"No Fish Detected"

[DZ]

Having just downloaded the brand new Apple “Find Fish” App to my waterproof GPS Smart Phone I was eager to give it a try tonight. Advertised as a “Shore Fisherman’s Fish Finder,” the new software allows a shore fisherman to use the latest side scanning sonar technology to locate fish. The hype on the website was, “Find fish before you even wet a line!”; “Great for pier, river, jetty, or surfcasting.”

Now dark I worked my way down the steps near Block Island’s Southeast Light. Once at the water’s edge I waded out to an area over 3 feet deep per the app instructions. Here I dipped the wireless, corrosion proof, side scanning probe (purchased separately) into the water the requisite 10 seconds. It took about 20 more seconds for the GPS Smart phone to receive the display. The 360 degree display was in color and the internal compass showed relative bearings – 0 degrees was always the direction you pointed the phone. The scan had a range of 200 feet and the underwater structure including rock perches that I knew existed in this location were easily recognizable along with the words “No Fish Detected”. To test the reading I spent the next 15 minutes casting my favorite plugs and some rigged eels into the area – no strikes.

I waded back in and continued my hike towards SE Point and waded to a favorite perch in that location. I dipped the probe, 20 seconds later the scan shows up on the phone only this time the words “Fish Found” are displayed along with four blinking “fish icons” that appeared at 020 degrees at 50 – 75 feet. All icons were relating to some underwater structure in the area. “OK”, I told myself, “Here comes the real test”. I placed my first cast in the general direction where the structure existed. Within 5 turns on my retrieve a fish hit my needlefish plug. I released the bass and cast again. Another bass struck my plug. At this point I was chuckling to myself thinking that this was probably just a mere coincidence. This can’t be real; no way could this app be locating bass. Another 10 minutes of casting produced no action. Just to be sure I took another reading, it displayed “No Fish Detected”. Hmmm… I thought.

I hopped off my perch and continued to my favorite flat rock near Old Harbor, an area I know like the back of my hand. This time I was going to test the app a little differently. I’d fish the spot BEFORE I scanned the area. I cast my plugs for 15 minutes with no action at all. Ok, nothing here I think, now for the scan. I placed the probe into the water and when the scan is displayed onto my phone it lights up with multiple blinking fish icons in bearings from 280 degrees to 045 degrees from 25 to 125 feet out from my position. Ah ha! I thought to myself. This thing really doesn’t work – false positives all over the place. Just to be sure I decided to cast the area again – this time with some live eels. Long story short… I had non-stop action for an hour until the tide bottomed out. When I quit for the night I took one last reading – “No Fish Detected”. Things just got easier.

The future of surfcasting?

[bart]

God I hope not.

[nightfighter]

Dayem.... Maybe try attaching this wireless probe to a casting egg and lobbing it out there... I don't do Apple or apps, but this sounds interesting.

[tysdad115]

Boat fishing gone mobile..

[Jackbass]

Sounds fishy to me
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Slipknot]

Originally Posted by nightfighter

Dayem.... Maybe try attaching this wireless probe to a casting egg and lobbing it out there... I don't do Apple or apps, but this sounds interesting.

Humminbird SmartCast RF15 Advanced Mobile Station | Bass Pro Shops

they have this already


Dennis, you are a funny guy
eel fish don't count

[Rockport24]

Sounds like a commentary on non-surf fishing to me...

[JLH]

Good story. If I didn't have to want to work for my fish I would just use the boat

[BMEUPSCOTTY]

Originally Posted by bart

God I hope not.

Lol... me to, BUT... imagine... as soon as the "masses" (smartphone/FB real-time spot burners) discover this app, they will spend more time fiddling with their new secret weapon (less actual fishing time, decreasing exponentially with their lack of geekness), and even if the thing does exactly what it says it can do, in this case the OP has considerably more talent applying such intelligence to produce results... If DZ's trial run was in fact mere coincidence, this app could actually distract the tech-savy (but less fish-savy) weekend warrior types enough to be a benefit! ("You fishing this spot, or playing with your phone?? Nevermind..." as you let a cast fly right in front of them...)

[piemma]

So boat fish don't count. My new statement is fish found with an App don't count.

[tattoobob]

For some of us with little time to fish like me this is great

[DZ]

You guys are good - very perceptive.
Interesting scenario don't you think?
Not to far fetched considering advances in technology.
Surfcasters are reaching further and further into the domain of boats through wetsuits and skishing, stretching the very definition of the term "surfcasting" - I see the trend.
DZ

[Stewie]

I've seen the lime green bobber that tells you depth and surface temperature. Kinda neat, but awful close to cheating

[RIJIMMY]

Folks, this perception of boat fishing electronics baffles me. i think you over estimate their value, accuracy and ease of use. Most sounders show a view of 1/3 the depth. So if you are in 30 feet of water, you can see a 10 ft view. 10 feet view! So in 10 feet of water, your fish finder returns a view of 3.3 ft! talk about a needle in a haystack. Now technology is increasing, you have side imaging, down imaging, and Humminbird now was a 360 degree view. These tools allow you to see structure, bait, and potentially fish. But they dont find these things for you. You have to find them first. these tools dont find fish, the fisherman has to and these tools can validate what you found. Google earth, nautical charts and other tools allow anyone to see whats under the water and pick out structure. It doenst move. If I was back in NE I would love to get some of you on my boat, turn on my sounder and gps, hand you the steering wheel and say, ok - go find fish! Its not as easy as you think.

