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No Fishfinder, No Problem with Smart Sonar - By Brad Wiegmann
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How would you like to have a fishfinder wherever you go fishing even if you don’t have a boat? Deeper Sonar is a castable transducer connecting to a smartphone through Wi-Fi connection to produce sonar imaging of structure and vegetation, fish, baitfish and mapping. That means you can stand on a dock or bank and cast out a tethered transducer reeling it back in to get sonar and mapping imaging.
Unlike portable, self contained ice fishing sonar models that are available from other marine electronic companies Deeper Sonar allows the angler to cast out a transducer away from where they are standing that’s capable of sitting upright and getting sonar imaging plus creates and see mapping. Of course you could add on live imaging sonar (LIS) to an ice fishing sonar unit, but that raises the cost up substantially plus LIS doesn’t have the ability to create bathymetric maps.
The key is your smartphone to a castable transducer. It starts with the angler downloading the Deeper Sonar app to their phone. This turns the smartphone or even table into a sonar display. The smartphone then controls what and how an angler sees sonar and mapping imagining.
Before fishing an angler has to setup the smartphone to personalize the sonar imagining and information that will appear on the screen. It starts with what type of fishing an angler is doing. You have to pick from onshore, boat, ice fishing, or scan without utilizing GPS. Next an angler can select from basic display that shows fish as icons or RAW with detailed imagery similar to what you normally see on boat units; in addition to having 3 palettes to select from.
Beam angle can be selected on the app depending on the model. Deeper Sonar has 3 frequencies of CHIRP including narrow CHIRP 675kHz (cone angle 7 degrees), Medium CHIRP 240kHz (cone angle 20 degrees) and Wide CHIRP 100kHz (cone angle 47 degrees). Deeper Pro+ has the same cone angles, but not in CHIRP. Deeper Pro has only a wide 55 degree and narrow 15 degree cone angle. Once a beam angle is selected an angler can adjust the display sensitivity according to the turbidity in the water.
Although beam angles can be confusing just remember the larger the number, the wider the view. Crappie anglers searching for cover or fish should use the largest beam and switch to a narrow beam to pinpoint where the cover or fish are located.
Sonar scans and bathymetric mapping can be created by anglers in a kayak or boat, but crappie anglers can simply cast out the transducer tether to a line from the bank or dock and slowly reel in to display the imaging. Your smartphone can save scan history files allowing you to go back and review mapping and sonar imaging. These files can be saved to the Cloud or on the smart device connected to the transducer.
Your smartphone can split screen mapping and scanning imaging anytime the transducer is in the water and connected to the smartphone. The tool bar located at the top of the screen shows time of day, battery power levels, fishing mode, water temperature, speed and depth. Menus for other options can be found under settings.
Technology has driven castable smart sonar to another level of performance. Deeper Sonar units automatically turn on and connect to a smartphone that has the Deeper app open. The transducer will only turn on if the connecting elements on the bottom of the transducer are underwater.
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Deeper Sonar has accessories for easily mounting a smartphone to a kayak or boat without drilling any holes it’s the Deeper Flexible Arm Mount 2.0. Attach on the end of the flex arm to your Deeper Sonar than clamp the flex arm on to your kayak or boat. You can actually troll with the transducer in the water up to around 3mph. The Deeper Smartphone Mount conveniently holds a smartphone when fishing from a kayak or boat. A clamp attaches to the kayak or boat and the smartphone is inserted in to the holder firmly. The Deeper Smartphone mount is compatible with the Deeper Flexible Arm Mount 2.0 so it can also be mounted directly to it. You will also need a Deeper Smartphone Mount that simply attaches to your fishing pole allowing you to keep both hands free, but still able to see the phone’s screen.
Personally, I used the Deeper Sonar on a separate fishing pole with braid fishing line I didn’t intend on fishing with. The separate fishing pole is used to cast the transducer out that way you are not using one of your fishing poles rigged for crappie fishing.
How does it work? I have used one in my kayak and on the dock and found it to be reliable source of mapping and sonar imaging. It connects quickly and stayed connected for over 2 hours of fishing. I was able to identify cover, baitfish, structure and game fish. For anglers fishing from the bank or dock castable smart sonar for crappie is an affordable way to do it.
