Fish finders how to choose and fit yours.

Hi all,
Its the start of most kayak anglers and boat anglers angling season. Soon the tope, coalie and ray will be in. Long with the warmer weather species as the summer approaches.
A lot of you will be getting ready kayak or boat ready and choosing a fish finder and fitting it will be top priority.

Choosing a fish finder.
 First of all before you break out the cash what do you want it to do.

1. Do you just want general depths and basic features along with thick fish shoals to show up. Price from E80.00 up.
2. Do you want a fish finder to show the above and pick up as much fish as possible as more basic units will not show up mackerel and herring unless the shoals are very thick. Usually from E160.00 up.
   
3. Do you want a unit that will do all of number 2 and have CHIRP which shows huge bottom detail and very accurately show up even individual fish. Normally from E250.00 up.
4. Or all of number 3 and have a built in gps unit with chart plotter. Can be got from E350.00 up

1. Sounds a mine field but it is easy with a little help to get you going. For option number 1 the Garmin 90 is not a bad choice. I have had an older version and it was not a bad unit. I did up permanently  sealing the leads into the back of the unit as they did start to suffer from corrosion.
2. In my view if you are on a tight budget try and push towards a better unit I have seen the lowrance 4xdsi for E160.00 new from a French seller but normally nearer the E200.00 . You will have to google that one they come up on sale from time to time. This unit has exceptional image quality and can even show he shape of lobster pots in 40ft of water. The only problem I had with this unit was it did fog up at times. But did clear with in a few minutes when out of direct sun light.
3. Now if you have the cash a top class unit that has CHIRP is worth the money, the Raymarine dragonfly 4 has this. But can be hypnotic, they can show up amazing detail and can be a real eye opener to what the bottom is really like. It is a big bonus to finding areas holding fish and will show even light shoals of sandeels.
4. Well option 4 is the top of the game and you could spend a small mortgage on one. The Dragonfly 4 is one of the cheaper ones out there. An excellent unit and well worth the money, the screen is bonded so it can never fog up. The only down side to this unit is, in my view the maps that come with it are very poor, they lack detail and when zoomed in show next to no detail.
   
   You can get Navionics for it, which are excellent but I was quoted E200.00 to get them on my unit. I was not happy about that but it is a good unit. Lowrance do a similar unit which I have great things about, but I have not had the privilege of trying one out. I have heard they are more expensive. 

Will we see a calm weekend again,

Hi all,
Still not much improvement in the weather and signs of fish are just as scarce out there.
Last weekend April 2nd I decided I would get the tear drop out for a fishy weekend.
I decided to try local, near enough should there be problems I had not far to got and far enough away that I wasn't going back for anything if I forgot it.

Forecast was poor.
The forecast was poor but I had hopes Kinageo would have some shelter.
Well in a word it wasn't, there was a decent bunch of breakers constantly breaking on the shore and my launch trough the rocks not as nice as I normally would like it.
I try and get a pic of what it is like but it never seems to portray what it is really like.

 It was rougher than I would normally try, but it was safe enough so out I went.

 Ye as always it was not nice out there. There was a stiff breeze, cold and it was a rodeo.
I was rattled and rolled all over the place, but it was nice to be out. I had planned to troll as close to the back of the breakers as possible but even 100yards from the shore was to close and a couple of large swells getting up the wrong side of had me heading out away from them. I trolled around and tried by the rocks and all the while the swell was getting bigger.
With the waves crashing on the shore and now some making it into the gully I came out, I headed for the shore. Damn that is nerve racking heading in a gully when its rough.
But the with the rods stowed in the hatch for a rough landing it was no bother and I managed to get into the shore between the swell and all was good.

 So I was out and back in under 30 mins lol, gives you an idea of what it was like.
So ashore in loads of time I was going to just go home, but sure it was a miserable evening and no better night to try it all out. I got the kettle on while I put the kayak away and the tea was ready by the time the kayak was away.
By now it was raining hard and it was time for dinner. The back door makes a great canopy and I could cook away in the shelter. I must have looked cracked sitting there cooking away but it was a good trial. Also it was a cold night out but in the tear drop the insulated walls made it a very comfortable night by the sea.