[WESTPORTMAFIA]

Not needed where I fish. I already know that there are no fish
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[bloocrab]

>> and here I always thought fish finders told you when to fish, not where they were....

[BluesHarp]

To me the use of electronics corrupts the "sport" of fishing.

Call me a purist, but if I wanted to fish only where the fish are then I'd sit on shore until someone hooked up then run down and cast over them. Isn't that the low tech version of the same thing?

[puppet]

I have this baby rigged with an acme caster. It can cast a unloaded
redfin 100 yards....and a rigged eel can be launched through the
torpedo tube. I am thinking of painting some stripes up the side so I
can double as a striped bass decoy.

[tysdad115]

Not sure I would paint stripes on it..your likely to end up with a spear in the side of it.

[Guppy]

Originally Posted by puppet

I have this baby rigged with an acme caster. It can cast a unloaded
redfin 100 yards....and a rigged eel can be launched through the
torpedo tube. I am thinking of painting some stripes up the side so I
can double as a striped bass decoy.

Originally Posted by tysdad115

Not sure I would paint stripes on it..your likely to end up with a spear in the side of it.

LOL,,,,
can't get any work done ,,, Gup

[WESTPORTMAFIA]

Originally Posted by tysdad115

Not sure I would paint stripes on it..your likely to end up with a spear in the side of it.

[Got Stripers]

Even if they could produce a portable, those nights with a good surf you aren't wading out far enough to get anything other than clutter of all that wash in front of you. Maybe the guys with wet suits can swim out far enough, but if you already have, you are likely going to take some casts anyway.

[puppet]

Originally Posted by tysdad115

Not sure I would paint stripes on it..your likely to end up with a spear in the side of it.

It would just make that war wagon look even more fierce.

good point. I guess I will need to make sure the hull has some
insulation. I also hope that nobody snags me....if they do...I am
heading for the closest boulder field. Knowing my physical
limits. I know I only have the juice for one good run....gotta
make sure its a smoker.

[Stewie]

I'm guessing they'll reconsider when the see the torpedoes steaming towards them.

[Rockport24]

Aren't mobile phones already a "fish finder" in the sense that the masses descend on a spot as soon as it gets hot?

[rizzo]

I've seen guys use small boat fish finders from shore when broodstock salmon fishing in rivers...

As with everything else, 50 years from now this sport will be drastically different. We'll have invisible lines with 100 pound breaking strength with superior abrasion resistence, feather lite space age composite rods, new age plastic lures that are pretty much the real thing controlled by little motors, pocket structure scanners that will pin point fish locations on heads up display goggles. We'll probably need it all as we'll continue to pound the stocks down to nothing and catching a striper will be as rare an event as an atlantic salmon!

[Stewie]

About that time, we will have synthetic stripers, all 50 pounders swimming around in large pools at national parks. The pools will be provided because once fisherman are not allowed within 800 yards of the salt water, the feds will have to build the pools to avoid another civil war.

Please practice catch and release with the synthostripers as each one costs as much as 64 miles of eight lane highway.

[Ed B]

Surfcasting 50 years from now will look pretty much the same as surfcasting today, and as it was 50 years ago. Lines, lures, rods and reels will be newer but the act of presenting a lure to a fish in the surf zone will essentially remain the same. Look at flyfishing for example they have updated all technology but the art and secrets of presenting the fly and getting a fish to hit have remained unchanged for centuries. Surfcasting is and will be similar to that.

What DZ is offering is a humorous view of what will take place in the next "Something other than surf fishing" fad. Here's what we've gone through in the last couple decades with the latest fads for guys who don't catch from the surf. Off the top of my head.
1. Distance casting. (Always been around but comes and goes)
2. Swimming to outer rockpiles (DZ's term "wanna be a boat")
3. Technophobes for the latest and greatest outerwear, tackle and lures (funny how they always end up using eels)
4. Skishing (For your family's sake, keep your will updated)
5. Cell phone gangs.

What these above things have in common are not the techniques or technology but the people who use them. They're for guys who had a passing interest and limited success in surf fishing and now are looking for more production. They'll end up doing some other type of fishing. They may even enter the water from the surf, but that won't make it surf fishing or surf casting.

PS. Love that little submarine though

Ed

[the point]

This can't be true...kind of takes the fun out off surf casting...even if it says no fish detected and it looks fishy...your casting.
But like was said cell phones are the new modern age fish finders
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[PRBuzz]

Originally Posted by rizzo

As with everything else, 50 years from now this sport will be drastically different.

You will be able to sit in front of the Boob tube (yes they will still dominate your life) and robo-fish using a mouse pad and a waterproof 3' tall robot which walks along the ocean's bottom and via radar targets specific 50+ lb fish, no smallies need apply!