Bass Fishing Forum

Hey Florida Guys,

I know there are lots of guys that understand how to use their Electronics in lots of States, but our waters here in Florida present unique challenges due to the Bowl Effect so many of our lakes have and the heavier vegetation VS Ledges or Rocks or Flooded Timber ETC.

I am very willing to admit that my units can do far more than I understand how to do or even how to read what I'm seeing.


So I'm asking you guys from Florida that DO have a Good to Great Understanding of how to read & use their Sonar, Side Image, Down Image, whatever, if they would be willing to share some of that knowledge here in a Understanding How to Use Your Electronics in Florida  dedicated to dealing with the things we experience here. 

I'm not talking about giving away Waypoints, I mean things like (note: some of this I know just giving examples for everyone's learning):

What does the different Colors mean?

What do Fish look like on Standard Sonar vs CHIRP vs DI vs SI?

How to understand what the spacing between the lines means?

How to adjust or setup your units?

Hard Sand Bottom vs Mucky Bottom?

Grasses vs Wood vs Rock?

How to set Waypoints?

How to understand how deep the water is on each of the styles?

How to understand Thermocline?

And any other Topics you Guys might thing of or Others might ask about?



If you are willing to help with Teaching please sign up here and If we have enough Interest I'll start a thread (or one of you can) about it

Also if you are like me and would like to learn more, sign up also to allow us to judge if the project is viable.

Thanks in advance.


Teachers:



Learners:

Deadeye/ Fred

This is a great idea Fred.


If you don't have pieces leftover, you didn't put it back together right...

Fred, great suggestion.

Unfortunately, FL waters, with some exceptions will never let you use the full capabilities of current technology. The relative shallowness of the water is the issue.

For reference, I have Lowrance HDS 9 Carbons (console and bow), thru hull 2D sonar transducer with separate temp probe, SS3D module (HDI, Side scan, and 3D), HDI transducer at bow on trolling motor, and Point 1 GPS for location accuracy. All devices are NMEA 2000 and ethernet shared, i.e. all transducers/GPS can be seen used by each MFD, some simultaneously.

Sonar and down imaging are useful for seeing what is right below your transducer at any given moment but when the water is 10ft or less, you are only seeing about a 3-4 ft wide area at the bottom under your boat

Side scan can be useful but the general rule of thumb is range=3x depth. So, you can only usefully see out 30ft or so. I do use side scan to look under docks and hard cover like at PCMH. Seeing into Kissimmee grass or hydrilla is better than buggy whips or bulrushes but almost not worth the effort.

SS3D, which I have, is almost useless with our water depths.

Look forward to hearing from others.

Snapped this on the way out this morning. Lots of interesting facts if you know what to look for.

I need to dig out a SD card so I can take snap shots from my HB.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200410/ba37ad5de913af017e9dca282e57f73f.jpg)


If you don't have pieces leftover, you didn't put it back together right...

Well, do tell.

Great looking forward to hearing what you guys got to say.

Barry your right. In 3-4 ft of water any scan is almost worthless.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote from: Deadeye on April 10, 2020, 02:52:49 PM
Great looking forward to hearing what you guys got to say.

Barry your right. In 3-4 ft of water any scan is almost worthless.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I completely disagree. You may not be able to pick out fish, but you can learn a lot.

This one is only 5' deep.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200410/e5ea9f1a654ac7925cf5fb4920a5688d.jpg)


If you don't have pieces leftover, you didn't put it back together right...

Quote from: BarryFL on April 10, 2020, 01:16:56 PM
Well, do tell.

In the first pic,

Water depth is a little over 5 with a hard thermocline at 2.5

A very hard bottom with a thin layer of mud and short, scattered vegetation.

Clouds of baitfish off the edge of the grass lines.

Dock pilings.

And what is probably two larger fish.


The second one has a clearly defined submerged tree with a cloud of baitfish suspended over it.


If you don't have pieces leftover, you didn't put it back together right...

Oh, don't get me wrong... every piece of the puzzle definitely helps.

~Barry~

In that sense you are correct Lee. For picking out fish you'd have to be real close to over them.

Now, Thermocline. Talked about a lot but rarely discussed what it is and it's effect on fishing.

Care to elaborate?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The Hard Bottom, is that what the Red Color is depicting?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The two larger fish, I assume you are speaking to the White Dots on the far right in the pocket of the SI?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's not a thermocline, that's your surface filter set too high.

~Barry~

@Fred. Not just the red color but the thickness of the red layer. The thicker the layer, the harder the bottom.

