More time on Lake Anna with electronics?

Wasn't the best day, nor the worst - but .  .  .
Made it to the lake again on this August 3, 2015.  Likely a great day to most as the boat traffic wasn't all that bad, sunny, light winds, clear skies, but forecast late afternoon T-storms.  I launched about 3 PM not intending to stay long, but wanted to look up river past the 208 bridge.  This bridge is considered mid-lake by the coastguard.  Also, I wanted to get screen shots along the way.  The plan was to get the Lowrance echo looking right on display.

The following shot is taken from the Simrad nss7 evo 2 as I'm motoring out of Rockland Creek.  Bottom lock 2X on the left and normal on the right.  The depth was much too deep, set at 60 feet.  Would have been better at 30.  The stacked arches on the right are supposed to be white perch.  The larger solo arches on the bottom are likely catfish.  Lots of other small fry in the shot.

Somewhat similar to the above shot, but this one shows lots of individual small fish arches and a bait ball in the center of the shot.

Still further out the creek toward the main channel, lots of stacked white perch and maybe catfish?

Out in the main lake now and the depth vs the display is more reasonable.  Seems like mostly stacked white perch.  Definitely not stripers of any size.

The following shot is at 20 mph and while interesting, likely still stacks of white perch.  Lots of individual marks (the orange vertical dashes).

In this shot, I'm slowing from 20 mph to about 3 mph.  Some larger fish, but unlikely stripers.

I might guess that the arches at 30 feet on the bottom to the right in the shot are dormant stripers.

This could be interesting, but more likely white perch as I slow from 20 mph to 3 mph.

 The magnificaiton makes this stack of likely white perch look massive!  Yet, I'd like to think it is dormant stripers tightly packed.

Well, that's enough of the Simrad chirping the TM150.  In my opinion, the detail is incredible.

Trying echo on the Lowrance HDS 9 touch gen 2 with the HST wide angle ducer didn't look good.  I would like more of the heavy center glow .  .  . 200 khz!  Maybe I have to try chirping the HST.  Reconnect the network cable, allow networking for both the Simrad and Lowrance?  Mapping sure would be useful when displayed on the Simrad as it is on the Lowrance. :)  Of course, with a Lowrance HDS 12 gen 3, I could have it all on one screen and eventually have 3D structure. :)  Yet, don't have the gold for such procurements.

Trying a different pallet at 83 khz.  The 4X might indicate these arches are quite small fish and unlikely stripers.

 The below shot might have given a lot more information if I had the depth adjusted properly.  Maybe I need to do an auto setting.  Obviously there's stuff in the water column as it's easy to differentiate between the interference.

Not sure why the interferrence is so intense below the boat on the right.  Still lots of stuff in the water that echo might identify.

 In the following shot, slowing from 22 mph to 3 mph.  The structure maintains bottom, but has too much garbage to be useful for me.  For info, the display is moving down so the new stuff is at the top and the history is at the bottom.  With a map of Lake Anna, it is simple to find where the boat is.

 The horizontal dashes are interferrence that I can't resolve.  Maybe a power line behind the dash.  The battery is isolated electrically for both hot and ground.  The same interference occurs with the start battery connection. However, this is a great structure shot as there is bait below the boat and obviously off to both sides.  Much too deep for cast net.  Yet, this might have been a small school of larger fish.  Only the echo knows for sure.  I'm thinking I should look at this area again.

Well, that's my water story for this trip.  Hurried back to the dock and called Mel to meet me.  Her arrival was just as I reached the dock.  She had a container of ice water to quench my thirst.  Held the boat to the tiny dock while I backed the trailer.  I've learned to keep the boat and trailer close enough so I can step without losing my balance.  Of course, I have my inflatable PFD on when ever I'm boating solo.  So, I get the boat on the trailer, Mel cranks the bow to the stop, and then pulls the trailer onto the lot.  Meanwhile, I take care of some stuff on the boat and climb off, Mel closes the gate and drives her Honda to the house.  Always great to have a spouse that helps with the boat and rushes to get dinner each evening.

I always forget something and today it was to reconnect the isolated battery charge line before I got off the boat.  Earlier, I remembered that I hadn't installed the bilge plug.  OK, I remembered that I put it in the previous day when I didn't get on the water.  Whew, need a written check list when I'm doing stuff solo.  I did record the screen shots to the storage media before I left the boat, likely a first! :) This is not a simple task per Navico engineering.  The Simrad water proof micro SD is hard for aged fingers to pull from the slot and maintain in possession.  Easy for the tiny gadget to drop to the floor, etc.  The Lowrance isn't much easier, except that the SD is standard size.  Still difficult to extract from the compartment.  Maybe I need a tool to help?

I've had trouble with the guide ons bending forward and back from minor collisions with the boat.  At home, when I was on the ground, I found that both are nearly broken off from cracks.  Need replacements before both fall off the trailer.  Better get them taken off the trailer today!  Did an on-line Overland order as the guide-ons were on sale.  Also ordered the LED lights for the top of the guide-ons.  I saw the clear lens, but also a picture of the lens with red rear and amber front.  Hope it comes with both.

Maybe get on the water tomorrow.  Need to make a trip early in the morning to view the differences in fish.  Or, go back to the dam area where I've seen some great display of something on echo that looks like inactive large stripers!  Might have to visit Fish Tales with my minnow bucket so I can have baits while headed toward the dam or dike 3.