Go Deeper with Sonar

I am a bank fisherman.

I spent years fishing out of a boat but began from the bank and after getting rid of my boat to reduce expenses around the household, I came full circle and became a bank fisherman again.

One of the largest disadvantages to being land bound has been the inability to scan cover and structure and to utilize modern fish finding electronics to pinpoint fish. That problem has been solved.

Enter Deeper, a bobber-shaped sonar unit about the size of something I would soak a hunk of chicken liver under to catch channel catfish. But it is much more than a bobber.

The Deeper Smart FishFinder 3.0 like all Deeper units is a sonar you can cast and that connects with smart devices. This unit is compatible with Android and iOS. Simply cast into the water and via Bluetooth connection it sends back the structure of the bottom, vegetation readouts, depth, temperature and if they are present-fish location.

The Deeper Pro and Pro Plus are both compatible with smartphones and tablets running iOS 8.0 or later, and Android 4.0 or later. The downloadable app also gives the angler features such as a Solunar Forecast calendar, a Weather Forecast, Fish Notes, and more. These units operate on an independent WiFi connection so you can use them anywhere as long as the unit and device are in working order. They actually allow you to use them in areas you cannot get cell service because Deeper emits its own WiFi field.

I have had a couple of opportunities to tinker with Deeper units and I am the perfect person to test because I am not the best at technical devices. If I can use it, pretty much anyone can and the units are very easy to use. Once the unit and smart device are in sync, turn on, cast and start scanning your fishing area.

The things that popped into my mind while playing with the device were ways it can benefit several different kinds of fishing situations right here in Texas.

One great option is for surf fishermen.

Savvy surf anglers like to get in some of the deep bowls in the surf and make sure to get either into or past certain “guts” in the surf. A deeper unit can make that happen easily.

For land bound bay fishermen it can help pinpoint hidden baitfish under the current. Locating sub-surface schools of shad and other fish can allow the angler to make casts where the predators are most likely to be.

I fish a huge public pond that is more aptly described as a lake that has a decent crappie population. Deeper is now allowing me to scan some of the logs and brush that are at the edge of my casting distance to seek out the schools of crappie that tend to move around frequently. There is no using casting to cover with no fish.

The essence of kayak fishing is stealth and if an angler can simply cast to a spot and get a readout instead of paddling in some of those spooky redfish might end up in the boat instead of eluding us. There is also a kayak mount that can be purchased separately that allows using it in a more standard fish finder way.

Those are just a few ways that I came up to use this truly interesting product.

The manufacturer is based out of Europe where most fishing is done from the bank. I have had the privilege of fishing with some of the best bank fishermen on the planet in Spain’s Segra River for huge Wels catfish. If this product had been available when I fished there in 2005, I wonder how many more fish we might have caught.

The Europeans are innovators when it comes to bank fishing and they have come up with a product that will not only have a great impact on the land bound but those in kayaks here in Texas.

If you get the top of the line, the Deeper Smart Sonar Pro Plus you scan out to 260 feet and have the ability to send 330 feet out and stay connected with your smart device. That takes the edge off bank and kayak fishing and opens up many fishing possibilities.

Visit buydeeper.com.

—by Chester Moore

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