Soliciting Advice nd Opinions!

OK, first things first. I am frugal! Frugal to the point of cheap! I don't necessarily buy the cheapest, but usually I buy 2 years ago latest and greatest at a discounted / closeout price. The info I am seeking concerns electronics. Last June I bought my first boat which is a 1988, 17' Javelin Bass Boat with a '79 Evinrude 85. Flashy? No! Functional? Yes! Dependable? So far! Out the door, $1650. I have made some minor improvements, but have not put a lot of money into it. It serves my needs. The boat came with a 170 HB B & W fishfinder, which I have now moved to the bow, TM mount. I purchased a HB 398ci SI that I have mounted on the console. I still am learning the units and only using basic features. OK, enough background.

I have both units set using the "fish icons" and beeping when they "see fish." Is this preferable or is the "traditional arch" better in finding the "truth"? Yesterday I fished Loudoun for a couple hours. I found an area that was covered with "icons" and so many beeps it was almost constant. Both units showed the fish 12-25 ft in 30 fow. I was spider rigging 3 rods and casting a 4th with a slip float. End result, 3 catfish. Although I could ask 1,000 more questions, I will stop with this. How can I have an idea that I am seeing crappie on my electronics? Although no time on the water is wasted, I don't want FL catfish!

first let me say this is opinion only.....I am still learning graphs and their signatures. I look at both arches and fish symbols and try to set my rigs just above the arches/fish. But the truest test of what your looking at, as you experienced, is what hits the landing net. If I pull two of anything other than crappie off a school, I move. When i locate the Crappie on a given day, I pay attention to the terrain around the school, any structure, depth, water temp & stain present on the screen as I mark the fish. I fish till those fish stop biting, move to a similar spot on the lake and return after an hour or so and they'll usually bite again. I haven't fished in 3 wks though so I'm getting a little crazy. Tight Lines

SI does not have the "fish ID" symbol, just dots/blobs/shadows for the most part, which takes time and patience to learn what those dots/blobs/shadows mean, (fish, structure such as rocks, foundations, road bed, logs, etc). Look in the electronics forum here for pics posted by other members of SI shots, and you can get some ideas/examples of what different things look like on SI units.

I've read where the newer FF units have better or improved fish ID functions where it actually shows fish now where as the older versions just showed the fish symbol for anything below the surface. Truth or fiction, can't say. Whether to use the ID function is a personal preference, I use it as a convenience factor. Arches don't do much for me. LOL

Here is a great post about fish ID from Wayne P. I don't know him but know he is very well known as a fisherman and also a sonar guru. I have an 899 HB unit and after reading this post I keep my fish ID on all the tine now.

Regards

Schools of fish while on plane??

Alphahawk, that is some great info! I was beginning to wonder if it was a gimmick, but this is convincing! I will stick to the fish id, as I can see the fish without trying to interpret arches. Jimp and rcp, thank you both for your input! I have a lot more to learn, and all of this advice certainly helps! I really enjoy this site and all of the people who are willing to help! On a side note, I made a trip to Tellico today, and have never seen it so muddy with so much trash. I caught several small fish and 2 keepers, one was huge. I didn't weigh, but it wouldn't fit in the checker. With only 2 keepers, they were freed for another day! With the predicted rain, I'm afraid fishing (at least quality fishing) will be on hold. Again!

I thought about going yesterday but decided to get some things wrapped on the boat. I figured it would be muddy/trashy will all the rain we've had lately. Glad you got a couple anyways.

Cut tha t beeper OFF! It beeps when you come out of the grage and anoys the crap out of you and all around you. Just because you are marking fish does not mean they are crappie. Like the guy said If you catch a couple then you got something. This time of your I try to locate big schools of bait in areas I know hold crappie. Like somebody else said try to fish a little above the bait. Crappie can see a bait above them easier than below. I'm not a crappie but I believe this is true due to the location of their eyes