that way instead of playing in the weeds the smaller fish tend to be on the weedy flats and at the edges except  crappie  you get them trying to go after the bait in the shallow bay around dusk to dark... cause bait ion crappie out...    now if you know were the first drop on the lake is you should be able to find any kind of structure they use on the second and third drop offs till about 30 fow ... this is were the big gills hang and the money for gills  suspend crappie is made.  cause crappie will suspend of the 2and 3 drops points of rock piles etc logs etc  they prefer rock piles.. but are you a tourney fishermen or are you a guy just out to have fun is the real question?    by the way those flats that the smaller gills hang on attract pike so they get the nick names pike flats cause pike are always chasing gills threw them all the time.. which may spook the crappie so keep it in mind tip ups are a plus when fishing those  flats...     

[3300]

some one a few years ago posted a transducer stick made of aluminum and a pivoting head with arms that held it or a rubber band that held it to the head that pivoted. the pole was expanding.
it reminded me of a golf ball retreiver.

i think it was made for open water sonars to have a chance at ice fishing.

i made up a wire tie/cable tie and had it sitting like aqua view cameras sit on their cam cable. i used one that reopens. i placed the majoity of it onto the flat/near the bottom of the ducer and used the tag end to go back up onto the cable and pinched it on with a short peice of velcro one wrap. this makes a slack line or a "C" shape in the line. its adustable and works like aqua views camera does. i never took it to water, i just wanted to see if i could make some thing simple and easy to have with me if i wanted to fish that way instead of buying and carrying a stick.

[TacticalKeychains]

I meant blindly drill holes as in ASSUMING fish were there. Because you would be doing it Blind - map/gps or not.

  I have marked my 2 lakes with spots I think will do well this winter, but that doesn't mean I can't be 10' off. So.. by physically "looking" around I can see if getting out and drilling a hole 10' away is a waste of time.  I'm all about efficiency in my life, and this would be way more efficient than "knowing" fish are somewhere.  You "chilly-willy" are the only person that I know of that knows fish are under your hole before you drill it apparently.  I respect your post because is is full of good information.  I have read ice fishing secrets, however fishing is NOT an exact science.  To many factors at play in fishing.

I'll get something rigged up, more than likely I'll just use something like this -

[lefty2053]

Great idea, I have a couple of the old man Grippers.

[chilly-willy]

I meant blindly drill holes as in ASSUMING fish were there. Because you would be doing it Blind - map/gps or not.

  I have marked my 2 lakes with spots I think will do well this winter, but that doesn't mean I can't be 10' off. So.. by physically "looking" around I can see if getting out and drilling a hole 10' away is a waste of time.  I'm all about efficiency in my life, and this would be way more efficient than "knowing" fish are somewhere.  You "chilly-willy" are the only person that I know of that knows fish are under your hole before you drill it apparently.  I respect your post because is is full of good information.  I have read ice fishing secrets, however fishing is NOT an exact science.  To many factors at play in fishing.

I'll get something rigged up, more than likely I'll just use something like this - (Image removed from quote.)

since when did I say with my artesian fish well finding sticks say this would be the spot? you never know is the truth but you are blindly drilling if you don't have a strategy on how to find them that works... if you don't use certain areas that are know to hold fish an say go for the deep spot in the lake say 100 fow and fish for gills  why would they be there? your blindly drilling were fish are not see the point? blue gills will rarely ever be found that deep...if there were even able to go that deep see my point there so why drill a hole in 100 fow for gills?   


is your gps you are using only accurate to say a 50 foot circle of the area.. if so that maybe your problem so say a 10 foot by 10 foot rock pile maybe in a 50 foot circle around your gps say you marked the edge of the rock pile and the tightest you can get in is 50 foot circle of the area.. and your  drilling holes every ware.. I would say get a new gps that why your not right on your number you added 


also if you remember fish will follow contours like trout will in pounds they circle the shores looking for food that is why if you set up strategic locations with tip ups of dead stick etc... etc.. they come right to you so why is it so important to need to be right on the fish?? most fish roam so why worry?

