Brush pile fishing

[Umgettinbetta]

Been venturing offshore as of this yr so not great at it. What seems to be the hardest challenge is lining up on my spots. I idle, mark spots and have a hard time lining up. Literally taking 10 to sometimes 20 casts b4 I hit the target... And there have been times that I've just given up and driven off. The lake I fish mainly has brush piles offshore. Last few yrs the guys that fish offshore is having the greatest success and I want some of it. I've got two lowrance graphs that are linked together and have tried the marker buoys but just curious to hear how a lot more experienced anglers get on their spots line up and fish them effectively yet efficiently. Also some bait tips would be cool as well as with some sonar tips/settings

Thank you all.

[Alumicraft145]

Use the GPS to get you close. Try to use shoreline /buoy references if you can. Once you are where you wanna be use a marker bouy or even an anchor. Gotta mark your spot away from the brushpile, a cast away.

[Umgettinbetta]

Use the GPS to get you close. Try to use shoreline /buoy references if you can. Once you are where you wanna be use a marker bouy or even an anchor. Gotta mark your spot away from the brushpile, a cast away.

Thanks for the info!! Now you're saying once I'm at the casting distance and lined up use a marker buoy to mark my location? So drop the buoy right out in front of the boat is what your saying??

[RFSims]

I fish off shore brush piles two different ways, drop shot and casting. My Lowrance GPS will put me exactly on top of the brush piles. I sit directly on top the pile using 2D sonar and drop shot down into the pile. Casting to the pile, I use the trolling motor to find find the pile on GPS and 2D sonar, drop a buoy slightly away from the pile (don't drop buoy directly into the pile), back the boat off and cast directly into the pile. I guess if one can't remember where the boat is, one should drop a buoy at the boat. Never had the need to mark the boat.

[Umgettinbetta]

I fish off shore brush piles two different ways, drop shot and casting. My Lowrance GPS will put me exactly on top of the brush piles. I sit directly on top the pile using 2D sonar and drop shot down into the pile. Casting to the pile, I use the trolling motor to find find the pile on GPS and 2D sonar, drop a buoy slightly away from the pile (don't drop buoy directly into the pile), back the boat off and cast directly into the pile. I guess if one can't remember where the boat is, one should drop a buoy at the boat. Never had the need to mark the boat.

This is good info to troll over pile with trolling motor. I normally drive over it with big motor and drop buoy after passing over it a few feet. The marker buoy concept seems the easiest but man believe it I still miss those brush piles more often than I hit them. You think it be simple but I'm learning orientation is incredibly important. Just in the simple direction your boat was traveling after passing over piles is important to lining up. Buoys are just time consuming and they're a red flag telling everyone where your spot is. Do you worry about that at all?? In general is it hard for you normally to line up and hit your brush. One last thing, after dropping your buoy just off the brush in a casting situation are you generally staying with one line up angle or are you fishing multiple angles because thinking about it makes me think logically you have to drop the buoy in a slightly different area around the brush to make different angled casts so you're not getting hung in the buoy.

Than you!!!

[RFSims]

This is good info to troll over pile with trolling motor. I normally drive over it with big motor and drop buoy after passing over it a few feet. The marker buoy concept seems the easiest but man believe it I still miss those brush piles more often than I hit them. You think it be simple but I'm learning orientation is incredibly important. Just in the simple direction your boat was traveling after passing over piles is important to lining up. Buoys are just time consuming and they're a red flag telling everyone where your spot is. Do you worry about that at all?? In general is it hard for you normally to line up and hit your brush. One last thing, after dropping your buoy just off the brush in a casting situation are you generally staying with one line up angle or are you fishing multiple angles because thinking about it makes me think logically you have to drop the buoy in a slightly different area around the brush to make different angled casts so you're not getting hung in the buoy.

Than you!!!

I will be more specific. I generally throw my buoy 20' away from the brush. Let the wind blow me downwind from the brush and cast into the pile. No matter were the boat floats I still know where the brush is in relation to the buoy. Actually I only use a buoy if the wind is blowing. If wind is blowing and you make more than one cast you will be fishing different angles from the boat movement. Fairly easy to keep the boat in position with trolling motor. I'm not going to drift off over 20' feet or so. Let's say I'm fishing brush on a deep hump. Wind is out of the south, so that will place the brush south of my boat(boat position downwind). My buoy will be 20' or so either east or west of the brush. Not terribly hard to stay north of the brush/buoy. Say I threw the buoy east of the brush 20'. I throw my lure 20' west of the buoy, Bingo right in the brush.

Actually if I was fishing brush on a deep hump I would drop shot it. About the only time I cast to brush piles if when the brush is on a point. I set up shallow on the point regardless of wind direction and cast deep to the brush pile. Marking the pile is same as above.

I made a hook out of an old rod to catch the buoy so I don't have to bend over. 69 year old body with fused back. Might take a minute to recover buoy. I don't tourney fish so I don't care who sees me. With modern electronics everyone else has those brush piles marked if on frequently fished lake. With modern electronics there are few secrets.