Thermocline is defined as border between layers of water of different temps. Colder water is more dense and can be picked up by the sonar. What matters is where the baitfish are in relation to the line. That helps me choose a presentation and bait.

@Barry. I don't think that is my filter. If it was the static would show on the top of the water column. I'll play with the setting tomorrow and see.


If you don't have pieces leftover, you didn't put it back together right...

Let's talk about Settings.

Most if not all units have an AUTO and Manual Settings. Take Depth or Width for example. I have watched Timmy Horton on his show (yes I mention him quite a bit, as he teaches on his shows and I've learned a lot from watching them and he is also a 5 Time Bassmaster Classic Winner, so he knows a thing or two) and he was showing how he often sets his Depth on DI to a certain depth instead of letting it jump around on Auto because it gives him a consistent picture for reference. He also quite often sets his width on SI for the same reason.

I've tried doing that some and at times I feel it does help, however for most scanning I tend to let the Auto Program do it's thing.

How do you prefer your settings to be.


BTW I'm going to re-name the thread to discussing Electronics for Fl since we already are.

Systems Colors, which do you prefer and why?

I realise that is probably a Personal eye option more than anything, However I have noticed that some prefer Blue while others seem to like the Copper or Bronze option.

Personally I seem to like the Midnight Blue for my Side Images, but the Amber for my Down Images. I have dabble with the Green setting but just can't seem to get used to it. Copper or Amber Light doesn't define things enough for me either.

On my Screen I created a Split of SI on the top half, and the bottom split between DI and Mapping. After seeing Lee's I think I'll add another Screen Option of SI on Top and the Bottom split between DI and CHIRP Sonar.

Yes I have already learned something in this thread on how to read a Hard Bottom.

Colors - are completely a personal preference. I'm slightly color blind to greens and blues so the copper color works best for me, particularly in bright sun with my Costas on.

Range - manual always for me.  You can loose perspective easily if the range is bouncing around on auto. A little wrinkle in the bottom is all you need to hold fish.

Down range I set for 20% deeper than I'm currently in. 

SI - I'm constantly changing depending on if I'm searching a wide area for any new cover or I'm specifically looking at something I've already found.


Settings. I restore my factory default often and adjust the Sensitivity down a little and increase the Contrast to get a clear picture based on the current conditions. 

Remember Default then D-Sen and  In-Con

Screens- My Helix 10 has 3 programmable screen buttons.

Button 1 I have set to GPS map view.

Button 2 is the 3 way split with 2D sonar / DI / SI

Button 3 is the full screen Side Image.

I can toggle back and forth instantly which makes it nice instead of having to scroll through the menu.


If you don't have pieces leftover, you didn't put it back together right...

I made a new screen display on mine today with DI and Standard Sonar.

I liked it for what I was doing. Gave me a clearer picture of what the bottom was made of while two renderings of what was there.


On Standard Sonar, so Red is Hard Bottom thickness shows how much.

What is Yellow? I'm guessing it's a softer bottom such as muck, is that correct?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm going to Break Down that list of Questions One by One and let them be discussed with everyone's Opinions.

You can QUOTE the Post then answer the Question, I think that will help others to learn.


First Question:

What does the different Colors mean?

On Standard or CHIRP Sonar, in Color it shows shades of Red-Yellow-Green-Blue-White ETC. What do this Colors stand for or mean when reading the Sonar Picture?

At Lee,

So far this Thread has had over 240 Views, so People must be wanting to Learn. Suggest Maybe making it a Sticky at the Top for Keeping?

I got most of my settings by Googling set-ups for my specific unit AND for Florida because like Barry said we're different from most because we're so shallow and all the sh!t in the water here; stumps, logs, 10 different types of vegetation, etc.

To be honest other than the Chart I use Sonar the most; it shows me depth, contour, baitfish, and fish. Granted it doesn't tell me what kind of fish but it gives me the depth of the fish which is usually my starting point, for example if I see a ton of fish between 3-6 feet then I know a weighted fluke or shallow running crank bait could work; that's if they're not busting the top after baitfish. As the water temp rises I'm still using the Sonar to see if they're laying on drop offs. When I'm navigating skinny channels SI shows me anything is hiding near the banks. I don't use DI that much nor do I go off-shore and cruise around really slow to see what's out there; yeah I need to do this more.

I've always said that I'd like to spend 2 days on the water with Hackney and Bobby Lane and never make 1 cast; just go over the electronics and what they see with their eyes like points, lay downs, etc. which I don't believe is that different from what any of us are looking for.