[TacticalKeychains]

We both have different thoughts to this. You clearly have more experience than I do, but that doesn't mean my idea is worthless.  I don't fish tip-ups as there is no fun in that in my opinion. 

I've watched fish come and go, and I've watch them not move much as well. I have probably 20 days on the ice max, so it's all a learning experience.  The only way to do better is to experiment, and find better ways. 

[chilly-willy]

We both have different thoughts to this. You clearly have more experience than I do, but that doesn't mean my idea is worthless.  I don't fish tip-ups as there is no fun in that in my opinion. 

I've watched fish come and go, and I've watch them not move much as well. I have probably 20 days on the ice max, so it's all a learning experience.  The only way to do better is to experiment, and find better ways.

your idea is not stupid or worth less it a great innovative idea.. but if you set up on the wrong area what good is it...most of all if you don't ask questions on were to start to set up and why ...now  if you set up in the right area you cold be fifty foot off or more is the truth...what would be nice would be side imaging in this situation from a lowrance   elite 4 chirp or similar elite 5 etc..etc.... but how many people want to carry two flashers let alone the cables for each.....

[chilly-willy]

side imaging like this in video: there is also a way to use zip ties to hold the cable strait weather it works is beyond me. your regular sonar is not meant for this cause there really nothing to ping off of like bottom... this is nice cause if there is structure like pilings  form piers,,  bridges,, etc it show them in clarity including fish...  watch the video and see for your self...

[lefty2053]

Got the brain going so I made up a stick I can use. It is from an old Walking stick 4' long. A piece of PVC a clamp and a Screw. One Keeper to hold it on when I need it.

[rl_sd]

Got the brain going so I made up a stick I can use. It is from an old Walking stick 4' long. A piece of PVC a clamp and a Screw. One Keeper to hold it on when I need it.

I like it! Do you think that the fiberglass tent poles with the elastic bungee center would be rigid enough?

[lefty2053]

Don't know. I don't even know if this will work since it is Fiber Glass. I am now wondering if it will interfere with the Sonar.

[TacticalKeychains]

Looks great, I like the PVC holder idea.

--

I have an Elite 5 Chirp that I use for the ice, it doesn't have side imaging, only "down imaging" and I hear you have to be moving for that to work. Something like 2mph+.

If you are at a new lake you have never been to (even one you have), and if you don't have a boat (like myself) then you can only "guess" where the fish are.  So the reasoning behind Chilly's logic doesn't play a part in what I'm talking about. You can look at a map all day long, and pick out spots, that is still guessing. While it may be an educated guess, it's still an assumption. And we all know what assumptions are. 

[lefty2053]

It is now all Orange. I like to paint my Ice tools Orange so I can find the fast.

[TacticalKeychains]

Can't wait for you to test it! Maybe just walk out on a boat dock and move it around?

[lefty2053]

I do that tomorrow. I know of one close to where I take my wife to work. Never even thought of it until you said that. Thanks. Will report back tomorrow.

[perch_stalker]

I'm excited to hear your results!

[lefty2053]

Bad news Transducer Stick fans. That frickin dock is torn out and there really isn't anywhere on the lake I know of that would work. It is a City Lake. They had it torn out and the other area that used to be raised up is torn down and it looks like they are going to put some cement blocks on it.
Now if that isn't bad enough but I went to Safeway to get me some of my Favorite Ice cream and it was sold out. What a day this is starting out to be.

I will try and test it this weekend when I go Salmon Snagging.

[TacticalKeychains]

I have a lake 2miles away, I believe docks are still in. I may try to make it out this weekend, raining now.

I'll probably make it have a carbon fiber pole since I have a stick, but an old arrow (from a bow) would also work well I bet.

For the holder of the transducer, I'll go to hardware store and find a pcv reducer to set it in, instead of a straight pipe.

[Osage]

Nothing like DIY projects,this one appeals to me,thank So!

[tracksnorth]

Interesting idea