Conference wahoo::fishing

    I've used my portable Hummingbird through the ice.  Unfortunatly
    I never saw anything, except maybe my shiner swimming around.
    The cold usually fried my batteries by days end.  Twice I used
    it on Winni and didn't see a thing, couldn't believe it.  Sorry
    the news isn't better.
    
    Gaff

    Was the Hummingbird a flasher or LCR?  Since a flasher requires an
    electric motor to rotate a wheel, I would assume they would draw 
    significantly more current.
    
    donmac

> How much are rechargable 6 volts?  Is it
>    possible to recharge them in parallel with a 12v charger!?  

 Only if you like fires. :-) If it were possible to use a 12v charger with
6v batteries, you'd have to do them in series. I don't know if it would
work even that way, but parallel is definitely a no-no.

 The Doctah

    
    Re .0

    	Don, I am on my second year using sonar through the ice or should 
    I say through the hole in the ice. Right now I use my Eagle Mach 1
    graph recorder. I made a carry box similar to the one in the
    Infisherman. For a battery, I borrow the lawnmowers. Kind of big but it
    works. I haven't come close to draining it. As for weight, it would
    be heavy if I had to carry it, but if its in the sled dragging is easy.
    Better yet when its time to drive on water, I just drive from hole to 
    hole. Locally, don't use it very much. I use it mostly when Team Keg
    invades Up State NY for the annual pilgrimage. It is great in Deeper
    water when jigging for lakers. I like the paper graph because the
    separation. I can see a fish that is almost laying on the bottom. 

    Rich 

	re.3 	right, I meant in series not parallel...
	
        re.4 	Thanks for reminding me.  I recalled the In-Fisherman
	article that described the portable sonar box and was going 
	look it up tonight.  Based on quick search of my 'fishing
	magazine database' it looks like its probably in one of the
	following issues: 

	In-Fisherman Oct/Nov 87: Depth Finders Double Ice Fishing Catches
	In-Fisherman Oct/Nov 88: LCDs on ice
    
        I'll take a look at them tonight...
    	
    	donmac

    Mine is an LCR, looks like I'll have to give it another try
    this winter.  I'm really surprised I've never seen fish in
    the winter, the thing works great at the Quabbin, Lake O, etc.

Don,

I've used my old Lowrance flasher primarily for shooting thru the ice to 
determine the depth.  Providing ice conditions allow (meaning no snow crust 
and not too many air bubbles), I simply put a little pool of water or spray 
a little veggie oil on the ice, stick the transducer in it and take a bottom 
reading.  It can save a lot of time by not having to drill holes to sound 
the bottom.  It can also be a big help to find structure.

I rarely use it set up in a hole to monitor approaching fish since most ice 
fishing is in relatively shallow water and the cone angle doesn't cover much 
of the bottom.  

I have though of using it this year for smelt fishing to determine the depth 
that they're cruising at.  Even though the depth may only be 10-15' where we 
go, I have definitely noticed that a change of just 1-2' can make a 
difference.

DON'T charge standard 6v dry cells.  They're cheap enough.  My flasher draws 
a lot more current than an LCR and I've been able use a set of batteries 
all winter long (obviously, not continual use...just for sounding the 
bottom).

Any reports of smelt in the area?

-HSJ-

    The In-fisherman articles I mentioned yesterday were quite informative.
    
    They recommended using a single 12V motorcycle battery.  They said
    the twin 6volts tend to drain real quick when its real cold out. They 
    also said that motorcycle batteries are only around $20.  So to me, that 
    sounds like the way to go (since I already have the 12v charger).
    
    Another good point they made was that a flasher can be more useful 
    on the ice, since they are indicating instantly whats directly below
    you.  Graphs are better for drawing a picture of a scanned bottom.  
    
    A stationary fish that would appear as an arc while you are moving, will 
    appear as a straight line on a graph that is also stationary.
    
    Since 90% of my ice fishing is smelt fishing from the shack, I'll be
    using mine just to see what depth the smelt (or white perch) are running 
    at.  As Joe mentioned often a foot or 2 can make all the difference in 
    the world.
    
    I'm planning to build the sonar box from the the In-fisherman article
    that Neil mentioned.  Looks like it'll work well.
    
    donmac

Yumm.  I can taste those suckas cooking now!!!!

    Rich, how did you make your transducer mount?  Did you make a foldable 
    mount like in the magazine?  If so what type of hardware did you use?
    
    I decided to build a rough prototype last night out of scrap 1/4" 
    plywood - expecting that the 1/4" would be to thin, but figured it'd 
    give me some ideas for the real thing.  I may wind using it afterall 
    since it's fairly solid.
    
    I haven't decided if I want to bother with a foldable or retractable
    tranducer mount.
    
    -donmac
    
    ps: I got a sales flyer from NBS on Saturday, they have a few real
    bargains on items of which they only have a couple of.  They had the
    portable case kit for my X4 for $49.99 (normally $89.99) complete with 
    puck (trolling motor) transducer and suction cup mount.  I considered
    it, but decided to look into the homemade one first.

Don,

I used a piece of 1" PVC tubing about 30" long and drilled holes in it about 
6" apart to slip a small, 12-14" dowel thru as a cross support.  Then I 
simply used plastic wire ties to clamp the transducer on and to fasten the 
cable up the PVC.  The small holes for the cross-piece allow me to adjust 
the transducer so that it is set at the bottom of the hole.


		|   | <--- 1" PVC, approx 30" long
		0   0
		|   |
		0   0 <--- 1/4" adjustment holes for dowel
		|   |
	===================== <--- 1/4" dowel, 12-14" long
		|   |
		0   0
		|   |
		|   |--
		|---|  \  <--- transducer held on w/wire tie
		|   |___\

This setup works fine for me.  You might also want to 1 inch markings on the 
PVC to use as a handy ruler.

joe

    Don, All I did for the transducer mount was to take a 2x3 and cut a
    notch in the end. I drilled a hole through the notch, slipped the
    transducer in and through bolted it. Then I use a small C clamp to 
    hold the section of 2X3 to the box, that keeps it strait in the hole.
    Primitive, but it works. I have enough room in the box so when its time
    to move, I unclamp the 2x3 and stand it upside down in the box.
    
    Rich 

    
    
    I taped my transducer to a spare trap....best to cutr the hook off
    first..;*)..
    
      E