And I rarely watch fishing shows unless it's Florida, LA, or southern AL or GA because that can help me with baits, patterns what to look for, etc.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

As a guy mostly fishes Okeechobee, Garcia, Kenansville, where max depth is 4ft. I use mine for nav, depth and water temp. And that's about all.


Sent from my SM-N950W using Tapatalk

Quote from: RangerAndBass on April 12, 2020, 11:10:19 AM
As a guy mostly fishes Okeechobee, Garcia, Kenansville, where max depth is 4ft. I use mine for nav, depth and water temp. And that's about all.


Sent from my SM-N950W using Tapatalk

Same for me. Nav, depth, and water temps.

Quote from: RangerAndBass on April 12, 2020, 11:10:19 AM
As a guy mostly fishes Okeechobee, Garcia, Kenansville, where max depth is 4ft. I use mine for nav, depth and water temp. And that's about all.


Sent from my SM-N950W using Tapatalk

That was me as well, until I decided to start to learn more.

Just in a few days here I've learned about how to read the bottom composition, and that in Florida makes a huge difference.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Because of my outdoor writing, I've been fortunate to fish with and observe several Florida professional anglers. A couple of things that was interesting was: I was with one of the MLF pros and we were zipping across Istapoga doing 70+ and all of a sudden he slowed down and did a 180. I asked him what he was doing and he said that he thought he saw something on his depthfinder. The water depth in the area was probably around 7'. For the next 30 minutes we idled back and forth trying to find a high spot that he thought he saw. Lesson learned to always watch your depthfinder and not just your chart, even on your home water.

The next scenario happened while I was fishing with a different pro to work on a couple of articles. We were on the Harris Chain and he spent a lot of time looking for submerged hydrilla beds on his side imaging. When he found them, we would cast at these submerged targets. My takeaway on this one was the importance of a deep isolated hydrilla patch.

I have so much to learn and am enjoying all of your input on this topic!

Sent from my moto e5 play using Tapatalk

Quote from: FlatsNBay on April 12, 2020, 05:30:15 PM
Because of my outdoor writing, I've been fortunate to fish with and observe several Florida professional anglers. A couple of things that was interesting was: I was with one of the MLF pros and we were zipping across Istapoga doing 70+ and all of a sudden he slowed down and did a 180. I asked him what he was doing and he said that he thought he saw something on his depthfinder. The water depth in the area was probably around 7'. For the next 30 minutes we idled back and forth trying to find a high spot that he thought he saw. Lesson learned to always watch your depthfinder and not just your chart, even on your home water.

The next scenario happened while I was fishing with a different pro to work on a couple of articles. We were on the Harris Chain and he spent a lot of time looking for submerged hydrilla beds on his side imaging. When he found them, we would cast at these submerged targets. My takeaway on this one was the importance of a deep isolated hydrilla patch.

I have so much to learn and am enjoying all of your input on this topic!

Sent from my moto e5 play using Tapatalk

The exact reason I put the H5 in my dash on the rebuild.  It is a comparably small screen but it's dedicated to 2D sonar and since it's on a thru hull transducer, I get bottom reading up to 50 mph.

I'm always looking for that little wrinkle in the bottom or offshore vegetation that's only a foot tall.


If you don't have pieces leftover, you didn't put it back together right...

Great point about offshore, submerged hydrilla. Like FD, I always run 2D when moving around for the same reason. A little hydrilla patch can make a huge difference. There is a Timmy Horton show taped at Toho where he finds offshore hydrilla. Kills them on Carolina rig and lipless, IIRC.

I also run 2d or Standard Sonar when running. For one thing it is the best to maintain contact with the bottom. DI or SI usually only work when running 7 mph or less.

I like you guys have the Shoot Through Puck that runs my 2D on my Dash Unit. I have it set that way. The Transducer that came with the Unit does all 3 but looses Bottom contact very quickly. The Puck holds much longer and I had to adjust the Settings to make it read 2D with it.

Fred - you and need to discuss losing bottom. I had the same problem but figured it out; now I'm good up to my top end of 53 mph


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote from: Deadeye on April 13, 2020, 08:16:13 AM
I also run 2d or Standard Sonar when running. For one thing it is the best to maintain contact with the bottom. DI or SI usually only work when running 7 mph or less.

I like you guys have the Shoot Through Puck that runs my 2D on my Dash Unit. I have it set that way. The Transducer that came with the Unit does all 3 but looses Bottom contact very quickly. The Puck holds much longer and I had to adjust the Settings to make it read 2D with it.