So I am all set for the next break in the weather and no doubt myself and a few others will be out there in search of some fun afloat. Won't be long now until it kicks off.

Thanks for reading and tight lines all.

We can but try.

Hi every one.

I will be keeping this up to date as much as possible. I had let it slide as I have been busy, but I have been surprised at the amount of people kids and adults that have an interest in what I get up to. 

So keep the feed back coming it's always great to hear from you all.

Back to the fishing, well attempts at fishing.

The winter has been hard on us this year and there has been little or no let up in the weather. 

But the small breaks we have had myself and others have been trying. 

Since Darren , one of the shore lads had been catching some ray from the shore and there was no where else fishable I had to give it ago. 

It was off to Lough Swilly with kayak newbee Georgie. 

The times where pick and a few hours near the top of the flood tide were decided on. 

On the anchor

We tandem anchored as it's a bit much to try and anchor on your first trip or 2. 

So anchored up and lines in. I had sandeel with Bio Edge squid potion on them, mackerel and squid.

Georgie was using sandeels. 

The tide was not overly strong but again it was very cold out there. 

We were there about an hour before the first bite came to my rod. The usual first pounce on the bait followed by some shuffling around. I gave him a minute and lifted hard into a decent enough fish. No beast but more than a tiddler. She gave a good scrap and came along side after making the most of the tide to get away. 

 So I was delighted with a reasonable thornie of 6lb and the dreaded blank was averted.

 Soon after that mr.dogfish appeared, I think this is the only time of year we are glad to see them appear. They can be relentless in the summer.

 On the bitter cold day that it was I would have been happy enough with that, but there was more to come. This nicely marked also devoured the sandeel in squid potion and made a fine brace.

The tide turned and that was it. Georgie was more getting to grips with kayak angling rather than the fishing and is all set for the next trip out. We had some anchoring practice on the way in and he's all set for the next day out.

It's not easy out there.

Hi everyone.
It has been a while since I have put a report up.
Not that I have not been trying, it's just there is not alot about.
The weather has been terrible since last October but I have a had a few runs out. 
Nothing amazing but I did  have a good time, from getting near frozen in Ards fishing for pike to get tossed around like a little cork on those lumpy breezy days.

My trip to Belfast looking for crocs.
Lucky for me us kayak anglers pass fishing info back and forward and when the chance arises we visit each other to see what we can catch.
As the angling show was on in Dublin and I was going sure how could I pass all those lakes wit out giving them a try. 
So a few extra days off work and I was set to visit Mike Sherwood for some pike Action. Yes at a secret venue, as all pike venues are lol.
I had planned to meet mike at a lake and with the weather being terrible and snow on the roads on the way down I was about 30mins late. Mike was out already and the bugger had gone for heat over kayak and had the boat out. He was wrapped up like a mummy lol. 
Out we went and fished a breezy very cold lake. There was a lot of sleet melt flowing into the lake and the pike were sulking and sitting very low in the water and we didn't get a tap all day.

We don't give up easily.
We it was back to Mike's place to have a rethink and come up with a plan B.
Well to inspire us we had to call to Brian and see his monster aquarium. 
Gobsmacked is an understatement. He has can fish over 20lb in it, plus lots more. So fish talk and a few beverages plan B was sorted.
The next day came and it was even colder than the first day, but we were going regardless. 
Out on another secluded lake I was raring to go and I had 1 rod set with a herring for slow trolling and the other rod got a storm curly tail lure with a good rub of sardine Bio Edge this lure has good action trolled slow.  
As it was cold that was my plan, very slow and see what happens. 
Out for a slow troll and I had not gone 100yards and I had a half hearted hit on the herring. 
That was dropped and the lure was trolled over the area and bang he/she grabbed it. A nice scrap and I had at least 1 pike of 7.5lb for my efforts. I know he doesn't look it.
But it was not going to improve from then on. Myself and Mike fished the rest of the day and we had several jacks under 2lb and that was it. No beasts that trip but sure we will be back.
Hopefully when its warmer.