Screenshots from Drake's Creek today. Help?

[JDH8504]

http://imgur.com/a/67z4K

First off, my GPS/Map is all jacked up. Can anyone suggest anything to help with that. I don't want to get hurt thinking I am in deep water when I'm really in two feet!

Check out the mayhem on the side scan screenshots. Anyone have any theories as to what's going on there?

Thanks,
Jason

[XxthejuicexX]

Shad, shad everywhere. I was on Normandy this afternoon and it looked just like that. The birds were having a field day, no fish for me though.

[thehick176]

Something is definitely going wrong lol

[thehick176]

Definitely shad but why is it say the water is 64 degrees in Spence creek

[JDH8504]

Definitely shad but why is it say the water is 64 degrees in Spence creek

Oh shoot I should have clarified, the Map shot is from October.

[XxthejuicexX]

Make sure you don't have Meters instead of feet as your depth.

[Alphahawk]

Looks like shad to me.


Regards

[deezelteck]

I had the same issue on my lowrance unit.

I contacted lowrance support, and they instructed me to do a factory reset.

IF YOU DO A FACTORY RESET BACK UP ALL WAY POINTS! I lost all of mine.

I reset my unit, and done the latest update, and everything started working right again.

[Alphahawk]

I don't see anything wrong with your si shots. I see shad and I also see fish feeding on those shad.


Regards

[JDH8504]

I had the same issue on my lowrance unit.

I contacted lowrance support, and they instructed me to do a factory reset.

IF YOU DO A FACTORY RESET BACK UP ALL WAY POINTS! I lost all of mine.

I reset my unit, and done the latest update, and everything started working right again.

Thanks for the tips! Luckily (I suppose :D) I don't have any waypoints yet. I'll do the factory reset and see if that helps me.

[JDH8504]

I don't see anything wrong with your si shots. I see shad and I also see fish feeding on those shad.


Regards

I think the SI is fine. The problem was my cursor on my map was showing me in 12-ish feet of water when my sonar was showing me in about 4 feet. The sonar was right, so something is up with my positioning on the GPS unit.

[StriperFan]

The GPS also has a degree of error depending on how good of a signal it is getting. If your in a valley it can be off by quite a bit. The more open and clear it is the better the accuracy. Also, for depth, there is quite a difference in pool fluctuation between winter and summer pools. The depth on the map is probably average pool

[Dakota]

It appears from I can tell the washed out areas to the right and left are indicators of a creek channel running though.


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[agelesssone]

The GPS also has a degree of error depending on how good of a signal it is getting. If your in a valley it can be off by quite a bit. The more open and clear it is the better the accuracy. Also, for depth, there is quite a difference in pool fluctuation between winter and summer pools. The depth on the map is probably average pool


Old Hickory rarely fluctuates more than 18 inches unlike Percy Priest or Tims Ford which are pulled down 7 ft or more in winter.

[JKTrevecca]

Those contour/depth lines on the chart aren't reliable in my experience. They give you an idea of the rise/fall/countour but depth accuracy is a whole different story. Especially on JPP. Rely on your sonar for depth accuracy. Using the chart will get you in the repair shop asking for a new skeg or lower unit :eek:

[JDH8504]

So in y'alls' opinions, would you have stopped and fished that point from my screenshots? It seems fairly common for me to find stuff like this...but I don't know how to tell the difference whether it's worthwhile to fish it or not.

I know some people can look at the picture and have a pretty good idea of what species it is and whether or not they're active.

[JDH8504]

Those contour/depth lines on the chart aren't reliable in my experience. They give you an idea of the rise/fall/countour but depth accuracy is a whole different story. Especially on JPP. Rely on your sonar for depth accuracy. Using the chart will get you in the repair shop asking for a new skeg or lower unit :eek:

That is my exact fear. I do always make sure I'm watching the depth reading on the sonar...particularly if I'm running with any speed. I guess the thing to do is just use the sonar to find the actual depth breaks once I know I'm in the general vicinity on the lake map.

[Alphahawk]

So in y'alls' opinions, would you have stopped and fished that point from my screenshots? It seems fairly common for me to find stuff like this...but I don't know how to tell the difference whether it's worthwhile to fish it or not.

I know some people can look at the picture and have a pretty good idea of what species it is and whether or not they're active.

With those si shots you darn right I would have stopped to fish it.


Regards

[XxthejuicexX]

So in y'alls' opinions, would you have stopped and fished that point from my screenshots? It seems fairly common for me to find stuff like this...but I don't know how to tell the difference whether it's worthwhile to fish it or not.

I know some people can look at the picture and have a pretty good idea of what species it is and whether or not they're active.


I think it depends on what you are fishing for. I'm still new to the SI game but I don't see a ton of big fish mixed in. There are some larger dots mixed in but I would think white bass or something like that. I'm sure Alpha has a better idea of what's going on than me, listen to him :)

[JDH8504]

Oops, should've clarified. I'm after largemouth bass. OTOH, I've been thinking I should throw a light line combo in the boat for occasions like this. Maybe throw a small crappie jig out there and see if I come up with anything. Shoot, at least I'd be catching :D

[Alphahawk]

I think it depends on what you are fishing for. I'm still new to the SI game but I don't see a ton of big fish mixed in. There are some larger dots mixed in but I would think white bass or something like that. I'm sure Alpha has a better idea of what's going on than me, listen to him :)

You're spot on juice...no big fish. I would have stopped and fished it because being an UL angler there is something for me down there. Good guess would be Gills...crappie...yellow bass.