SI and DI require too much information to process at speed.

The problem with 2D at speed is turbulence. I have my H10 transducer mounted on the hull step to protect it from debris when running.

Walt changed his so he can use only one unit in any situation.


If you don't have pieces leftover, you didn't put it back together right...

Found some good thermocline images, if you're interested.

http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=1047663

Lee, the reason I said yours looked like filter was because of how clean it was above 2.5ft.

I see images like the first (red cluster in deep hole) at PCMH early in the mornings.

Quote from: WTodd on April 13, 2020, 08:50:54 AM
Fred - you and need to discuss losing bottom. I had the same problem but figured it out; now I'm good up to my top end of 53 mph


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I remember you moved yours around until it found a sweet spot.

Care to expand on that?

On mine through the bottom I can hold most bottoms up to 35-40. However super soft I still loose contact.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote from: FD on April 13, 2020, 09:30:12 AM
SI and DI require too much information to process at speed.

The problem with 2D at speed is turbulence. I have my H10 transducer mounted on the hull step to protect it from debris when running.

Walt changed his so he can use only one unit in any situation.


If you don't have pieces leftover, you didn't put it back together right...

Mine is tucked under the step as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200413/80426bf052bc58a8ef4d012e312e25e3.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200413/554f73bf9276522560623de5a09399b5.jpg)
Fred

For my transducer there 2 different mounts, a plastic one and a metal one; obviously I have the metal one because the plastic one I had on originally pulled out the first time and broke the second time. Bass Pro had to do the fiberglass, repainting and gel coat twice.  After that they installed the metal one which I modified.

In looking at the first pic you can see the brackets I made to drop the transducer down; it took 2 tries to get it right.  The brackets are made out of marine grade aluminum; the nuts and bolts are stainless. This TotalScan transducer is notorious for getting an air bubble around it causing you to lose bottom but it appears that it's fixed; I haven't lost bottom since I put these brackets on. The first brackets I put on I lost bottom at around 33 mph so I dropped it 1" and viola.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My through hull 2D will hold bottom at WOT (57-60mph). Only time it hasn't was running on Toho and went through a 1.6ft (below the hull) area. :(

Quote from: WTodd on April 13, 2020, 02:34:52 PM
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200413/80426bf052bc58a8ef4d012e312e25e3.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200413/554f73bf9276522560623de5a09399b5.jpg)
Fred

For my transducer there 2 different mounts, a plastic one and a metal one; obviously I have the metal one because the plastic one I had on originally pulled out the first time and broke the second time. Bass Pro had to do the fiberglass, repainting and gel coat twice.  After that they installed the metal one which I modified.

In looking at the first pic you can see the brackets I made to drop the transducer down; it took 2 tries to get it right.  The brackets are made out of marine grade aluminum; the nuts and bolts are stainless. This TotalScan transducer is notorious for getting an air bubble around it causing you to lose bottom but it appears that it's fixed; I haven't lost bottom since I put these brackets on. The first brackets I put on I lost bottom at around 33 mph so I dropped it 1" and viola.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Interesting. Most are mounted on the Step for protection, hope it doesn't get picked off.

Quote from: BarryFL on April 13, 2020, 03:27:38 PM
My through hull 2D will hold bottom at WOT (57-60mph). Only time it hasn't was running on Toho and went through a 1.6ft (below the hull) area. :(

I installed the new one in the same spot as the old one was. To do correctly they suggest placing it then running the boat and keep moving it until you find the sweet spot.

I'd bet they did that for those MLF boats.

Fred

That was the first place they put it when it ripped out. I looked at videos and pics to see where it needed to go and this appeared to be the place and it's also where Barry's is installed and Lowrance installed his. So far so good.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote from: BarryFL on April 13, 2020, 03:27:38 PM
My through hull 2D will hold bottom at WOT (57-60mph). Only time it hasn't was running on Toho and went through a 1.6ft (below the hull) area. :(

You need to stop cutting across Browns Point.  ;D

And I was following him......one of those "oh sh!t" moments when you're doing in the low 50s and your shallow water alarm goes off


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote from: WTodd on April 14, 2020, 11:14:03 AM
And I was following him......one of those "oh sh!t" moments when you're doing in the low 50s and your shallow water alarm goes off


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

At that point you Trim up, Pucker Up and Hammer Down.

