New technology comes to the fishing world about as frequently as most of us change socks, tempting anglers to reach deep into their pockets with hopes of gaining more satisfaction during our days on the water.

Temptations are everywhere for people who fish. New lures, rods, reels and accessories are just a few clicks from delivery to your door. Who can resist grabbing goodies while strolling the aisles at our favorite tackle retailers? Who hasn’t marveled at the quality and reality displayed on the screens of today’s sophisticated sonar units?

Every purchase comes with a dream that someday soon that rod, reel and lure will be in your hands as you catch your limit of your favorite species.

Truth is, however, that I am never the first person to buy the hot lure or latest electronics. I am not so old-school that I haven’t strayed beyond bobber-and-worm fishing, but I do admit that when anglers are jabbering about hot new lures and mind-boggling sonar, I am not tempted to race them to the checkout with credit card in hand.

I have listened with mild interest for several years to friends relating experiences with the new technology in forward-facing, down-scan sonar and side-imaging sonar. I’ve seen their boats, rigged like the bridge of an aircraft carrier with multiple screens, and wondered how, with so much to view, they found time to actually fish.

But an old dog can learn a few tricks, right? I wasn’t first in line to buy Senkos or Chatterbaits, but today I never leave the dock without a stash of both in the boat. Then, a few weeks ago, I began thinking seriously about swapping out the simple 16-year-old, 5-inch fishfinder on the bow of the Bass Cat. I called my friend Dave Waikem at Fisherman’s Central near Akron and got the ball rolling for his boat sales and service operation, FC Marine, to install an Eagle Eye 9.

It is not a move I made without consideration of cost and even fairness to the fish. Today’s fish-finding technology comes with a cost that our grandparents would have judged as absurd. They bought houses for less than what some weekend anglers invest in sonar toys for their boats.

But cost was not the only factor in my hesitation. I do like the uncomplicated charm of a day on the water. I like the challenge of reading the day, the lake and the conditions with my own senses and then deploying the tactics that I judge will best perform. And, frankly, I revel in putting a lure down to a place where I imagine a big one is swimming, then feeling the tug and gaining the satisfaction that my senses were spot on.

The other factor is whether it is fair to the fish. Should we have the ability to see in real time what is happening underwater up to 70 feet in front of the boat? Some say it gives anglers too much of an advantage over the fish. Others argue anglers ought to take every advantage with them to the water.

I weighed the pros and cons and opted to take the plunge. After considering the money, the practicality and the ethics, the fun factor tipped the scales.

Learning the new technology has been very enjoyable. I have fished with the Eagle Eye 9 three times since FC Marine did the install. The livescope feature identified baitfish and predator fish in front of the boat during each trip and I have been able to convert the findings into catches.

The Eagle Eye 9 features GPS to enable anglers to know exactly where they are, forward-facing livescope and downscan with CHIRP (compressed high-density radar pulse), which delivers clear, detailed images of fish, structure and bottom contours.

All of this, of course, does not guarantee the angler will put more fish in the boat. But so far for me, the Eagle Eye 9 is like the Senkos and Chatterbaits that preceded it – a helpful tool that has lit the fireworks and delivered a new level of fun out on my favorite waters.

Jack Wollitz began writing his weekly fishing column in 1988. Contact him at jackbbaass@gmail.com.