Regards

[Alphahawk]

Here is a screenshot off the lock wall on Pickwick Lake. Very few would have stopped to fish it. But as you can see I was already stopped. It was hundreds of Gills and I spent 7 hours in one spot catching chunky Gills all day long. Went back next day and wasn't a fish to be found. Next shot is of probably something most would stop and fish for. It was off the wing wall below dam at Pickwick. Stripers were pretty thick around there....I did not want to hook up with them but white bass were hanging around also....that is what I was after. I know because I had one hit a Trout Magnet....spooled all of my 2# test off my reel. Then cast again with I think it was 5# test braid and same thing happened. I had to move to the corner of the dam below a spill gate...out of current...hoping to get away from them...LOL. Started catching Gills and then something large hit and I was spooled again...out of line now...had to pull out and go home...LOL.

Regards

[XxthejuicexX]

Alpha, did you know they were gills before catching them? I would not think they are baitfish but would have no clue other than them being small fish. This stripers are huge.

[Alphahawk]

Alpha, did you know they were gills before catching them? I would not think they are baitfish but would have no clue other than them being small fish. This stripers are huge.

I pretty much knew they had to be Gills...or maybe small yellow bass. I am not always right when I guess but having used si quite a bit you can pretty much have a good idea of what you are looking at. I've got a couple of shots where it is showing shad....lots of crappie feeding on them...and a few bass off to the side feeding on them. Large mouth will not stack up on top of one another like the crappie...Gills.....whites....and so on. But anytime I get all those little dots it is usually Gills. Here is a good example of nice size Gills....and even though I could not see them there were two Smallies in there 16-18 inches. I was just cruising along saw the return and tossed a marker buoy over the side and caught 21 Gills and the 2 Smallies off of it. When the bite stopped I pulled up on the marker and couldn't see a fish anywhere.....they had gone somewhere. I really get pumped using the si. It is the best money I think I have spent to help my type of fishing.


Regards

[eksfish]

Old Hickory rarely fluctuates more than 18 inches unlike Percy Priest or Tims Ford which are pulled down 7 ft or more in winter.







yea when I'm on Tims Ford in the winter I shade 0-10ft contour line on my chart and keep the boat clear of the shaded area.

[XxthejuicexX]

yea when I'm on Tims Ford in the winter I shade 0-10ft contour line on my chart and keep the boat clear of the shaded area.


You know you can adjust your navionics map for the water level. I make sure I do it in the winter to get true readings.


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[Dakota]

What kind of fish do you think these are? I dropped a Marker buoy thought I was about ready to get into them. Not sure if it was a quick moving school or what but I threw everything including live minnows no bites. http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160210/3c494b48db79c2a7c58e3297340e0e5e.jpg


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[Alphahawk]

What kind of fish do you think these are? I dropped a Marker buoy thought I was about ready to get into them. Not sure if it was a quick moving school or what but I threw everything including live minnows no bites. http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160210/3c494b48db79c2a7c58e3297340e0e5e.jpg


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IMHO crappie....possibly white bass...but I would lean toward crappie.

Regards

[JDH8504]

yea when I'm on Tims Ford in the winter I shade 0-10ft contour line on my chart and keep the boat clear of the shaded area.

I didn't even know I could do that! Thanks for the idea.

[JDH8504]

You know you can adjust your navionics map for the water level. I make sure I do it in the winter to get true readings.


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I wonder if that's available for the Lowrance maps. Or maybe I should buy Navionics...

[XxthejuicexX]

I wonder if that's available for the Lowrance maps. Or maybe I should buy Navionics...


I don't know about the lowrance maps. The navionics map is simple to adjust.


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[agelesssone]

Those contour/depth lines on the chart aren't reliable in my experience. They give you an idea of the rise/fall/countour but depth accuracy is a whole different story. Especially on JPP. Rely on your sonar for depth accuracy. Using the chart will get you in the repair shop asking for a new skeg or lower unit :eek:

Believe what JK is telling you here. There are many spots on JPP where your Navionics map will say you are in 20 ft of water when in reality you are in five ft or less....and this is at summer pool. If JPP is in full winter pool, the map will be off by a minimum of 7 ft!
They start pulling the lake down in November and start raising it back up in April, but the time frames are never written in stone. It is according to the amount of rainfall over the Cumberland Plateau.

[StriperFan]

What kind of fish do you think these are? I dropped a Marker buoy thought I was about ready to get into them. Not sure if it was a quick moving school or what but I threw everything including live minnows no bites. http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160210/3c494b48db79c2a7c58e3297340e0e5e.jpg


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These also look like possible large gizzard shad to me in the places I catch bait.

[agelesssone]

These also look like possible large gizzard shad to me in the places I catch bait.

If you threw minnows and small spoons at them and didn't get any takers, I'd go with striperfan and call them gizzards.
This is the screen I am looking for when I'm trying to catch shad.

[JDH8504]

If you threw minnows and small spoons at them and didn't get any takers, I'd go with striperfan and call them gizzards.
This is the screen I am looking for when I'm trying to catch shad.

I caught a big gizzard shad on a Red Eye Shad in the fall. Although, he didn't eat it...must have swiped at it or something.

[Dakota]

Thanks fellas for the reply backs on my images I posted. I did throw minnows on a slip float and tight lining a minnow with just a split shot. Plus small jigs thinking they were possibly Crappie. Large gizzards makes sense in that area.


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[Dakota]

I guess this caption says it all.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160211/b55d8d058e2933c86206fc70b9add8b9.jpg


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