New to fishing WITH electronics

[huskertko]

This is going to sound really weird, but I have always fished off the bank and never used electronics before.  I bought a kickboat and recently bought a depth finder and was wondering how to use it.  I know the basics but more toward the point, what should I be looking for on it?  I assume depth changes and creek channels, anything else? :-[

[worm]

Structure, depth, temp (if your unit has it), bottom contours and compostion.

Did I miss anything?

Buhler....Buhler.....Buhler..... ;D

Worm

[Deuceu72]

Frye.............Frye..............Frye....................... ;D ;D ;D

[KU_Bassmaster.]

I really wish Cabela's, Bass Pro, etc. would put on some sort of class to learn your electronics. I know how to read the obvious things, but I could definitely use some help on the fine points and how to set it up perfectly.

Some advice:

Be deteremined to learn how to use it. Take your book out there with you and make it a point to learn how to use it ......... I can't believe I am going to say this, but ................. don't fish as much. Make learning your electronics your number one priority and catching fish secondary. If you are like me, you will probably find that the two go hand in hand.

Kill Creek is also a great place to learn. They have all the variables in a small package ... rockpiles, weedlines, brush piles, soft botom, hard bottom, humps, etc.

Also... what unit did you decide on?

[huskertko]

KU, that is exactly what I thought I would do, even to the point of going out some night and not even taking rod with me, just so I could focus on the D/F.  

I actually ended up buying an Eagle 480.  It was in the Bargain Cave.  The package was opened but everything was still in original packaging, so I figured I would try it out and if it didn't work, I could return it within 30 days.  I got it for $165, originally $199.  They also had an Eagle 320c for $165 but it was just the unit, no transducer or wiring or anything.

[paparock]

Your right! Learn all the ins and outs of it before you try to fish using it. You will be a lot less stressed than trying to figure it out and fish at the same time plus you will most likely catch more fish which is the whole purpose in the first place.

[KU_Bassmaster.]

KU, that is exactly what I thought I would do, even to the point of going out some night and not even taking rod with me, just so I could focus on the D/F.

I actually ended up buying an Eagle 480.

I don't know if I would go that far : ;D.  If I were you I would rig up a C-Rig or something you can feel the bottom well with.  That way you can relate what your are feeling with your rod to what you are seeing on the D/F.

Well the 480 can only be better the 320 and I am real pleased with mine so far.  It's a whole new world out there now

[jayhawkfishin]

I don't know if your has this on it but mine has a simulator so you can play with it in garage one night without having to go out and just see what settings you like and so on.

KU, i know Cabelas used to have classes on depth finders and GPS stuff.

[Glenn]

Why go there when everything you need is on this site?

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy!

[huskertko]

KU, that is exactly what I thought I would do, even to the point of going out some night and not even taking rod with me, just so I could focus on the D/F.

I actually ended up buying an Eagle 480.

I don't know if I would go that far : ;D. If I were you I would rig up a C-Rig or something you can feel the bottom well with. That way you can relate what your are feeling with your rod to what you are seeing on the D/F.

Well the 480 can only be better the 320 and I am real pleased with mine so far. It's a whole new world out there now

The only difference that I can find between the 2 is the 480 has 480 pixels and the 320 has 320 pixels, other than that they are basically the same unit.

I have actually been using the emulator that I downloaded from the Eagle website, which is good for getting to know the buttons and what they do, but the graph is just an endless loop of the exact same thing.  If the wind would ever quit blowing 20 miles an hour I would get it out on the water and see what it can do, hopefully later this week.

KU, if I understand the owners manual correctly, with the Grayline feature, the wider the gray area on the bottom the harder the bottom is and a very thin gray line would indicate a softer bottom.  Is that correct?

[KU_Bassmaster.]

Yes that is true and that is something I am sill trying get better at.  You are more than likely to going to have to adjust the grayline feature to take advnatage of that.  

My previous el' cheapo D/F was just the opposite so I am still getting used to it.  It makes more sense the other way to me, but whatever.  I have read over that part many times in the manual just to be sure I was reading it right.  I believe there is 3 or 4 pics there that show he difference.  They are quite suddel and it's just something your going to have to train your eye for.

[huskertko]

Thanks, if the wind stays down, I am going to try to go out tonight.

[KU_Bassmaster.]

Thanks, if the wind stays down, I am going to try to go out tonight.

Good luck.  I'll just be in here TRYING to study for finals : : : :'( :'(

[huskertko]

That bites, but hey in a couple of weeks you won't have to worry about that anymore.