That trail has a bar across it on the south end that gets real shallow between now and June 1 because of the yearly drawdown.  But at 70 mph I only need about 10" of water to skip across it... ;D

I never let off the gas


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote from: FD on April 14, 2020, 10:23:21 AM
You need to stop cutting across Browns Point.  ;D

How'd you know that? :)

Came up fast!!!

here is a question for you Floriday Cowboys.  With your shallow mud puddles that you folks fish.  What good do you electronics do for you in what appears to be a common condition.  Is it really worth spending thousands and thousands on uber capable systems if you really don't need them.

Quote from: Bud Kennedy on April 14, 2020, 01:02:58 PM
here is a question for you Floriday Cowboys.  With your shallow mud puddles that you folks fish.  What good do you electronics do for you in what appears to be a common condition.  Is it really worth spending thousands and thousands on uber capable systems if you really don't need them.

You would be shocked at just how much useful info you can get with good electronics in less than 10 FOW.

It's just as much about eliminating bad water as it is about finding active fish.  If you ever get your old self down here I'll show you.

Quote from: Bud Kennedy on April 14, 2020, 01:02:58 PM
here is a question for you Floriday Cowboys.  With your shallow mud puddles that you folks fish.  What good do you electronics do for you in what appears to be a common condition.  Is it really worth spending thousands and thousands on uber capable systems if you really don't need them.

In some of our cases, these electronics came packaged when we purchased our boats. One thing is for sure, its better to have these electronics than not.

Quote from: Bud Kennedy on April 14, 2020, 01:02:58 PM
here is a question for you Floriday Cowboys.  With your shallow mud puddles that you folks fish.  What good do you electronics do for you in what appears to be a common condition.  Is it really worth spending thousands and thousands on uber capable systems if you really don't need them.

Bud, good question. My boat came set-up for MLF and the electronics were basically free when considering showroom boat versus minimally used, fully equipped, installed by professional for professionals. Electronics aren't the be all end all but are another piece of the puzzle. I wouldn't have ordered all the stull and paid retail but since its there, I'm putting it to use.

When you coming down to get the 'poka trip taste out of your mouth? Invitation stands.

Quote from: Bud Kennedy on April 14, 2020, 01:02:58 PM
here is a question for you Floriday Cowboys.  With your shallow mud puddles that you folks fish.  What good do you electronics do for you in what appears to be a common condition.  Is it really worth spending thousands and thousands on uber capable systems if you really don't need them.

That is a belief that is simply not true.

Harris has depths of 20+ that I've found on just the few times I've been there.

The St Johns River from Sanford to the mouth in Jacksonville has a old shipping channel that runs from 10 to 20 plus feet.

I've found what I believe to be Spring Holes with depths of 64+ feet.

Even with a 4-10 ft depths the more I'm learning the better I understand just what it is I'm seeing. Bottom compounds, and why that matters. Drops and Contours. Valleys within the lake bottom that lead to productive feeding areas. Areas that I knew of and fished because I  caught fish there and now understand WHY and what to look for to duplicate that elsewhere.

I'm like a kid with a New Bike that just had a whole new world open up to me, got my mind whirling now processing the data I've been feeding it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

All of the FWC WMAs that are flooded strip mining areas have some 20ft + depths with humps, holes, what not. I need to take the time to learn to fiish them but the other areas are so productive...

~Barry~

Quote from: BarryFL on April 15, 2020, 06:12:39 AM
All of the FWC WMAs that are flooded strip mining areas have some 20ft + depths with humps, holes, what not. I need to take the time to learn to fiish them but the other areas are so productive...

~Barry~

We have a few "holes" like that in Lake Okeechobee as well. Old dynamite blast mines. It's also where you'll fund some good Specks at.

Sent from my SM-A205U using Tapatalk

Quote from: topdsm0138 on April 15, 2020, 03:37:16 PM
We have a few "holes" like that in Lake Okeechobee as well. Old dynamite blast mines. It's also where you'll fund some good Specks at.

Sent from my SM-A205U using Tapatalk

If you pay attention to your electronics you can find bass under the specks...


If you don't have pieces leftover, you didn't put it back together right...

Since this topic has begun to gain some traction, its now a sticky thread.

Quote from: Bassinlou on April 16, 2020, 08:42:34 AM
Since this topic has begun to gain some traction, its now a sticky thread.

Thanks.

Going Back to Colors on 2D and what they mean,

I know now that Red means a Hard Bottom (most likely Sand) and the Thickness of the Red shows how much Thickness there is to that Hard Bottom.

What do the other colors mean when/if there is no Red?

