Are Modern Marine Electronics Making Us Dumber?

Albert Einstein as soon as mentioned, “I worry the day that know-how will surpass our human interplay. The world can have a technology of idiots.”

I don’t know if outdated Al ever held a fishing rod, and I doubt he was fascinated with live-scanning sonar, autopilots, AIS, GPS navigators or shaded aid charts when he uttered the prophetic phrases. Nonetheless, in a world in the present day the place many individuals can’t navigate by compass, steadiness a checkbook, carry out simple arithmetic with no calculator, and even parallel-park their automobile, it’s a query that deserves asking: Are the trendy marine electronics we rely on a lot really making us dumber?

My reply is an unapologetic “that relies upon.” The know-how now we have at our disposal in the present day is usually a highly effective instrument. It can be a debilitating crutch that, when relied on too ­closely, may cause our innate angling abilities to atrophy over time. I consider the distinction comes all the way down to how you utilize know-how—and extra importantly, what you do with that “processor” between your ears whilst you’re at it.

I’m not anti-technology. Removed from it. I marvel on the element in in the present day’s high-res digital charts, or the best way a GPS-enabled trolling motor can maintain the boat over a rock the scale of a living-room sofa. I chart a course in my plotter, drive by autopilot, and use satellite tv for pc know-how to ensure I’m positioned exactly the place I would like in relation to a reef or a rock pile. If the water temp offshore jumps or falls a half-degree, electronics ensure I don’t miss it. Expertise performs a big function within the success of each inshore and offshore fishing journey I do. Nonetheless, I’ve been round lengthy sufficient to recollect the time earlier than GPS, digital charts, satellite tv for pc climate or LCD fish finders. Was it more durable? Sure, it pressured us to develop human looking abilities.

Open Your Senses

The extra know-how does for us, the much less we should do for ourselves. This fact, ­nonetheless, doesn’t essentially result in a dulling of our thoughts and ­senses. Use your thoughts and senses for issues your electronics are usually not doing. If you happen to’re utilizing your autopilot to troll offshore, you might depart the helm to make a sandwich or hang around together with your buddies within the cockpit. Or you might take the chance to glass the horizon for kelp paddies, breaking fish, pods of dolphins or diving birds. Or maybe make some radio calls to different boats to achieve some intelligence on the chunk. Satellite tv for pc sea-surface temperature and climate overlaid onto chart plotters may also help you determine the place to attempt subsequent—in case you train your mind.

Right this moment’s superior chirp sounders can present a lifelike show of wrecks, ledges and reefs, and even look forward and out to the perimeters to “see” below docks or detect hidden construction away from the boat. As a substitute of utilizing this skill to substantiate what you already know, make use of it to seek out new fish-holding construction you by no means knew about. The identical will be mentioned for shaded-relief bathymetric charts, which, for my part, are probably the most essential developments to return alongside for anglers during the last decade. These digital charts make it straightforward to seek out and discover new fishing spots, particularly small reefs and rock piles that could be ignored by different boats. 

Learn Subsequent: How you can Get the Most Out of Your Digital Charts

Silly Is as Silly Does

Whether or not or not you consider know-how is making us dumber, I assure it may well make us do silly issues. Simply since you’ve plotted a route into your navigation system and the autopilot is steering doesn’t relieve you of your duty because the helmsman. You must stay on the bridge and use the liberty know-how gives to extend your degree of ­situational consciousness. Scan the horizon and monitor for potential obstacles. Monitor your radar show and digital charts for doable risks above and under the water. Most significantly, maintain your eyes, ears and different senses open and alert. The variety of sport-fishing boats which have run aground or collided with different vessels whereas on autopilot is shocking. The frequent denominator is that the particular person in command put an excessive amount of belief in know-how. And what if all of your know-how fails whereas on the water, removed from sight of land? I’m afraid there are lots of anglers who can be critically challenged in bringing their vessels again house safely.

Through the years, I’ve recognized a number of “fishy” guys with uncanny talents to find fish and predict their conduct. I’ve fished with anglers who can actually odor when gamefish are feeding 60 toes under and precisely predict that three birds sitting on the floor means there’s tuna to be caught. That is one thing that no quantity of know-how can ever change.