Understanding my fish finder;

[Old Codger]

Gentlemen;

   I bought an Eagle fisheasy fish finder several years ago, used very little until now, when I have retired and fish just about every day. I have read the instruction book that came with it, and several things on the internet about how they work, but I still can't get it to work the way they say it is supposed to. I use it out of a float tube or a 1 man pontoon boat, and of course that means that I move very slowly. I have never been able to get it to show fish by showing inverted V's like they say it is supposed to. I can put it on the fish icon mode, but then it shows everything as a fish, and from what I read is not at all accurate. And I don't know which scroll speed I should put it on since I am moving so slow.

Can anybody tell me what I have to do to get it to show inverted V's and therefor accurate indications of fish?

Thanks for your responses in advance.

Old Codger

[Wayne P.]

Check this Lowrance tutorial. It will show you how they are formed. Don't expect to ever see inverted V's on either of your craft. Although you may get some shallow ones from your feet.

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

[SoFlaBassAddict]

http://fishinweb.com/messages/messages/13028/13028.html?1254779454

Fantastic info right there.  Read through it some.  Remember, for the most part you don't use the graph to find fish.  You use it to find fish holding structure or cover.

[fishfordollars]

It will show just about anything suspended in the water column as a fish.

Personally, i turn that function off. Use it to locate scattered grass, drop offs, humps, ridges, stumps, trees, and brushpiles.

[Glenn]

The inverted V's occur when a fish passes through the cone angle.  This can happen either (1) when the boat moves over them (for example when they're suspended), or (2) when the fish swims through. 

Since your boat isn't moving very fast, that rules out #1.  #2 often doesn't happen much, but then again, that depends on your location.  If you move your boat over a suspended fish at a slow speed, they'll just appear as a steady line on your graph.

Rule-of-thumb:  bass that are feeding are typically in "ambush mode" and will hug structure or cover.  Often this means they "blend" in with objects in your fish finder - so you won't "see" the fish in your fish finder.  Instead, just use it to find the structure and fish it, knowing that an aggressive bass is probably there.

[done]

The inverted V's occur when a fish passes through the cone angle. This can happen either (1) when the boat moves over them (for example when they're suspended), or (2) when the fish swims through.

Since your boat isn't moving very fast, that rules out #1. #2 often doesn't happen much, but then again, that depends on your location. If you move your boat over a suspended fish at a slow speed, they'll just appear as a steady line on your graph.

Rule-of-thumb: bass that are feeding are typically in "ambush mode" and will hug structure or cover. Often this means they "blend" in with objects in your fish finder - so you won't "see" the fish in your fish finder. Instead, just use it to find the structure and fish it, knowing that an aggressive bass is probably there.

What he said. LOL. I faced the same dilemma with mine. I finally gave up when I was fishing a REAL productive shoreline and kept seeing schools of "fish" on the finder strangely arranged exactly in the shape of a submerged tree.

   I really use it now to find the structure on the bottom. If it does happen to "see" a mess of fish around it bonus, but I do not place too much faith in the fish finding ability of these things.

[Way2slow]

I just installed over $4,000 worth of "Fish Finder" in my boat and it's only purpose is to help better find/indentify the places that has the potential to hold fish. I bought my first sonar in 1965 and have upgraded to the latest and greatest about every four to five years since, so I've used almost everything known to man for electronic "fish finding" equipment from 1965 until now, there have been very few fish put in my boat that were actually seen as fish on the sonar.

Even with this high price, sophisticaed electronics I have in my boat now, I still say the only true "Fish Finder" is the right lure on the end of a good line presented properly in the right spot. All that fancy electronics is only to help better find/identify that right spot. All that seperates the pros from the wanna be's is the ability to find the right spot and know what the right lures is and how to place it there. We have the same access to use everything they have but their knowledge.

Oh, and guess what, I just got through spending hours and hours idling around most of the day saturday learning all this new fangled equipment and not once did I notice the classic "arch" on the display.

[Fishing Rhino]

I just installed over $4,000 worth of "Fish Finder" in my boat and it's only purpose is to help better find/indentify the places that has the potential to hold fish. I bought my first sonar in 1965 and have upgraded to the latest and greatest about every four to five years since, so I've used almost everything known to man for electronic "fish finding" equipment from 1965 until now, there have been very few fish put in my boat that were actually seen as fish on the sonar.

Even with this high price, sophisticaed electronics I have in my boat now, I still say the only true "Fish Finder" is the right lure on the end of a good line presented properly in the right spot. All that fancy electronics is only to help better find/identify that right spot. All that seperates the pros from the wanna be's is the ability to find the right spot and know what the right lures is and how to place it there. We have the same access to use everything they have but their knowledge.

Oh, and guess what, I just got through spending hours and hours idling around most of the day saturday learning all this new fangled equipment and not once did I notice the classic "arch" on the display.

Well said.  I do the same.  I like to find what I call "transition bottom".  It can be a structural change, a change in composition, or a change in cover, where the bottom transitions from a barren bottom to one with vegetation.

When I find, or start catching fish, I note the appearance of the bottom echo and the depth, with emphasis on the bottom echo.

Usually when I find a similar echo, I will also find fish.  If I find a similar echo, but at a different depth that doesn't produce, then I will target areas with the same type of bottom at a particular depth.

I know that some have great success fishing the arches, but they know something I don't because it hasn't worked for me yet.  I still try it from time to time, primarily with a drop shot rig in deeper water, but have yet to develop any proficiency in knowing what, where, and when.

Hopefully, someday I'll get the knack and understanding for doing that.

[progator123]

Since we are getting good info on depth finder, I got a question: Blue showing up on DF are soft echos such as fish, what colors would sand, clay , and a soft bottom show?   

[Wayne P.]

progater, the other colors depend on what brand of sonar you have and the color palate that has blue as fish. Most color units show fish in two or more colors depending on the distance from the transducer.

A general "rule of thumb" is the strongest returns are shown in the brightest colors of the available color range.

This is a group of bass with one of the several color palets for 2D sonar and Down Imaging to verify the returns are actually bass.

The fish are shown in red and blue with red being the strongest return when the widest part (strongest part) of the fish is closest to the transducer. The yellow is the strongest returns from wood laying on the bottom.

[Wayne P.]

Here is another group of bass holding in a depression during a Fall cold rain infusion that was starting to change the water color from clear to very muddy-this was at the water color transition. The strongest returns are shown with the white line setting.