FFS questions

I didn’t want to muddy up the other thread so I’ll start a different one. So I don’t have and don’t know a whole lot about the whole FFS stuff. I’ve messed around with friends that have it for ice fishing but never tried it or seen it on open water other than crap on YouTube. My biggest question is lots of the time where we fish is in shallow water, like 8 feet and under. Does FFS work in shallow water? How would it perform if the boat is in like 15 FOW and your pitching into 4-8 FOW?

I can only speak for Garmin LVS32 & 34, they work fine in shallow water, just know its alot harder to keep your lure in the narrow beam for the cast retrieve (and thus on screen) than it looks in youtube videos…obviously it gets easier if anchored…

Get a perspective view transducer mount and you have 135 degree range of cover for shallow water. I personally haven’t used this function but lots of videos out there. This will be my first year having FFS for the boat so I don’t doubt that I’ll have this mount before long.

It works great in shallow water, especially the scenario you are asking about. If I’m sitting in 15’ and casting up a break I can see exactly where and how the fish are relating to the break.

I think the biggest advantage of FFS is:

1) Finding fish in basins or big expansive flats.
2) Seeing and understanding how fish relate to structure.

The guys that are really good use it to dial in baits and presentation but I haven’t taken it that far. Frankly, I prefer to fish than stare at a screen so I mainly use mine ice fishing.

I don’t have FFS but I did watch a video on YouTube where the guys had lines tapped on the floor to match the cone that the transducer would put off. At 75’ it was something like 15’ wide cone. If the fish is on one side of the cone and you cast on the other side of the cone you could be off by a long ways but be able to see the fish and your lure on your screen.

Thanks for the quick replies guys. I’m really debating taking the leap. That’s awesome it works in shallow water. The only thing left to think about now is how it would affect the fishing experience for the family. No doubt it’s a game changer but I worry about it not being for the good like the whole experience thing. Did any of you guys run into those feelings. I think someone kind of mentioned it above. I already get yelled at sometimes for doing to much looking and not enough fishing.

I personally find Forward view in a boat to be way more work to get everything lined up and usable vs just casting and enjoying the experience (I do NOT use the transducer on my trolling motor, its a separate pole setup which adds to the more work part) I have a cabin so I use it off my dock alot, when it’s stationary, its alot easier to use in forward mode. Down view is where it shines imo, for ice fishing its a game changer imo…

fins wrote:

Thanks for the quick replies guys. I’m really debating taking the leap. That’s awesome it works in shallow water. The only thing left to think about now is how it would affect the fishing experience for the family. No doubt it’s a game changer but I worry about it not being for the good like the whole experience thing. Did any of you guys run into those feelings. I think someone kind of mentioned it above. I already get yelled at sometimes for doing to much looking and not enough fishing.

I think it would be more fun. You could act as the guide and say cast that way 30′. Besides it doesn’t do any good fishing where there are no fish.

I think it would ruin the family experience. Less screen time and more talking to the family enjoying each other. If you are already questioning that aspect, then you already have your answer.

I don’t use it on the boat with our daughter. When I’m with the fam I want them to enjoy the time, not have me stare at a screen.

In the pop up ice fishing its different. It was fun to teach my daughter to read the screen and gave us something to do when it was slow.

If it’s slow on the boat we’re swimming or tubing.

Matt Moen wrote:

I don’t use it on the boat with our daughter. When I’m with the fam I want them to enjoy the time, not have me stare at a screen.

In the pop up <em class=”ido-tag-em”>ice fishing its different. It was fun to teach my daughter to read the screen and gave us something to do when it was slow.

If it’s slow on the boat we’re swimming or tubing.

Well said.

If my 5 year old is with, I don’t even use side imaging to scan spots hardly. We get to well known “fishy” areas and give it a go. If nothing is happening we bust out the snacks, turn our hats backwards, and enjoy the ride to the next spot.