Fishing world turned upside down

Times are changing in the fishing world.
Five short years ago……
You couldn’t find a trolling motor that was MINN KOTA in the midwest
And if you wanted electronics… you got laughed at if you had anything but Lowrance or Humminbird.
Tracker boats had a reputation for being one of cheap end boats.

Now in most every conversation with serious fishermen, You hear talk MOTORGUIDE, GARMIN, and TRACKER ZV boats.
After hearing about these new products, I have to admit my ears are turned and listening.
I hear the Motorguide Xi5 is out preforming the Terrova by a long shot.
Garmin electronics are world changing
And Tracker ZV fiberglass boats are awesome fit, finish, and performance for the money.

THINGS THEY ARE A CHANGING

The only thing consistent in this world is nothing stays the same.

Its crazy the leaps and bounds technology has made in just the last 5 years. At times I have to admit I feel a bit guilty with all the tools I have and money invested.
Days of the “old green box” Lowrance are gone and replacing it are trolling motors that follow GPS coordinates. Boats that can literally drive themselves at the control of a GPS unit and sonar imaging that gives you picture-like images all around the boat. Incredible.
They don’t automatically translate into catching more fish, but I can attest that they made me more productive on every outing thus far this year and the fish we did catch were of better quality size then the other boat who we fished with and didn’t have these “gadgets”.

I must be old fashion. Been fishing same lakes for > 15 years. All the information I need from a fish finders is water temp and depth. But that’s me. I learned as a kid to look for landmarks, triangulate by eye.

I’m not a tech guy and I chug along with my Lawrence X65, but on a related note I’ve never had better, lighter tackle and yet I can’t say I’m really catching more fish with it than my old less expensive gear. Not trying to be a curmudgeon, but I’ve been doing some soul searching lately on how I’ve taken a simple sport and have over-complicated everything. Sure, high end tackle is wonderful to use, but at some point my emphasis slipped to an obsession with tackle and away from the simple joy of being out there fishing. I have become material boy.

Sorry for the hijack!

Competition is good, it makes better products for all of us It is up to each of us to determine how much “technology” we introduce into our fishing/sports

You won’t be dissapointed with an Xi5 that’s for sure.

Took some time for some manufactures to man up on producing competive products and some big name players to recognize the inland market is a money maker.
I refused years ago not to settle with the two companies in the upper midwest that controlled the sonar market, the reason I will not go in to, and ive been so pleased I did.
As for minkota I love the fact powerguide stepped up.
I’m just happy the market up here is being noticed and that can only make things better.
Now its up to the market to open their eyes to whats out their.

Mo money mo money and more money to new things 💵💵💵

I’m at the age where I don’t buy green bananas any more so investing in all these bells and whistles just isn’t going to happen either. JOC mentions this….”I must be old fashion. Been fishing same lakes for > 15 years. All the information I need from a fish finders is water temp and depth. But that’s me. I learned as a kid to look for landmarks, triangulate by eye.” and I am pretty much from his school.

Then Kwickstick makes this comment….”on a related note I’ve never had better, lighter tackle and yet I can’t say I’m really catching more fish with it than my old less expensive gear.”….and have to say I agree with this as well.

I see a lot of nice boats that are plastered with technology and all they seem to want to do is run from one spot to another at high rates of speed. I think people should learn to slow down and really fish a specific spot thoroughly before flying out across the water. I also think that today’s need for immediate gratification has blistered the sport of fishing. Everyone seems to want technology to do what they should be learning to do without it. I know people who will go home if a locator doesn’t work. Dumb.

The more things change, the more things stay the same.

anybody posting on this subject obviously embraces “technology” or they would be writing a letter to the moderators of their thoughts on this subject…

Though I embrace technoligy I also embrace going to my aunt and uncles cabin on Fowl lake, in the arrowhead on the boarder, where we fish out of a 14 ft boat with a 10 hp or portage to Moose lake and fish out of a canoe. No Frills just the boat rod and tackle and nightcrawlers.Those 9 days I look foward to the next day I get back from the trip. Like said its fun tracking the fish down and figuring out the lake in more of a challanging manner.

after looking at the pics of the NWT this week, looks like minnkota and ranger still rule the top end walleye world.

hnd wrote:

after looking at the pics of the NWT this week, looks like minnkota and ranger still rule the top end walleye world.

I’d say they still rule the promo, marketing and sponsorship dollars anyway . . .

hl&sinker wrote:

Though I embrace technoligy I also embrace going to my aunt and uncles cabin on Fowl lake, in the arrowhead on the boarder, where we fish out of a 14 ft boat with a 10 hp or portage to Moose lake and fish out of a canoe. No Frills just the boat rod and tackle and nightcrawlers.Those 9 days I look foward to the next day I get back from the trip. Like said its fun tracking the fish down and figuring out the lake in more of a challanging manner.

Another reason I like the fly-ins. Leave all the technology behind and fish the way we used to in a 14 foot boat with a 8 or 10 HP motor on little lakes filled with walleye and pike. Never have to fish deeper than 10 or 12 feet even in July or August.
Even the satellite phones don’t work 1/2 the time.

I can leave the cell phone home for a week, but I won’t leave home without my fishing technologies!

They’ve flat out made me a better angler.

It’s no different with cars and trucks. 15 years ago, it was unheard of for people in the upper midwest to be buying Toyotas and Hondas, etc. Now, it’s all you see. Look at how many Tundras are running around now. Our grandparents would not believe it if they were alive.

Garmin, Motorguide especially had to step up and answer Minn Kota, Humminbird, and Lowrance in order to stay relevant. They literally had no other choice. Tracker had to step up their deep-v game if they had any hope of breaking into the upper midwest market. I’m glad they have as any and all competition is good and can maybe even help keep prices on boats from climbing even higher than they are already at.

Can’t imagine when Humminbird and Minnkota need government bailouts