Fish Finder Questions--PLEASE HELP!

[.dsaavedra.]

hey guys, i really need your help on this one.

i recently started using a fish finder, and i think i like it, but i think im not getting the most out of it.

first question: this one time, when i had the fish ID symbol turned on, there were lots of fish, but when i turned off the fish ID symbol (to switch it to fish arcs) there was nothing. whats the deal with this?

another thing i dont quite understand is how the dang thing works.

lets say i am sitting perfectly still, not drifting one bit, and im over a sunken tree or a log or a fish or soemthing. what will this look like on the screen?

earlier today we were drifting but not very fast at all, and there would be a stump on the ground and it would show up and then be gone, but we hadnt moved. whats up with that? how come the stationary stuff (trees, stumps, rocks) disappears when neither the cover or me is moving?

thanks for your help guys...im a total noob at fish finders.

[Guest muddy]

The one thing I can help you with is keep the fish ID off, it will show a lot of things as fish that may not be. You can look at your owners manual, I just got a new finder. They have a demo mode that goes along with the manual so you can distingush type of bottom based on the bottom line on the screen. Great questions, its where I am at also, so I am looking forward to the answers given. I can't get the cone thing down, as realtive to what I am seeing and where it actually is

I went to the articles but will pay attention here, the articles are going over my thick head at this point

[KU_Bassmaster.]

REALLY read the instruction manual. I mean like REALLY understand it. Take it with you while you fish. Spend some time messing around with it while you fish. Notice what the screen looks like when you are over something YOU KNOW FOR SURE is on the bottom ..... like over a big grassy flat, or the concrete boat ramp, sand, mud, rocks, a sunken Christmas tree, etc etc etc.

Triton_Mike posted an AWESOME tutorial on here a couple years ago. It might be worth trying to find that. I know it helped me out big time.

And like muddy said, turn the Fish ID off.

[.dsaavedra.]

ok guys. thanks for the tip. next time out i will turn off Fish ID.

i have a cheapie eagle 68, and i didnt find the manual very helpful at all. it mainly went over how to operate it (buttons, menus, etc). didnt go into much detail on how to read it, besides that harder objects will have that grayline thing on them.

really hope someone else can answer these questions because they are just boggling me

[Just_Old_Fisherman]

Here are 2 pretty good tutorials on sonar use. Especially the Pro's Corner one by Luke Morris. May be some duplication, but better 2 than 0.

'>http://www.lukebuddy.com/Lowrance/default.htm

'>http://www.lowrance.com/Support/Tips-and-Tutorials/Sonar-Tutorial/

[Glenn]

Thousands of articles on this site.  Anything you want to know about bass fishing, it's here.  For example, depthfinders:

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/depthfinder_fishfinder.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/depthfinders.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/fishfinders.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/fishing_electronics.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/fish-locator.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fish/depthfinders.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/electronic_interference.html

[Mr. Krinkle]

I have the same model finder. As with most finders, when you're stationary, objects will result in a solid line scrolling on the screen. You must be moving somewhat to get the arches. This finder has a simulation option, mess with it.

[jjbassjj]

i have the same one hahahaha

yeah the first 2 or 3 trips i used the fish id and then i turned it off...works fine now..i find it to be preety darm accurate

[Hot Rod]

Here is a great one from Bassmaster Rewind.

http://sports-att.espn.go.com/winnercomm/outdoors/bassmaster/video/v_Mar6_06_DepthFinder_large.wmv

[.dsaavedra.]

hey guys thanks for the help and the links. i will read them later.

[Chris at Tech]

Read the manual, as suggested

Also, turn off the 'auto' mode and set your setting manually.  Stuff like max depth, surface clutter, sensitivity are much more valuable when you adjust them according to the situation you're fishing.

I'm still struggling with how to use my depthfinder after a year, but simply going from auto to manual was a big step in the right direction.

[fishfordollars]

The most important item to address is taking it out of the automatic mode, turn the fish ID off, spend some time to set it to your preferences and it will do the job for you.

[WIII-60]

Hey muddy,

I'm not sure what exactly you meant by saying that you can't get the cone thing down but this concept helped me at first: Think of it like you're pointing a flashlight through the hull of the boat to the bottom of the lake. The light will expand as it gets deeper but it will stop in places when it hits something.

Any help?  :-/

Understanding how the "cone" displays the bottom is relative to the size of said cone as well. A dual beam transducer will show more of the bottom. A single beam, less. A single beam transducer may only show you a circle of the bottom that is roughly three feet sometimes. Point: The cone gets bigger as it gets deeper, like a flashlight beam.

[Back2fishing]

This was a lot of help for me too, My wife and I just got a new Crestliner 1600 fish hawk. So I will be learning about finders this year as well. Can't wait to get the boat out for the first time.

Kevin

P.S. There is so much great info on this forum , Thank you for a place for me to go and learn.

[Jig Man]

An important thing to remember is what you are seeing on the screen is not what is actually there. It is a record of what has been picked up. Fish shown are not always under the transducer. They may be off to one side or the other. The figure shown is not really how deep the fish is but how far away from the transducer that fish is.

In the pic below the fish were actually located on a ledge right under the transducer and I was able to get one to take a grub.

[ba7ss3in]

From my understanding of the pic above is the main arch is from a fish nearly directly under the transducer. The arch to the right is from a fish to the right further away from the center of the cone of the transducer.