Finding Fish With Electronics

[wakeeater]

now that summer is here, i'm back to struggling to find decent fish. i have a hb 898 si and now how to read it, but i'm not sure exactly what a "hot spot" looks like. i typically look for ledges & humps with bait and structure. do you look for actual bass or just bait/structure? it's driving me crazy... any tips & links would be much appreciated!

[Wayne P.]

A "hot spot" looks like there are fish there. There is nothing "hot" about any place with no fish.

I look for bass and baitfish with Side Imaging. I usually concentate that search at major structure elements, but I don't fish an area unless fish are there. That is why I got that technology, so I can fish where the fish are.

After the thermocline forms it really gets easy--don't look at any areas that are deeper than the thermocline.

Additionally set your unit to highlight the fish so they are easier to see. That is why those units have all those adjustments available.

[WRB]

I have no idea where to start because you don't have any regional information or type of lake you are fishing. You approach surveying structure with sonar based on the type of structure ot cover you are looking at; the forage base (type of baitfish) and depth you expect to locate the bass. Depth is a key factor and first piece of information you should try to solve; this eliminates a lot of water.

I always start metering the marina where I launch; lots information is there, plus anglers bring bass back to marinas to release them.

As far as outside main lake structure areas you first need to study a good map; paper or electronic and note structure elements at the depth the bass are reported to be using, before you start metering the structure. This will save you a lot of time.

What you can determine in the marina area is the depth the "life zone " is active; look for fish marks, both baitfsih and other fish. As mentioned the thermocline is a big factor if the layer is well defined; no baitfish will go below a thermocline and that is part of the life zone and depth you are trying to determine.

If baitfish are near or on outside structure; fish the area! No sonar can pick up active bass that are not within the sonars return cone area and bass have a habit of moving away from approaching boats.

Tom

[wakeeater]

thanks for the info. i fish a twra lake so there isnt much of a thermocline. i've been using the all modes of the finder, but just have been struggling lately.

[scrutch]

I think the best way to learn is to get out and start scanning water. I've gone out several days and scanned way more than I fished. Make changes to the settings to see how it effects your info. Drive over humps and drop offs and look for the arches in 2d sonar, then go back over the same water and look at it using DI and sidecan. Learn how structure looks in both modes and what fish look like in both modes. 2D fish arches are easy to identify and I suspect you already know that much. DI and side imaging shows fish very differently and it takes a little experience to identify the white spots that are the fish. Over time you'll be able to tell the difference between sonar returns that you want to fish (ie; five or six bright white spots under a bait ball) and returns that you need to pass on (ie; clouds of bright white returns filling up an entire cove) that are probably another species like white bass.

[scrutch]

Almost forgot, do yourself a favor and do all your scanning at the SAME SPEED. Somewhere between 2 and 6mph.

Keep your SI Range at about three times the depth.

A few basics to get you started.

Good luck. And keep asking questions.

[wakeeater]

scrutch, thanks! i went out this morning & rode around and scanned. i'm on fort loudon in east tn & the bass fishing has been tough for everyone this year. i haven't been using the 2d sonar much. what you said does make sense though....big fish should be easier to spot on it. i didnt have alot of luck finding fish deep, so i wrapped up the morning flipping docks. a couple of decent smallmouths made it a decent day.

i guess i just need to do alot of riding & watching until i get this figured out.