Marker Buoys

I use them all the time. Have them scattered around the boat so that one is usually within reach. Waiting to hear other comments.

 

In a lake yes, but in the rivers around here they're useless. Not sure about the James though, as I've never been there.

 

Exactly. On the Missouri River you'd probably have to put 2-3 ounces of weight just to hit the bottom. By the time the weight did hit the bottom the buoy would be way past your spot, and the current would probably keep the line peeling off anyway.

 

I used them all the time because I didn't have any GPS. I only fish lakes and the river channel into lakes. Current is usually slow. If I see something on my finder I throw one over board and come back to fish it. If I am drifting and catch a fish I throw one over to mark the spot so I can drift back by it again. I got GPS now on my new finder, so I may not use them as much, but I am sure I will still throw one out every now and again.

 

I always use them, i carry atleast 3 or 4 on my boat to mark drifts that i wanna make and to "pace" the water im covering.
A GPS is great, but markers put a perspective on the water

 

I agree, yes they are good but in moving water the best tool is the GPS marker.

 

If you use them in the river, you have to match the size of the buoy to the speed of the current, or it will simply take the buoy under the surface. In places on the Arkansas River, it's not uncommon for the current to submerge a 2-liter soda jug so that it's just barely breaking the surface; you really have to locate it more by the disturbance it makes in the water, rather than actually seeing the jug. I'd lay odds that there are places on the Mississippi that would pull an anchored gallon jug under, and it wouldn't surprise me if you had some trouble seeing an anchored 2 gallon jug from any distance. But, trying to accurately mark an exact spot out in the middle of a big river can be a problem, if you're just using shoreline markers. Seems like a fisherman just can't win, either way he goes.

 

Get a GPS!! They work the best for any water and you can triangulate the way point with marks on the shoreline and from your depth finder to make sure you have your perspective. I have a handheld gps that I use both hunting and fishin. I can download either maps or pics onto it. It's a great tool to use to locate areas that you might want to fish even without being on the lake. or river. You can mark a waypoint on the map so next time you go to that lake or river you can navigate to that spot and physically check it out with your eyes and depth finder to see if you was right just looking at the pics.

 

Not everybody can afford a GPS, but a cheap paintball gun and some flourescent marker ammo works wonders. Shoot a round or two at a tree on shore to mark your spots, easy to see, washes off in the rain leaving no trace, is biodegradable, nothing cluttering up the boat or to collect when the day's over, and you can do it on the run. Kinda fun too. :wink:

 

I use 'em on lakes, usually to mark structure, not fish. If I do use them to mark fish, I throw it like 20' away from them, then try to remember which way I threw it.

 

Before I got a GPS. Yes I used to throw out a 1 gallon jug with a window weight on it.
But before long I got where I could fish our river without even marking where I was at.
The white gallon Jug with a 5 lb weight on it and lots of extra line Works. But the Cash you would spend on a GPS is worth its weight in gold. Throw out a marker and everyone can use it.
Mark with a GPS and you can even go back to that spot in the dark.
I for one have a hand Held in the boat and the one on the Depthfinder. And I will say it makes fishing better, Cuts down on hunting the spot and also allows me to drop the anchor where it needs to be.
If it shows I am 100 Ft above the hole. I know how far to let the rope out and still be above the hole.
pete

 

I totally agree with the above post. That is the best way to go now days, but, For those that don't yet have a gps, and fish reservoirs with alot of current, I use 4 buoys to mark the channel edges above and below the structure I am wanting to fish. This does 2 things, 1. Keeps them out of the main flow, and 2. Shows me the direction the channel flows when on a wide part of the lake where the green and red buoys are far apart. Note they are of course not needed on calm wind days as the water will tell you this.

 

I use bouy markers and think they are very effective. I have just recently got a fish finder with gps. My question is how do you know how far you are exactly to that waypoint you are wanting to fish? Do you mark the hole and then mark about how far you think you should be from it and then find the distance between them with the gps functions? I hope this makes sense.:smile2:

 

When i bass fish i use them alot to mark brush piles. I agree they wouldn't be very accurate in swift current however.

 

It depends on what fish finder you have. On mine, you can set it to navigate to that way point, and it will give you a distance and heading to the way point. You can also make the way point a target and it will give you this information. You can also set a grid around the way point. This will put lines each direction spaced evenly so you can troll in a specific manner around the way point. And the one I like to use is the drift alarm. You can set it at what ever distance you want. Say you set it at 50 ft. It shows a ring 50 ft all around the way point. It will beep at you if you drift outside that ring.