More needed for u to interpret, figured out snapshot this time

[usafret99]

More pics for anyone that will help me interpret what they are showing. Figured out how to do snapshot so there better this time. Thanks everyone who helps us dummies on these type of questions!

Pic 1



Pic 2



pic 3



pic 4



pic 5



pic 6



pic 7

[usafret99]

no one?

[CrappiePappy]

My guess would be :

#1 - #5 ... baitfish schools
#6 - #7 ... bamboo condos & smaller bushes

I never could really tell much about what I was seeing in the 2d sonar images so I never looked back since I started using my Lowrance Elite 5 DSI, and started getting images on the screen like this :







... cp

[crappielimits]

A lot of bait schools and balls. I think you may have a Christmas tree.

[usafret99]

I was guessing it was bait fish, how do you tell if there is fish in this mess. What would they look like?

[CrappiePappy]

I was guessing it was bait fish, how do you tell if there is fish in this mess. What would they look like?

It would be hard to tell in the 2d image ... but the SI image would be a white blotch that was noticeably bigger than the tiny white specks that indicate baitfish. There could also be a shadow related to the individual fish or school of fish, depending on their size.

Notice in my screenshot (black/brown palette) that I have it on 2X Zoom ... and you can see the fish suspended between the two long branches sticking out away from the tree in that image. But, also understand that these screenshot images are from a Down Scan Image only unit. I have no SI or 2d sonar capabilities in this unit.
But, that being said ... I don't particularly look for "fish" images. I see cover images like those screenshots & I fish them, letting my bait tell me if there's fish down there. It's mounted on my trolling motor ... so I'm actively fishing when any such images show up on the screen.

... cp

[muddpuppy01]

I think you may want to play with your setting a little. When you are going over soft bottom you are losing your screen on pic #3 & #5. Maybe more sensitivity and lower contrast and check to make sure your chart speed is the same as boat speed.

[usafret99]

Ok, chart speed was same as boat I'll work on sensitivity and contrast. Thanks

[slabbacks]

Like muddpuppy said, when you get into a mud bottom play with the Sen. to bring out the details. The mud is sucking up the signal where as a rock bottom will shoot it back better.

Px 1/2 2D looks to be showing fish busting the bait but I've seen large schools of stripe look like this as well. When you saw the bait balls it's as though you slowed down. This will give you the long dragged out returns unless the fish were following the xducer. May have been the latter due to when the boat went over them it looks like they dropped and the fish feeding on them followed. Bait can be seen to the upper left, when they are like that you seem to get more of a cascade effect in 2D with the higher Sen. like the shot at the bottom.



Px 5 looks like a boat wave came through or some other type of chop on the water for a short time based on 2D.

[usafret99]

could be right about wake in pic 5, but i was going slow in all pics did not slow or speed up. Thanks you guys all the comments help get my brain thinking in the right way about what I'm seeing