Catfish Tech: The Advantage to Using Electronics in Catfishing

Catfish Tech: The Advantage to Using Electronics in Catfishing

By Brad Durick

Let’s face it, technology is everywhere these days. From smartphones to smart TVs to depth finders, technology is advancing at break neck speed and not slowing down any time soon.

So the question for you as a catfish angler is, why should you use advanced electronics for your catfishing? The real questions is, why shouldn’t you? Advanced technology has become extremely affordable over the past five years. Technology that was once over $2,000 now starts at around $500 and if you work the used markets it can be even cheaper.

Electronics for the shore anglers
Even shore anglers have not been left behind as electronics have progressed. There are many options on the market for shore anglers that have a transducer that connects directly to a line and can be cast out. They use WIFI to connect back to an app on your smart phone. You will get back information such as water temperature, depth and can even mark fish.

A few years back I had a guiding client who was a shore angler except the day he fished with me bring one of these units to show me. He hooked it to a rod and floated it next to the boat to demonstrate. He then pulled out an Ipad to use for the screen. He also showed me a notebook he had with hand drawn maps. What he does is finds his shore spot on the river, casts out as far as he can and lets the transducer float with the current marking the depths in the notebook as it floats by. He shortens each cast as he goes and after a few casts he has a detailed map drawn into the notebook for future needs.

Taking this to a new level might be printing out the Google Map of the area you are mapping and make your depth notes right on the photo so you now know the layout from above and below the surface.

Advanced Mapping
Mapping has come a long way, especially over the past 15 years. Most of us who started fishing more than ten years ago were limited to paper maps if any maps at all. Most smaller rivers (like the Red) were left with nothing but the memory of what you had seen on the depth finder over the years.

When Lakemaster started putting out detailed maps of northern lakes it was like the skies opened up for anglers to be more effective. Now fish had nowhere to hide but us river guys still had nothing and the expense to making a map chip for an ever changing river was just not worth the investment. That is until 2014 when Humminbird introduced Auto Chart Live. This software that is now available in all new units makes us able to map any water we want in detail.

I have spent literally days mapping the Red River and having that map has become a huge advantage to me. This mapping has allowed me to fine tune my existing spots and find dozens of new spots that I had been driving by for years. The best part of this technology is it is available to anyone now and very easy to use.

Side Imaging
There is not a bigger advancement in catfishing electronics than side imaging. Side imaging can be used for any species of fish but for catfishing it is amazing. As catfish anglers, we are always looking at structure such as snag piles and other debris that may be a hiding spot for a big catfish.

Humminbird introduced us to side imaging in 2007 and over the last 11 years has made steady advancements to the technology. In 2017 they hit a real home run with the introduction of MEGA imaging. By ramping up the power and using chirp technology you now get clearer pictures than you ever have with a side imager.

I jumped on the opportunity to get MEGA right when it came out. I quickly found out that things I thought were rocks and humps in the river were tires. I was able to identify what I always thought was an ice shack on the bottom of the river was actually a single stall garage. (We think it got there in the 1997 flood.) The greatest thing about MEGA is fish just glow when you find them. I have even gotten good enough with it that I can determine catfish from carp and avoid wasting time fishing for fish that won’t bite my cut bait.

Trolling Motors
Another huge advancement in technology for catfishing is in trolling motors. It has been no secret in southern lakes and big rivers that drifting and trolling is a huge advantage. Companies such as Minn Kota have added features to their trolling motors that make them a must even in areas where anchoring is king.

Spot Lock is an anchoring system that holds your boat on a specific GPS coordinate. This has been huge for walleye anglers for years but now it is good enough that catfish anglers can hold still enough to tight line the bottom. The beauty of spot lock is when the fish are on a fairly quick bite, instead of dropping an anchor at each stop you deploy your trolling motor and spot lock. Fish your spot for a short time then simply pull your lines and troll to the next spot to start again. This makes you extremely efficient in your time management.

In fishing today, catfishing in particular electronics can make us much more efficient and better anglers. No matter what level of angler you are or what information you desire there is a level of electronics that can assist you in catching more fish. Just remember, the best electronics in the world are not near as effective as they can be if you understand the fish you are targeting and fish where the fish are.