Fishing can be fun if you use a fish finder.You can stop driving aimlessly around a body of water if you have a fish finder on your boat.You can monitor the fish finder as you drive your boat, then drop your line in the water when you see fish.You will soon be catching fish if you practice using your fish finder.
Step 1: You should read the manual.
The manual will help you understand your device.Refer back to your manual when you have questions about use, as some functions are obvious and easy to understand.
Step 2: Do you know the location of basic information?
Some basic information about the speed of your boat, the current temperature, and the depth to which the fish finder is measuring is displayed by all fish finders.The top left or right corner of your fish finder display contains this information.Depending on the make and model of your fish finder, the precise location of this information will vary.
Step 3: The display should be read from the right to the left.
The oldest and most recent information is pushed to the left of the screen by the fish finder display.The fish finder will only display one area if the boat is stationary.
Step 4: You can read the display from the top to the bottom.
Your boat is the top-most object in the display, and everything below it is what your boat has passed over.Data closest to the top is newer than data at the bottom.You'll get a sharper image of what's in the water below if you use the side image mode.
Step 5: If you are looking for smaller fish, look for blobs or small patches.
If you have a fish finder in SONAR mode, you can see blobs or small patches on the display.Small fish show up as small dots if your fish finder is in side scanning mode.
Step 6: If you want larger fish, look for an arch shape or large dots.
Salmon, catfish, and other fish of similar size will appear on the fish finder display as larger, arched shapes when you are using it in SONAR mode.They will appear as large dots.
Step 7: The type of terrain beneath your boat can be identified using the display data.
The bottom of the body of water is indicated by a thick line on the fish finder display.You are floating above a soft bottom if the fish finder displays anything below this line.You are likely above a hard, rocky surface if you cannot see anything below this thick line.Most fish finders default to mark the surface below the water with a red line.When looking for fish that prefer rocky areas or areas with soft bottoms, you should know what terrain you are over.
Step 8: You can use the fish finder with your chartplotter.
If you have a chartplotter function on your fish finder, you can switch it over to split-screen mode.When you see potential areas of fish activity, mark it on your chartplotter and come back to it later.When you identify an area of significant fish activity, mark a waypoint on the chartplotter.
Step 9: You can zoom in on areas that interest you.
You can zoom in on the area to get a clearer picture if you want more detail.If you know that the type of fish you are interested in tends to swim at a certain depth, you can set the fish finder to focus on just that area.The options menu of your fish finder can be used to access zoom functions.
Step 10: If you want to maximize your ability to read the display, adjust the color palette.
Some fish finders use white lettering.If you change the display to show black letters on a white background, it will be easier to read.You might have a better time distinguishing fish from features of the terrain if you change the fish detection area to a different color.
Step 11: The update speed should be increased.
How fast you get data from the fish finder is determined by the update speed.You will be looking at data from the past if your update speed is low.You will be looking at data that is up-to-date if your update speed is high.If you can't interpret high-speed fish finder data, turn the update speed down.
Step 12: If you are not familiar with fish finder display data, use the fish symbol feature.
The fish symbol shows the lines, dots, arches, and other abstract visual data of the fish finder display to show you where they are.The feature can be used to skip over the learning curve.If you already know how to read raw fish finder data, you don't need a fish symbol feature that distracts from the primary display.
Step 13: When the fish finder's automatic settings are being fooled, peak the transducer.
Sometimes the fish finder is wrong and you don't find fish in the area where the finder suggests fish are active.You will need to manually adjust the device's sensitivity.peaking the transducer is a process.
Step 14: The range should be at least three times the depth.
Depending on which fish finder you use, you can change the range to at least three times the depth.The fish finder's settings menu can be used to adjust the range.
Step 15: If you see two readings on the display, increase the sensitivity.
Depending on the model you use, you can increase the sensitivity of your fish finder.You can adjust the sensitivity by using the settings menu or pressing the buttons on the outside of the fish finder.If you begin to see a second reading, stop increasing your sensitivity.You will have to increase your sensitivity to the point that you see a lot of things.Your display will look messy and unintelligible.
Step 16: The second reading remains even if the sensitivity is reduced.
The amount of noise in the signal will decrease as you dial back the sensitivity.The second reading will give you a better idea of what is underneath your boat.
Step 17: If you want to reduce surface clutter, don't add filters.
The fish finder's sensitivity could be cut down by either doing or not doing it.Adding filters to reduce surface clutter is unlikely to help you find fish because most fish swim out of range of the surface and away from your boat.