[Umgettinbetta]

I will be more specific. I generally throw my buoy 20' away from the brush. Let the wind blow me downwind from the brush and cast into the pile. No matter were the boat floats I still know where the brush is in relation to the buoy. Actually I only use a buoy if the wind is blowing. If wind is blowing and you make more than one cast you will be fishing different angles from the boat movement. Fairly easy to keep the boat in position with trolling motor. I'm not going to drift off over 20' feet or so. Let's say I'm fishing brush on a deep hump. Wind is out of the south, so that will place the brush south of my boat(boat position downwind). My buoy will be 20' or so either east or west of the brush. Not terribly hard to stay north of the brush/buoy. Say I threw the buoy east of the brush 20'. I throw my lure 20' west of the buoy, Bingo right in the brush.

Actually if I was fishing brush on a deep hump I would drop shot it. About the only time I cast to brush piles if when the brush is on a point. I set up shallow on the point regardless of wind direction and cast deep to the brush pile. Marking the pile is same as above.

I made a hook out of an old rod to catch the buoy so I don't have to bend over. 69 year old body with fused back. Might take a minute to recover buoy. I don't tourney fish so I don't care who sees me. With modern electronics everyone else has those brush piles marked if on frequently fished lake. With modern electronics there are few secrets.

You're absolutely right on no more secrets. But I do fish tournaments and time is truly important. But wow you actually throw your buoy off 20' away from brush and still hit it... That's impressive. I can barely hit it throwing it 3-5ft off brush. But thank you for the insight. Definitely informative.

Thank you

[JohnnyO]

Spot Lock trolling motor, if not I use buoys, one to the left and one to the rt. Then back off and throw in the middle. In addition my humminbird has the option to show a casting ring around the GPS symbol, that helps a lot.

[nowakezone]

If u dont want everybody to see your (red flag) paint the buoy black, sometimes its hard to even see when you know where its at

[GOTTA BIG SACK]

I mark the pile on Lowrance. Turn on distance to destination in overlay data on your screen. Select the waypoint and tell it to go to it. Then I have point 1 installed. So I know exactly where the pile is in relation to the boat and I know the distance. No need in a buoy with point 1. And with my livescope I can point the trolling motor at it, see it, see the fish, throw to it, watch my bait fall and watch the fish eat it. But before I had livescope that’s how I did it.

[MattVT18]

It's important to understand where your GPS location is coming from when you mark a waypoint. I have a Point 1 mounted in the back of my boat as close to the transducer as possible. I use that for not only heading (again very important when lining up) but for the GPS location of my console unit. This way when I idle over something or see it on SI, I get a much better mark. I also use the heading from the Point 1 on my bow unit. I use the built in GPS on the bow unit to determine its location. In my experience, a Point 1 or other external GPS/heading device is very helpful offshore. The heading info alone is worth the cost in my opinion. My last setup didn't have one, and I struggled just like you describe.

[Umgettinbetta]

Thank all of you for the comments. As mentioned I'm new to offshore fishing as of this yr so I definitely got tons to learn. I will definitely use some of the advice moving forward. What's the difference in using the casting rings vs the distance to destination? Normally set my rings to 50' and I'd troll right up to where the waypoint is just at the 50' mark and make my cast.. I have all the technology mentioned excluding live scope. When I set my mind to fish offshore I bought the ultrex and added the point 1 to my lowrance units.

[Fishin is life]

Heres a thought if youre new to lining up on brush. If you tourny fish and i assume you do, on a practice day go to your waypoints. Get a good cast off them and cast into the brush. When you feel like youre in a good spot to fish the brush effectively, drop a waypoint with a different symbol where youre setting. Next time you pull up to the pile, sit on the newest waypoint where your boat was when you were fishing it, line up with your other waypoint and cast. I did this before i had livescope, but livescope makes fishing brush much much easier

[Thamelau]

It's important to understand where your GPS location is coming from when you mark a waypoint. I have a Point 1 mounted in the back of my boat as close to the transducer as possible. I use that for not only heading (again very important when lining up) but for the GPS location of my console unit. This way when I idle over something or see it on SI, I get a much better mark. I also use the heading from the Point 1 on my bow unit. I use the built in GPS on the bow unit to determine its location. In my experience, a Point 1 or other external GPS/heading device is very helpful offshore. The heading info alone is worth the cost in my opinion. My last setup didn't have one, and I struggled just like you describe.

I agree with MattVT18, a Point 1 with the heading sensor has made offshore fishing for me, way easier. It allows me to have a WAY easier time judging angles due to the heading sensor, and eliminates the automatic 8-10' discrepancy that you get when your system uses your transducer for eyes and head unit for position. I found myself going "wow, that's why I sucked so bad here last year." I was never casting at the correct angle to hit the weed lines or patches.

[GoneFishingLTN]

I agree with MattVT18, a Point 1 with the heading sensor has made offshore fishing for me, way easier. It allows me to have a WAY easier time judging angles due to the heading sensor, and eliminates the automatic 8-10' discrepancy that you get when your system uses your transducer for eyes and head unit for position. I found myself going "wow, that's why I sucked so bad here last year." I was never casting at the correct angle to hit the weed lines or patches.

I currently have my point one right in front of the console to the right of the boat. Any tips on how to help with the 8 foot of difference? Or any suggestions at all?