I see Yellow a lot as the Top Layer, what is that? Is it showing a Soft Bottom such as Mud or Muck?

Sometimes see others as well like thing layer of Green or Blue? Anyone know why?

Lastly what does a Rocky Bottom color show as? Is it also Red or show as something different?

Quote from: Deadeye on April 14, 2020, 07:26:29 PM
That is a belief that is simply not true.

Harris has depths of 20+ that I've found on just the few times I've been there.

The St Johns River from Sanford to the mouth in Jacksonville has a old shipping channel that runs from 10 to 20 plus feet.

I've found what I believe to be Spring Holes with depths of 64+ feet.

Even with a 4-10 ft depths the more I'm learning the better I understand just what it is I'm seeing. Bottom compounds, and why that matters. Drops and Contours. Valleys within the lake bottom that lead to productive feeding areas. Areas that I knew of and fished because I  caught fish there and now understand WHY and what to look for to duplicate that elsewhere.

I'm like a kid with a New Bike that just had a whole new world open up to me, got my mind whirling now processing the data I've been feeding it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Those spring holes can be magical if the water temps are high or low here in Florida   The Springs pump out 72* water in summer when w/t is in the 90's*, and winter when the surrounding W/T are in the low 50's*.  Bass hang close, just like the Manatees in winter.

Well other than what does the Red Color Mean, no replies as to what the others have come, So:

What do Fish look like on Standard Sonar vs CHIRP vs DI vs SI?

From what I have learned on 2d Fish are more Bars or Lines with bigger/longer lines meaning bigger fish.

On DI they seem to be more like Ovals.

On SI they are more like Dots.

The Ovals and Dots are the same as the lines in that the bigger they are the bigger the fish.


What say you?

The next topic is:

How to understand what the spacing between the lines means?

From what I have learned the Tighter Together the Lines, the Steeper the Drop/Rise.

Wider Spaced Lines show a Flat Area.

Each Line indicates a Depth Change.

What say you?

On my sonar I have a fish ID turned on so it shows me fish in different sizes; some systems you can select that will only show you large fish or all fish.

Pretty sure my DI & SI show the same as what you're seeing


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote from: WTodd on April 17, 2020, 08:13:20 AM
On my sonar I have a fish ID turned on so it shows me fish in different sizes; some systems you can select that will only show you large fish or all fish.

Pretty sure my DI & SI show the same as what you're seeing


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Aha, I've had units with the Fish ID on them, A Tip, with the unit set on that it will show a Large Group of Small Fish packed together as one Big Fish on the Screen. The system doesn't see the difference. But without Fish ID on it will show multiple small lines so that you know what is actually there.

So it's a preference deal.

My HDS Carbon will show each fish so depending on how big the school is it can get a little muddy


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote from: Deadeye on April 17, 2020, 08:08:35 AM
What do Fish look like on Standard Sonar vs CHIRP vs DI vs SI?

From what I have learned on 2d Fish are more Bars or Lines with bigger/longer lines meaning bigger fish.

What say you?

That would all depend on the speed you are travelling. If the boat is stationary and there's fish directly below the transducer, then that fish will appear as a long line and will be bright yellow. If it is off to the side it will appear as a long purple/blue line. If the boat is moving then the fish appear on the screen as arches. Again the color of the arch will determine if the fish is directly below the transducer or off to the side somewhat.

On DI the same fish(es) will appear as white dots and are more defined as individual, and on SI they can appear as white dots or even white fish shapes.

Fish ID and fish alarms are both off for me.

They get in the way of interpreting the info the way I want to.


If you don't have pieces leftover, you didn't put it back together right...

Quote from: WTodd on April 17, 2020, 08:19:55 AM
My HDS Carbon will show each fish so depending on how big the school is it can get a little muddy


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Got ya.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote from: Bassinkorea on April 17, 2020, 09:12:45 AM
That would all depend on the speed you are travelling. If the boat is stationary and there's fish directly below the transducer, then that fish will appear as a long line and will be bright yellow. If it is off to the side it will appear as a long purple/blue line. If the boat is moving then the fish appear on the screen as arches. Again the color of the arch will determine if the fish is directly below the transducer or off to the side somewhat.

On DI the same fish(es) will appear as white dots and are more defined as individual, and on SI they can appear as white dots or even white fish shapes.

Good Points. Stable vs Traveling will make a difference in what the same fish shows as.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good Thoughts, Keep them coming. Remember there really is No Wrong Answer here, just learning how each person uses their Electronics and sharing their thoughts for Everyone's gain.

