Printable View
Ok, depth finder reading 101. If I see something on the screen like what’s on the one below, where is that cover in relation to my boat, and why does everything move from right to left on my screen?
I’m 1,000 years away from livescope, lol.
Attachment 393521
Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com
The newest information is on the right side, and it moves into ‘history’ as it goes left. Whatever you are seeing on your screen is directly under your transducer wherever it is mounted on the boat.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Think of shining a flashlight at a wall. The light produces a circle of light or cone on the wall. The closer the flashlight is to the wall the smaller in diameter the circle or cone will be. The further away the larger the circle or cone will be. Just like the flashlight your transducer does the same thing underwater. Deeper water=larger cone while shallow water=smaller cone.
Next is determining how close to directly under the transducer the target is. Your unit is color so anything directly under the transducer will show vivid red. As the target gets further away from center the color will turn more yellow. You marked a single fish over a small object like a piece of brush pretty much dead center under your transducer. As you continued you picked up the edge of another part of the brushpile.
The fish on top of that pile was directly under your transducer. You went directly over the brushpile with the transducer but the 3rd fish is on the edge of the brushpile. Brushpile is located at the edge of a very slight drop off. You approached the edge of the drop off from the deeper side first.
If you have old school black and white models never fear. You can still see the same things except you have to interpet the closer to under the transducer as the images that are darker. Don't confuse this with telling hard from soft bottoms based on this criteria.
I say brushpile but at only 3' of water it may be more like a branch with a solid structure like a stump showing under the first two fish.
Pac gives good info.
If your near a bass pro or the likes they send in sponsored guys from huminbird, lowrance, and garmin periodically for free training seminars. You can attend any brands class as they all function the same way.. They teach their latest model so none of the model specific stuff will transfer to your model so no particular class makes much difference....unless you choose to upgrade....then you need about 12 new threads to decide.
I attended a Lowrance class, the guys were great and it paid off cause I teach my dad how to use his garmin and huminbird. I use Lowrance FWIW.
Sent from my SM-G960U using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app
Drive over something you can see under water..Rock,Stump..Then look on your depth finder...
Good fishing...
Sent from my SM-J337A using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app
If you fish Horseshoe any, come get in the boat with me for an hour or so and i'll run through it with you live on the water.
There is a wide range of electronics and brands . Old 2d shows shapes . The imaging units give way better details and can see what your looking at wether side or down imaging . Then you get into real time units like livescope . No longer just shows a slice/view as it moves along but full scan in real time . Nothing like imaging till this real time stuff came out . Like playing video game seeing fish and cover in real time . Put your bait on fish and see them move to take the bait !
My view is with the side imaging best for searching up to 100' both sides of your boat . Livescope being real time isthe cats meow for actually fishing .
I run one for maps on my bow along with livescope next to it . My big Humminbird set on maps linked to another big Humminbird side imager at steering console for searching and marking cover . I even added a external GPS antenna with heading sensor to front unit to stop donut hole ( regular or buit in antennas only show direction pointed on screen if moving ) this is great for staying on a spot without using marker bouys ! My advice is buy biggest unit you can afford whether imaging or livescoping .
Attachment 393655
Attachment 393656
Attachment 393657 Last one is Crappie on a brushpile in real time on livescope. You can actually see if they swim away or target them in real time .
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pac in Arkansas
So what kind of fish are those?
Down imaging or regular 2d cant tell much in shallow water . The degree of cone angle is important . Just looking at a tiny spot in shallow water .Quote:
Originally Posted by 27458
Understanding cone angle important
Here is a good article about cone angles
I have a house on horseshoe and I am retired. Fish almost every day on it. Dark grey Ranger RT188 Yamaha 115Quote:
Originally Posted by arkcrappie
I've seen you on the water. I've got a bright red Bass Cat. Let's get together and look at the sonar and I'll show you what I know and hopefully help you out.Quote:
Originally Posted by hudnut
Got room for one more? Lol.
I have a house on the lake on the east side near the zanone canal. I live in Memphis but am there every chance I can get. I fish out of a blue DuraCraft stick steer with 40hp Johnson on it.
If you’re up for giving me a lesson I’d be grateful. Just run me down... if you can catch me in that BassCat.[emoji1787]
The only electronics I have is a raymarine dragonfly 4”.. I just use it for depth and water temp. I plan on upgrading soon to something with side imaging and maybe live imaging in future.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I watched a video series on YTube- Sonar for dummies. In those the man explains what is on the screen. Well worth the time to watch. His videos start with a Popeye looking cartoon charactor and he doesn’t make you watch a stupid intro or listen to horrible music. After watching the series I can say that I am much better at adjusting the thing and figuring what it is showing.
I watched a video series on YTube- Sonar for dummies. In those the man explains what is on the screen. Well worth the time to watch. His videos start with a Popeye looking cartoon charactor and he doesn’t make you watch a stupid intro or listen to horrible music. After watching the series I can say that I am much better at adjusting the thing and figuring what it is showing.
KodiakKing, Hudnut, I will be on the water Sunday for sure and most likely on Saturday afternoon. Not sure what the wind will do but I will be there!
Someone ought to have a school on these new contraptions,,,,they’d make some money teaching folks how to use their fishfinders,,