Reading Sonar

[AOY]

This may sound dumb but I've read all the articles on here about sonar and looked at some of the manufacturer's websites and tutorials.  Those have helped a lot but I still want to know--where should I cast when I see a reading?  Do I drop straight down, cast to the side, troll back over the spot and try to find the tree or whatever it is I'm looking at with a search bait?  I can find rocks, trees, dropoffs, etc with the finder--just don't know what to do when they appear-- or where to cast.   My transducer is mounted to the rear of my boat and I'm only at trolling speed.  I've got a dual beam sonar--Humminbird Matrix 25.  The chart speed is default which I think is fast.  Any suggestions?

[AOY]

Oh yeah, I'm wanting to know this for about 10-25 feet deep.  I don't rely on it when I'm fishing the bank.

[ernel]

When the transducer passes over a feature in the water, what ever is on the far right of the screen is near to close to being under the transducer at that moment. Once it has moved to the left, it will be behind the boat in your sitiuation. I would let the boat drift a little further and cast past the object bringing my lure back throught the cover if I were using a search bait. If you fell that there is fish holding in the cover, then circle back and cast to the cover from different angles without crossing over it again. Another option is to drop a marker bouy behind the boat to mark your location so as to make it easier to find when coming back to it. This also allows you to give the fish a few minutes to calm down if you feel that your boat passing over the cover has spooked the fish. Remember that the cone isn't that large in 20' of water. You are not seeing a large area of the lake bottom , just a small portion. The 60 degree cone will help some, but it will not be as precise as the 10 degree cone.

[ernel]

Also the faster the chart speed, the closer to real time as to what you see.

[Boo]

That was helpful ernel, Im just learning how to use a sonar also. Man I love this site! ;D

[AOY]

Thanks.  I plan on trying that today.  I'm taking my two-man out to a small lake around here and plan on finding some deeper (15-20 ft) structure.  I'm going to fish for bass but if I find a brushpile or a boulder with crappie--I'm not gonna pass it up!  My main goal is to get familiar with the sonar before stuff really starts heating up in a couple weeks.  I've caught some NICE bass on this small lake--an 8 and two 7's--not bad for a city lake in Oklahoma!  I'm trying to find where they go when the water is cold.  Thanks again.