Next up:

How to adjust or set-up your units?



I personally do a few adjustments to mine. I start with everything set on Auto then define as needed.

Screen Color we already discussed and it is a purely Personal Deal, what you see the best with is the one to use.

Sensitivity. I adjust it IF NEEDED to eliminate any clutter that shows on the screen. On my old Humminbird Lower Dollar units like the Piranha Series, I had to keep it pretty low or the Greyscale would get cluttered pretty fast. On my now Garmin Echomaps I really haven't had to take it out of Auto, it really seems to do a great job.

Contrast. FD mentioned that he turns his up a bit to produce a better clearer image. I have not messed with mine yet, but I will now after hearing how FD does his. Once again on my old units I did turn them up some as well.

Range. There are two lines of thought here: Auto and Manual. Each has their place from what I can see. If I'm scanning an area looking for more detail or certain things, I believe that setting the Range to a specific ft allows you to read the screen without it jumping around or changing the view. However if I'm scanning an unknown area I will let it run on Auto to gauge just how much the Depth Changes. The Deeper the Depth the Wider the Range on really all three Sonars, but really shines on SI.


At least these are my thoughts. Do you do anything different with yours?

Why to learn more about Understanding your Electronics.

I used to be that Guy that figured as shallow as we fish most of the time, all I needed to know was the Depth and Water Temp. Oh and having the GPS to lay a track was helpful in getting back as I started to venture out on larger lakes.

Then I started playing, messing, trying however you want to say it, with my Units to see what I could learn.

I was amazed.

On a Lake near to me that I have fished more times than I could count, I thought I knew it pretty good. I knew the areas where I usually caught fish and those I did not. I could see the ring of Spatterdock or Stem Pads as I call them and use them as the available cover to fish.

One thing I could never figure out on this lake was the Spawn. I had only ever found One Bed and that was only One Year. I talked with others that I saw fishing that lake (one boat ramp) they also said they could never figure it out either.

So one day I decided to start actually Using the Electronics that I bought. In one area in particular the bottom had a black slime coating on it and I just couldn't see Bass would bed there. The Pad Line ran in water Depth of 3-4 to 6-7 ft, plenty of water for any Bass.

So I started making Passes on the edge of the Pad Line going further out each time. On my Garmin Echomaps I can make a Custom Map of lakes that are not on the Garmin Maps and this one isn't. So I was saving the Bottom Contours as well, in effect making my own Map of the Lake.

Then in about 8-10 feet of Water it started. I started seeing Beds Showing up on my SI. Clear as could be there they were Beds pocked marked all over that One Area. Now were they Bass-Bluegill-Gar-Mudfish-Tilapia Beds, that is yet to be proven but Clear As Day they were there. This started showing up about 40-75 Yards AWAY from the Pad Line.

In any case I Marked it and Labeled It for easy to find another day.

And I continued to do the same all around the Lake. I found more Pock Marked Bottoms and Marked them too.

I also found a unique feature of an Underwater Valley. This started at a Shallow Flat that was Hit or Miss as getting bites go. From there I found a Clearly Defined Trench that started at 4 ft and grew to 8 ft, then had an Abrupt Drop into 13 ft. It continued to drop on a slow decline out to 15+ ft. And YES there were Fish Markings all along that Drop Line.

The Point is: I never would of found this had I not decided to take some time and actually USE my Electronics. This is a Natural Lake and not Man Made in any way.

On another area that has Proven Time and Again to be a Producer of Bass I found another Drop Away, not as severe but definitely there. A Bass Highway to and from Deep Water to Feeding Zone.

A 3rd Area I knew held Underwater Grass, the ONLY SPOT in fact I knew of, and sure enough there too was the Travel Corridor out to Deeper Water.

All of this was learned in a few hours on a Lake I thought I knew, really, really Good.


So whether or not you Bought the Electronics you have, they Came with the Boat installed by the previous owner, or you Bought Them in the Boat Package when you bought it new I ENCOURAGE you to try and Learn More about your Units and you just might be amazed at what you'll find.


This Thread has been a Big Help to me so far in learning more about the Units I have and how to tweek them to give me even more. Thank You to ALL that have contributed so far and those that will going Forward.

Let's see some Pics of Cool Things you have found while Scanning!

Guess this would be the best place for this.

I have been loosing bottom after 30+/- mph. Was pretty sure that wasn't the case before.

I got into the Blinge Area and undid the two screws that's hold mine to the Base. It's a lot different than the Factory one was.

