Hydrowave

[zaneofishing]

Originally Posted by forsterfisho

Interesting topic and I think we all know the answer to it!

It will oneday be allowed in the ABT and associated events, if its not already so. 360 degree structure scan, HD sounder technologies, power poles, drift paddles, GPS controlled electric motors, high grade braided lines, scents that blur the line between baits and lures, soft plastics that blue the line between natural and manmade products.....we've seen a lot of changes in a short period of time, this will open up comps to a whole new level, so I really can't see it not entering Australia's tournament scene.

Do I agree with it? well no.

There is a big gap between sounder technology, electric motors, high speed light weight motors ect and actually re-engineering the target species behaviour.

Wheres the skill in driving around with an ultra quite 4stroke motor, turning on your 360 degree structure scan sounder to find fish, then marking each school of fish found on your interegrated GPS, or better yet make a track with your Ipilot and fish the length of bank holding fish without even having to use your footpedal.
Currently if the fish won't bite, well you swap lures...swap leaders, swap jigs, swap rods untill you find a bite pattern.
With this hydrowave technology you simply locate the fish, mark them and it appears in theory simply flick a switch into the correct rhythem and start catching them hand over fish as you hathve changed their behaviour and thinking to become aggressive and actively feed. Wheres the angling challange in that??

thats basically sums it up in a nutshell, all the other technology we use and that is on the market is soley a aid in locationg fish and keeping us on the school, like myself i know most of u live by your sounder i honestly dont know what id do without it anymore, just knowing water temps and depths and contours is a massive help in lure choice and all around approach, however there is still a large amount of skill involved in simulating what the fish are activly feeding on or what is going to arous them enough to feed wheather that be reaction bite or not.
simply flicking a switch in my opinion is going to slacken your approach, and in no way help sharpen your skills which seperate us anglers from danglers.

[Frithy]

I spose the only way to find out for sure is to buy one and give it a go, about $500-$600 they're looking at in Aus.

[TheChief]

Do not like it at all. Seriously using technology to change a fishes behavior isn't something that should be used at all in comps or at all IMO.

Comps should be about being the best at catching fish, not finding them and putting pretty much any lure in front of them because your new fancy bit of kit fired them up for you!

Ban it, just like the belly/long putters in Golf. Golf banned those silly trampoline faced drivers and the new grooves on irons and the long putter is next. I believe there's a limit for technology in all competition sports. I think fishing is crossing it with Hydrowave.

[zaneofishing]

your not the only 1 whose thinking this cheif.

[Frithy]

all it will take is enough public outcry and the coordinators will get the picture, I hope it gets banned too even though I'm not sold on how effective it is

[Steve Morgan]

Crikey, guys - I'd always explained breamers as open minded and early adopters of technology. This sounds like a meeting of the Flat Earth society.

I've had one to play with for several months and have had mixed results on bream. Granted, most of my fishing is done in tournaments and I haven't devoted the time I should to experimenting with the different sounds. Also, remember that bream aren't as predatory as the fish that these units were designed for.

In small waters I've found that bream will quite commonly follow the lure right to the boat - and bite the lure right next to the boat when the unit is on. In my experience, this doesn't happen too much otherwise.

I reckon that for breaming, the unit is good at masking foreign (read: boat) noise that can spook bream. I'm pretty anal about boat noise anyway - low speed on electrics, sounders off, shut lids gently etc ....

Personally, I think that the units will be more effective on bass than bream and then more effective again on barra than bass!

That said, I have run mine on a small 7a/h battery (until I have time over Christmas to hard-wire it into the boat) and was reasonably disappointed when it ran out at the end of the practice day of the BREAM GF and I'd neglected to bring my charger - I was fishing rockpiles and shell beds that have resident fish and you need everything in your favour to get them to bite.

To me, modern fish finders are much more help than a Hydrowave when it comes to finding fish - when you see some of the screen shots that the BLA guys have taken with their prototype H360 units are ridiculous. If you want to ban something, ban that.

If you're an anti-Hydrowave man, then never play your boat's stereo while you're fishing and choose lures that don't vibrate!

What I like about Hydrowaves the most is that each unit sold helps fund Carl Jocumsen's Bassmaster Elite series campaign. He's responsible for the technology getting here and getting them going in Australia with the help of some of his mates.

Bottom line: If you're a regular mid-field angler in tournaments, one of these won't put you on the podium at every event, but they may definitely cover up some of your mistakes and get you some more bites.

I'll be happy to report back when I've doubled my time playing with mine.

Cheers,

SM

[Alex]

Not knowing how effective this thing is and not paying any attention to what KVD is saying (he's biased as well as Kriet) this thing should be banned at the comps, full stop.

Should be classed the same as berley. Level play is what the comps are about.

[Steve Morgan]

My opinion if if you want to ban this technology, you'd better ban the rest of the technology with it.