[Thamelau]

With your GPS positioning item (Point 1 or Head Unit) placed a distance away from your transducer, you will automatically have that error. Placing it directly over your transducer is the only way to take that inherent error out. I get a deviation of my heading when my big motor is running due to a magnetic field, but as soon as I turn my outboard off it goes away.

[DrewFlu33]

Agree with the above. The Point 1's heading sensor makes it much easier.

As for fixing the offset problem, it's actually pretty simple. What most do is to put the Point 1 over the transom transducer. To set everything up, first go to data sources in each of your units, find the GPS and heading sections, and switch them to "local" via the little arrow on the right side of the screen (not "global"). This part is important because it tells your unit that the setting you're changing applies only to this unit and not to every unit on the network. For your console unit, you'll want to set both GPS location and heading to Point 1. This takes away the 8 foot error GoneFishing asked about and instead reads the GPS from that location right above the transom transducer. For your bow graph, you'll want to set GPS location to "this unit" since it's already very close to the transducer on your trolling motor (so it's not reading its location 20 feet away from where you actually are), then set heading to Point 1 so that you have use of the heading sensor. Problem solved!

[GoneFishingLTN]

Agree with the above. The Point 1's heading sensor makes it much easier.

As for fixing the offset problem, it's actually pretty simple. What most do is to put the Point 1 over the transom transducer. To set everything up, first go to data sources in each of your units, find the GPS and heading sections, and switch them to "local" via the little arrow on the right side of the screen (not "global"). This part is important because it tells your unit that the setting you're changing applies only to this unit and not to every unit on the network. For your console unit, you'll want to set both GPS location and heading to Point 1. This takes away the 8 foot error GoneFishing asked about and instead reads the GPS from that location right above the transom transducer. For your bow graph, you'll want to set GPS location to "this unit" since it's already very close to the transducer on your trolling motor (so it's not reading its location 20 feet away from where you actually are), then set heading to Point 1 so that you have use of the heading sensor. Problem solved!

thank you I saved this write up! So you suggest I have it moved to the back of the boat? There is no need for one near the trolling motor correct also

[DrewFlu33]

thank you I saved this write up! So you suggest I have it moved to the back of the boat? There is no need for one near the trolling motor correct also

Welcome! I fought with it for a while before someone set me straight, so happy to pay it forward. Once you get it, it's a wonder it seemed so tough, but it's not explained well in any Lowrance documentation I've ever seen.

You only need 1, though you'll need both units set up on the same NMEA 2k network with the Point 1 of course. I think the ideal spot is over that transom transducer for a couple reasons, the main one being that it fixes the problem of GPS being off from console to transom that you mentioned above. Though it seems minor and some will say the error margin in these units' GPS renders fixing it useless, when I'm spot locked on waypoints there's a very noticeable difference in how I'm positioned on that waypoint from the console unit to the bow unit. It's also very consistent, so while I think "official" accuracy of fish finder GPS is one thing, at least where I fish, my units tend to be dead nuts on within a few feet on GPS. It's really amazing. Plus, depending on how the wind is blowing, I'll sometimes be fishing from the back deck to hit a spot, so being aware of that can make all the difference in not being on top of whatever you're fishing and otherwise with hitting your spot consistently. Getting rid of any error is always good. The second reason I think that's the best spot is that unless you're trying to mount it very, very close to the outboard, it's less likely that you'll have interference on that back gunnel area where you'd be mounting it while the front deck can be a little more of a wild card with the trolling motor and all of its magnets nearby as well as fish finders which may or may not throw it off in the same vicinity.

If you have it mounted elsewhere and don't decide to move it, that could change the selections you want to make regarding units using Point-1 vs "this unit" for GPS location. For example, if you have it on the front deck, selecting Point 1 for the GPS location on the console unit would actually make the problem worse. That said, I think once you understand how those selections work it's pretty easy to figure out the proper way to set it up to be most accurate for however you have it set up. Definitely the most important thing is using the Point 1 for heading. Selecting Point 1 vs unit for GPS is really about fine tuning.

[DrewFlu33]

Two things I meant to add above...The GPS accuracy of the Point 1 is no better than the internal GPS accuracy on the units, so while some will say that and use it as a reason for having more than one Point 1, it's just not true. If you have really old units (like Gen 2 non touch or older), they did have a slower GPS refresh rate (5 Hz vs. 10Hz) so the Point 1 would offer a very marginal bit of improvement, but still not worth adding a second Point 1 in my opinion. If anything, having a second Point 1 makes things more complicated.

Also, when mounting the Point 1, even if you think it's certain there's no magnetic interference, it's always a good idea to hold an old fashioned magnetic compass over that area to make sure it doesn't get screwy. If the compass continues pointing north in the spot where you plan to mount your Point 1 just like it does out in the open, that confirms you've got a good spot to mount the Point 1. FWIW, I tried using the "MetalDetector" app on my iPhone as I've heard folks say it works for detecting magnetic fields. On my iPhone, it absolutely works as well as a compass in identifying those magnetic fields (and therefore the interference). No clue how it works, but it does at least in my case!