Which temp/speed probe?

[Dave.C]

I do agree that the Fish Hawk and Smart Troll system have a few more advantages, no coated cable probably being the biggest one.

I'm more of a weekend warrior, take the kids out fisherman. More info will be great and the cash saved can go towards other things.

I don't think the coated cable will be that big a deal,I may look at the new uncoated cable from Torpedo when I find a DR.

[Matthew]

Intriguing, but I am suspicious.

From the illustrations, this set-up looks to have one potential major shortcoming; you have an in-line probe on each rod/reel with a knot holding this in place, and another knot added to the section from the rear of the probe to lure/meat rig/fly. Adding two more knots, to me, means two more places for a set-up to fail. If or when this system has a knot failure, it carries the potential to also lose the probe, as well as the lure, fly, bait rig and flasher(envision a charging salmon on a wire rod running on the surface accross your spread-not good!). This carries the potential to get expensive quite quickly. Now, add this set-up into a directional diver rod/lure combo. Do you run it in front of the diver? Do you run it behind the diver? Either way you add more drag on a fish when it is on, as well as lengthen the chunk of line you have hanging off the end of the rod to the fish when it comes time to net it-doable for folks with a good netting skill set, bad idea for newbies, kids, and the infrequent fisherman. These are the three potential fishing populations I would look to make life easiest when fishing salmon, since their interest and excitement carries the potential to grow the sport and participant field.

The upfront pricing has to be cheaper, since this unit carries significant potential to add expense at a rapid rate to achieve "at the bait speed and temperature accuracy". This, to me, is a major trade-off that goes in the wrong direction.

For me, all I want is to replicate my downspeed, not register it on a rod-by-basis. If I want to know how broad the temperature break band is, vertically, all I need to do is turn up the sensitivity on my FF until this water density break shows up as a band on the screen, and then read the depth band it exists at(remember, your FF integrates everything that is generating a signal return within the transducer's cone and shows this as a uniform depth reading). Using my probe to give me a single temp. at depth readout, and this technique, coupled with a good set of tables lure speed/line out/rig depth for copper, leadcore, directional divers, and wire rigs, my accuracy of depth delivery is pretty tight AND readily replicated from fish to fish.

I have used the Smart Troll during the testing process last year and you can take away my fishfinder but don't touch my Smart Troll.

You won't lose a single probe if you connect it using an OR16 clip with a snap swivel safety. Drag from the probe not even noticable.

There are many things I noticed using the Smart Troll unit but I will tell you a story of an incident that happens almost every time I am on the lake.

Trolling one direction and my divers were down 75 feet, trolling the opposite direction and my divers were down 105 feet. Both directions my speed and temp units (yes I run 2 down other down speed and temp units beside the Smart Troll) registered the same speed in both directions. I was catching fish down 75, if I relied on my other S&T units I would only catch fish going one way. With the Smart Troll I adjusted my speed until my divers were back at 75 feet down and caught fish going both ways.

[Rodm]

Interesting story. Are you talking surface speed or speed at lure? I can see how depth could vary greatly using surface speed as a reference. If it's the speed at the dipsy, what do you think causes the change?

[Matthew]

I am talking down speed at my rigger.

I am not certain why this happens but my best guess is the prob wants to travel in the direction that provides the greatest resistance. Since most of the time the greatest resistance is the direction the boat is traveling I would think the probe is also pointing in that same direction. Cross currents likely don't get registered properly by my rigger probe because of the above reason. I am starting to think that if I am going directly with the current or directly against the current then my down speed is likely accurate, any other current direction I am doubtful.

In any case if the fish are biting 75 feet down according to my diver probe then the speed is likely good, so as long as I keep my diver at that depth no matter which way I am traveling the speed seems perfect.

I think if you talk to others that have used the product over a season they will all tell you the same thing, in fact I was talking to Mark Chmura who also field tested the product last year and he told me a very similar story.

I know that last year all field testers had to sign a non disclosure agreement until the patent was taken care of. That is likely why this was kept so quiet.