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Reading The Water...Tom Scholey gets to grips with possibly the most unusual item that he has ever been sent for review, the Deeper Smart Sonar Pro+…

I must admit to being slightly perplexed when I was sent the Deeper Smart Sonar Pro+ fishfinder for review in this, a match fishing magazine.

Although, strictly speaking, they aren’t banned under Angling Trust rules, I would imagine any match organiser worth his salt would take a very dim view of a competitor actually using one during a match. I know I would!

And even if they were allowed – I am not sure I would want to use one. After all, the mystery of fishing for me is all about casting out your feeder, or shipping out your float, and not actually knowing whether or not you will get a bite.

But after giving the matter some thought, I do actually believe that products like the Deeper Smart Sonar Pro+ have a place in our sport, and a very valid place where they could make a real improvement. I see things differently to a lot of anglers, as I am not only a very active match angler, but also run a lot of matches. As an angler, there is nothing more frustrating than drawing a section, or peg, with few or no fish in it. Of course, to anglers who fish natural venues, this is very much viewed as an occupational hazard.

If I flip my cap to that of a match organiser, I had always taken a view that there is little you can do to avoid putting the occasional ‘bad’ section in the draw bag – as sections are always pegged with best intentions – but you never actually know where the fish are going to be.

Could the Deeper Smart Sonar Pro+ hold the solution to this problem? After all, you could walk along the canal, or river, or lake and find out where the fish are, then peg the match accordingly. So how does the device work? It uses sonar to measure not only the depth of water but also what ‘lies beneath’ the surface and the bottom. It can be attached to a rod and line and cast out, or dangled from a boat, as long as it is touching the surface of the water.

The reading is then conveyed via Wi-Fi to an app, which can be downloaded on to an Apple or an Android iPhone. I had no problem getting this app on my phone and found the whole setup very easy. I took the device to a local lake, which I knew had a head of mixed fish in it, to see what I thought of it. To be honest, I was very, very impressed. The first thing that struck me was just how easy it is to use. It is quite literally a matter of pairing your handset with the Deeper Smart Sonar Pro+ (via Wi-Fi), opening the app and away you go.

I know the contours of this lake fairly well, and I could tell straightaway that the depth readings that the device was offering were accurate. After casting in a couple of places, a shoal of three fish appeared on my screen, all at different depths! I found their presence plausible, as I had seen the odd fish topping, so there were obviously some moving about.

For sure, further testing will be required before I can offer a more conclusive Used & Abused review about this product – but my first impression? Very impressed!

PRICE: Deeper Smart Sonar Pro+ RRP: £189.99

https://buydeeper.com/en/deeper-pro-plus?gclid=Cj0KEQjwr7S-BRD96_uw9JK8uNABEiQAujbffJ6EAmgcvvzHXQDJzZxBIjn7czoFuAGr0KHE-EEyR7UaAmpN8P8HAQ