Anybody rolling without a FF?

Without my FF for rockfishing, I would feel like blind. 
Paul

Eric calls it "reading brail" 

Collecting dust. I’m in Windsor. Let me know if you’re interested.

Getting back in to the sport, I haven’t paddled the Sonoma Coast in about 4 years. I never used a FF, but there was a lot more kelp then. Made it easier to find areas and never felt like I needed one. Well with the lack of kelp I’m thinking otherwise. It would be nice to see my depth and what the bottom looks like. The Garmin strikers seem like a good deal for the money. Anybody still old school without one?

FFFs are one of the surest causes of blindness

Right up there with fear anger or any other extreme emotional state

For me it depends on my familiarity with where I'm fishing and the season if I'm using the ff or not. If finding bait is involved, you're blind for the most part unless bait is exhibiting on the surface. If I'm familiar with the structure I'll be fishing and working near it, I don't like using the ff, I find it distracting and I'll inevitably catch less fish. Fishing new areas, it's invaluable as to keying you in on bottom and structure features. Nice to know water temps. Great to have GPS on a screen in front of you. Nice to turn up sensitivity and see the thermocline in lakes. Dislike having even more gear to deal with.

If you buy a FF, dont buy a gimmick get the real thing.

I don’t know if that floating FF thingy is a gimmick, but I don’t see any reason why there couldn’t be a FF based an a smartphone.

I went full stupid and bought a flat screen TV for the kayak. I'm realizing I'll I really need to see is the depth...I'll keep it simple after this one breaks.

I’m not catching that much fish, but haven’t had a fish finder on my boats for many years. I would like to second the usefulness of the navionics app as a way to see bottom and a safety device.

Aloha,

Isao

I guess for me I never intend to depend on my phone for something while kayak fishing.  I'm more afraid of losing it than anything as well since I need it for work, and pretty much have to head straight to the verizon store for a replacement if lost.  I also spent first several years leaving the phone in the glove box, because who needs the distraction on the water.  But now a days work wants to get a hold of you wherever you are so I carry it now.  Plus, it's a better camera than the old Optio camera I used for many years.  I wouldn't mind a bigger screen, but a smaller screen will do for reading depth, seeing bait, and somewhat fine for navigation.   

I wouldn’t recommend relying on a phone while on the water, but it is a good backup safety tool and the app does allow me to take a look at the water I’ll be in before hand to have an idea of what an area’s bottom contour looks like. After that I go with the brain method, and take the phone out only if I need/want to

The beauty of electronics is it relieves you of the necessity to get to know zones or find your way in a fog and basically learn how to fish

Or depending how you see it that could be a downside

If it's all youve ever known the simplicity of going without might be refreshing

If it's all youve ever known the simplicity of going without might be refreshing

I don't know... Without my electronics, it seems that I'd have no choice but to use my brain, and I'm not sure how reliable that is anymore, since it hasn't been used in quite a while...