Depth Finder Tactic...WHY HAVE ONE

 Stop Fishing Blindly! (1973) …Get a depth sounder

Back in 1973, your typical angler couldn’t afford a depth finder. 

According to the government’s inflation calculator, $175 for an average flasher unit back then is the equivalent of nearly $1,400 today. 

Tackle shops had to offere payment plans to help anglers swing the purchase. 

But George Pazik was steadfast in his thoughts that it was a tool you could not do without if you were halfway serious about your fishing.

“Broad daylight, clear sunny day... and these men are fishing blindly."

Look at the guys in the first pic. They are not novice fishermen nor are they fools, they simply don't KNOW that they're fishing blindly. It makes for a beautiful color photograph, but that's all. No fish caught. 

The next photograph in black and white shows the depth sounder reading that indicates the drop-off from 10 to 17 feet, which is where they OUGHT TO BE FISHING.

In the last pic, you’ll see a contour map and you will note how far out from shore that drop-off comes. The section of the contour map shown on this page has an arrow pointing to the approximate spot in which those men were fishing. 

Now, it IS on a break structure that drops quickly to the deepest water in the area. This is a decent bar, fish do migrate up onto this bar at times and they are caught there. 

As you can see, however, these men were not where they should have been fishing. The preferred spot would be further back where that same depth break actually contacted the deeper water at 25'.

They were close, but no cigar. The fish would have staged at the 25' mark (their sanctuary area)....but unless conditions were right and to their liking -  they could be unlikely to come further...as the men found out. 

I also see the tip of the smaller island IF the depth break there contacts the 25' depth. But because it is a shallow slope, it would have to have some intermediate break or breaks for the fish to follow in, so it falls to 2nd place in priority.

With a depth sounder, a good map, and a working knowledge of fish behavior, you can change your "luck."