• I bet guys who were good on the oars wanted to ban electric motors.
• I bet old timers who knew the habits of fish wanted sounders banned.
• Guys in slow boats want to ban guys in fast boats.

Have a go of it before you make your mind up. Otherwise we'll all look like keyboard heroes.

If you're serious about the level playing field, please refrain from overtaking any fellow competitors while driving to your spots in a tournament!


Cheers,

SM

[dpack]

Masking the sound of your boat Vs berley.

Very different perspectives?

Berley is against the rules.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by dpack

Masking the sound of your boat Vs berley.

Very different perspectives?

Tell me where KVD says anything about masking the boat noise?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qZBZ3hw1Dg

[TheChief]

Originally Posted by Steve Morgan

Crikey, guys - I'd always explained breamers as open minded and early adopters of technology. This sounds like a meeting of the Flat Earth society.

I've had one to play with for several months and have had mixed results on bream. Granted, most of my fishing is done in tournaments and I haven't devoted the time I should to experimenting with the different sounds. Also, remember that bream aren't as predatory as the fish that these units were designed for.

In small waters I've found that bream will quite commonly follow the lure right to the boat - and bite the lure right next to the boat when the unit is on. In my experience, this doesn't happen too much otherwise.

I reckon that for breaming, the unit is good at masking foreign (read: boat) noise that can spook bream. I'm pretty anal about boat noise anyway - low speed on electrics, sounders off, shut lids gently etc ....

Personally, I think that the units will be more effective on bass than bream and then more effective again on barra than bass!

That said, I have run mine on a small 7a/h battery (until I have time over Christmas to hard-wire it into the boat) and was reasonably disappointed when it ran out at the end of the practice day of the BREAM GF and I'd neglected to bring my charger - I was fishing rockpiles and shell beds that have resident fish and you need everything in your favour to get them to bite.

To me, modern fish finders are much more help than a Hydrowave when it comes to finding fish - when you see some of the screen shots that the BLA guys have taken with their prototype H360 units are ridiculous. If you want to ban something, ban that.

If you're an anti-Hydrowave man, then never play your boat's stereo while you're fishing and choose lures that don't vibrate!

What I like about Hydrowaves the most is that each unit sold helps fund Carl Jocumsen's Bassmaster Elite series campaign. He's responsible for the technology getting here and getting them going in Australia with the help of some of his mates.

Bottom line: If you're a regular mid-field angler in tournaments, one of these won't put you on the podium at every event, but they may definitely cover up some of your mistakes and get you some more bites.

I'll be happy to report back when I've doubled my time playing with mine.

Cheers,

SM

You are probably more qualified to comment on this subject than most, due to owning one and your vast knowledge and experience in the comp scene. BUT I still think there is a huge difference between using technology to find fish and using this type of technology to trigger fish to bite. Some may agree and some might not.

I think masking your boat/foreign noise should be up to the angler as well, it's surely apart of what makes a good angler?

Good luck to Carl. He is living the dream and we all have a huge amount of respect for what he is doing over there but I won't be buying one.

[zaneofishing]

not to sound like a prick but i think some people are being a little bias... i think its in a completely different league to elec motors or sounders personally.. helping carl is obviously a good thing but that doesnt nessecarelly mean because of this we should accept it here in australia in our tournaments.. that is my opinion on the matter but clearly steve its going to come down to you what final out come will be in association to tournament angling.

i would like to see a large scale poll done on the matter. the cheif raised some good facts about how things like this have affected golf and been banned.

[topwater]

Originally Posted by TheChief

You are probably more qualified to comment on this subject than most, due to owning one and your vast knowledge and experience in the comp scene. BUT I still think there is a huge difference between using technology to find fish and using this type of technology to trigger fish to bite. Some may agree and some might not.

I think masking your boat/foreign noise should be up to the angler as well, it's surely apart of what makes a good angler?

Good luck to Carl. He is living the dream and we all have a huge amount of respect for what he is doing over there but I won't be buying one.

+1, well said cheif

[Onthedrop86]

Masking general boat noise with bait sounds?

As others have said we look up to Carl highly and respect what he has done, but this won't make me buy one, as much as I would love to help him out.

It is up to the angler himself to do these things, as you said yourself, putting lids on gently, sounders off etc etc.

Unfortunately I can see this quickly becoming a way of fishing, with people giving out hydrowave tips, on what setting to use in certain conditions

[Dell]

Originally Posted by TheChief

BUT I still think there is a huge difference between using technology to find fish and using this type of technology to trigger fish to bite.
I think masking your boat/foreign noise should be up to the angler as well, it's surely apart of what makes a good angler?

So should things like s factor and megastrike be banned? As apparently it's ment to trigger fish into biting and people use it to mask foreign scents. Also s factor falls off easily so technically could also be used as form of burley.