By: Erik J. Barzeski
AKA iacas
Most kayak fisherman are gadget hounds. After all, most fisherman are gadget
hounds - we've all got too many rods, too many reels, and WAY too many
lures. That primal urge to "hunt and gather" now takes place in our local
tackle shops where we scour the walls, flush out the best deals, and bag
them with thin, rectangular pieces of plastic. Always willing to try new
things, always looking for the next advantage, and always looking for a new
excuse when confronted by the women in our lives (who, if you think about
it, hardly have any ground on which to stand when it comes to shopping):
that is the life of a fisherman when he's not on the water.
It is in this primal state of mind that many of us happen across the SmartCast by
HummingBird. The SmartCast is essentially a depth/fish-finder. What makes
the SmartCast unique is its size and wireless capabilities. The SmartCast,
like most depth-finders, consists of a transponder and an LCD display.
Unlike most depth finders, there is no wire between the two. The transponder
is a crankbait-sized floating green beacon that resembles a new-age
submarine. The LCD is mounted to a small, portable
Mobile Station or to a Wrist Mount.
Each of the two halves of the SmartCast system offers unique advantages. The
small transponder can be attached to fishing line and cast (hence the name)
into spots too tight to wedge a Tarpon 120 but not too tight to hold fish.
Alternatively, the transponder can be towed behind your yak while trolling
or looking for underwater structure. The wrist-mounted transponder (also
available in a Rod Mount)
is detailed enough at a resolution of 48 x 32 to provide a suitable
representation of the bottom and any hovering fish while remaining sleek
enough to wear on your wrist.
Many yak fisherman (and those pesky women) may wonder why a depth finder
comes in handy when we fish in six feet of water or less most of the time.
At $89 or so, the SmartCast is a bargain compared to other fish finders. Its
economy of size won't crowd what is usually an already crowded kayak. And
you fish, you can tell your women, in unknown waters often enough that
knowing the depth is important - channels, intercoastals, offshore, lakes
and ponds, the tannin-stained waters of the Everglades. Two feet or ten? Now
you'll know.
How does it actually perform? The 75 foot operating radius is fairlyaccurate - your longest casts will put the transponder out of range until
cranked in a bit. The splash is rather hearty, so you won't want to chuck
this thing around near spooky fish. Alternatively, you can easily drag the
SmartCast behind your yak on some heavy mono. Don't paddle too quickly,
though: the transponder's abilities drop off at about 3 miles per hour. With
a 90 degree scanning radius and a maximum depth of 100 feet,
you can be sure
to get an incredibly accurate picture when sitting still or moving slowly.
When night fishing for some bass with worms recently, I used the SmartCast
as the bobber, utilizing one of the two holes for the terminal leader, hook,
and worm and the second hole for the line to my rod. The bass were hungry,
and the SmartCast provided a nice picture of the fish as they approached or
swam by the worm.
The transponder;
features a 400-hour battery life on paper but sometimes lasts much less if
the "wet switch" is not kept bone dry. You replace the whole transponder at
$30 a pop when it dies. Dead transponders make great Christmas tree
ornaments. The wristwatch, though a bit thick, offers a replaceable battery
and very straightforward 3-button operation complete with fish alarms. The
alarm serves well to alert you to all of the fish you won't catch.
The lure has been cast and twitched. There's a swirl nearby: will the fish
strike? Will you hook up? Will I recommend the SmartCast? Yes, I will. If
you ever fish new water or water that's just a bit too deep to see the
bottom, the SmartCast will come in handy. At about the same price as two
female haircuts, you should be able to justify the purchase to yourself and
anyone else with an interest in your bank account.
