I was unable to comment before, as although I had used Cakey’s Microcat briefly on a session earlier this year, I wasn’t able to write from a base of user experience.
I’m pleased to say, I now can! I ordered the Microcat some five weeks ago with the added benefit of the sonar. I’ve taken it out on three separate occasions running up to 3 hours at a time. I never fished whilst using the cat as I wanted to field test with no other distractions. Angling Techniques are the first to say they ain’t cheap, but they back it up nicely by also stating that purchasing the very best don’t come cheap too.
When I get a chance I’ll write a full review for Fishing Magic, but for the time being, my advice is definitely get one with the sonar. I’ve never experienced anything like it. Whilst motoring out into the venue, it indicates the depth whilst describing shelf’s, plateaus, bars and the build-up of the bottoms surface. I must admit, I wasn’t quite convinced about being able to tell if you had big, medium or small fish under the boat, so decided to ride on over feeding bubbles and there they are. As you get to know the operating system more and more, you can quite easily tell, the size, the movement, the amount and also sporadic feeding.
The lake I tested it on the most, I knew quite well and where I’d been able to locate fish in the past, all, I’m pleased to say were present. However, the places, I would never imagined there to be fish in a hundred years, were coming into the sonars view. No matter how accurate your marker float work, you cant get anywhere near this boat with sonar. Shelf’s dropping off some 180 yards out, and leaving deep holes of 8 foot by 6 foot wide were uncovering serious hiding places for Mr. Carp. Not only did I not know these holes existed, I could never of reached them by casting any way. Imagine being able to locate a secret holding place some 180 yards out, check out with pin-point accuracy the depth and bottom surface and then slowly lower your hookbait and freebies perfectly on top!
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