The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
So you've launched the boat, you've got the life jackets, paddles, gas for the motor, rods and tackle boxes, the fish finder and the underwater video camera. Hold on a second here, the fish finder and underwater video camera? Yes that's right, more and more anglers are going high tech to help them get a leg or a fin up on the fish they are going after. It used to be that anglers used very little equipment. Usually a rod, some line, a hook and some bait was all that was needed to catch dinner. Today technology and miniaturization have led to gadgets and gizmos becoming as much a part of fishing as spinners, plugs, spoons, jigs, worms and leeches. Fish finders are basically sonar devices that show the angler what is underneath the boat, including bottom contours and fish. They became commercially available about 20 years ago using sonar technology similar to what submarines used during the Second World War. Now the technology is comparable to what can be found on the space shuttle. Many fish finders come with Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) systems, which allow anglers to know where the boat is in any weather. Some units are capable of accepting a software download that lets anglers create detailed fishing maps of most of Canada's lakes and rivers. Some models even have a GPS safety feature, an alarm that goes off if the boat drifts out of a designated area. Handy if you happen to doze off! The latest "toy" many anglers are buying is an underwater video camera. It can be dropped off the side of a boat or through a hole in the ice. The camera cable, which is usually between 20 and 70 metres long, is then hooked up to a small monitor. Underwater cameras have given anglers a view of a whole new world and have made the sport more entertaining. See 'Seeing' P.# Con't from P.# "We sell quite a few of these units every year," says Greg Prokopetz, of Pokey's Tackle Shop in Regina. " I use one myself and not only does it let me see what kinds of fish that are under the boat, it gives me a better idea of how they behave. It also lets me see how my lure or bait rig is behaving. You may think you have the best tackle set up in the world but if it doesn't work properly underwater you're wasting your time." Being able to see what fish are in the water and how they behave also leads to a better understanding of how fish live and the kind of habitat each species prefers. Saskatchewan Environment's Murray Everett says the camera can also be a tool for conservation. "The angler may get into a particular habitat that supports a species of fish that has a reduced or limited quota due to low populations," says Everett. "The angler can quickly move the hook if an unwanted fish, such as a very small perch or walleye, attempts to bite the lure. It could also reduce the impact of catching some fish. For example, if the angler finds that there is a lot of small perch in deep water he or she may not want to catch them. If the small perch were caught in deep water, by the time they were pulled to the surface their air bladder would be enlarged and chances of survival, if returned to the water, would be slim." Both Pokey's Prokoptez and Environment's Everett say even if you have all the technology available you still can't make fish bite, that often depends on several factors, including whether the fish are feeding, if they are being aggressive, the time of day and even the weather. For more information contact; Murray Everett, Saskatchewan Environment, (306) 787-1144, Greg Prokopetz, Pokey's Tackle Shop, (306) 359-1910 or Art Jones, Communications Consultant with Saskatchewan Environment, (306) 787-5796.