First off it has two parts, a Base and a Transducer unit. The Base gets secured to the hull then they suggest you use Antifreeze or an 50-50 Antifreeze Mix to fill the Base. Then the Top gets screwed into place.

Why it's done this way is two fold. Transducers do better when they are in contact with liquid. The actual Transducer is set at an Angle to the top. This allows you to twist it 360* to get the best Bottom Contact per your boat's ride.

I raised the bow up as high as the jack would take it and after filling the Base I set the top on and used a level to get it as close to level bow up as I could. Then it was screwed down.

It must of worked.

Today I was on a smaller lake and really couldn't open it up, but up to 50 mph I never lost Bottom Contact. That's a whole lot better!!

I'll see what I get on a larger lake and see if it holds up to 58.2-59 mph. That's my average and best Top Speed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Speed, Depth, and bottom composition have a lot to do with how strong a signal is coming back to the transducer. 

Quote from: FD on May 08, 2020, 04:19:52 AM
Speed, Depth, and bottom composition have a lot to do with how strong a signal is coming back to the transducer.

Exactly. A Hard Sand Bottom it was holding longer as it was, but get over a Soft or Mucky Bottom I could lose it at 20 MPH or Less.

The Liquid (the Antifreeze Mix) was low. I guess some must of evaporated over time the last 4-5 years. In any case it sure is reading better.

Summer Time and Water Depths.

Just throwing out a Thought learned from yesterday's M&G. They have lowered the lakes in the K-Chain in prep for Hurricane Season.

What happened was the Depths shown on my Mapping was off by 3-4 ft in most places.

If the Map showed 6 ft of water, I was actually in 2-3 ft. It is something to keep in mind while running on a Lake you do not know really well. You could be cutting across a Point that is showing 4 ft and be hitting bottom--- which could cause you some Boat or Motor Damage.

Some Interesting Videos on Reading and Using your Electronics.


How to Read what your Seeing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=724&v=4m808qYb3Q0&feature=emb_logo

Sonar Explained (done on a deeper water lake but the principles are the same)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd8BEitAnXk

Sonar, Tackle, and Areas explained (Mostly about Drop Shot, but does a great job explaining how to understand Fish in relation to your TM Transducer)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Px5NMcNREs

Anyone know what this is?

Hint; he was 7 foot long and had big teeth. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200626/92b9cefb3e189f697f1265ca1aae49b9.jpg)

An NBA center?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Massive bluegill beds in 8 fow.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200715/4454e044a74472dddb5d5c6d5bac18f2.jpg)

How slow were you going over those to pick them up?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote from: WTodd on July 15, 2020, 05:24:35 AM
How slow were you going over those to pick them up?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The bottom left of the screen says, 3.3 MPH.

Quote from: WTodd on July 15, 2020, 05:24:35 AM
How slow were you going over those to pick them up?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You need to match your chart speed with your boat speed to get the best picture.

Typically I run my chart set at 4 and just under that with boat speed.

LakeMaster plus and 2D chirp on plane in the first photo.

Brush pile on the new M360. Still working on the settings and when I get the picture cleared up I'll give some explanations of what I think I'm looking at. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200720/89f1941ff1278d8bd2f6e6ca4e4f898c.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200720/2546ede3fec562f14b46b730c5891717.jpg)

Yesterday. Sitting on a 5 ft deep flat next to a small drop with poles down. The dark area is a shadow cast by the edge of the flat. The small white specs that keep appearing and disappearing are 2 pounders that are coming up on the edge to feed. These pics are 10 seconds apart.  I caught 3 in about 10 minutes and moved on to another area. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200724/4cd82b41ebbb9ebfaca30fc610f8f25b.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200724/e004ef3447443b617ba17988de380d34.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200724/4e94fcb9296f5eada34622ecfe6be738.jpg)

Nice.

Great talking with you yesterday, I appreciate it and learned a lot. Thanks.

Quote from: Deadeye on May 31, 2020, 10:27:38 AM
Some Interesting Videos on Reading and Using your Electronics.


How to Read what your Seeing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=724&v=4m808qYb3Q0&feature=emb_logo

Sonar Explained (done on a deeper water lake but the principles are the same)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd8BEitAnXk

Sonar, Tackle, and Areas explained (Mostly about Drop Shot, but does a great job explaining how to understand Fish in relation to your TM Transducer)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Px5NMcNREs

Quote from: FD on July 24, 2020, 02:55:53 AM
Yesterday. Sitting on a 5 ft deep flat next to a small drop with poles down. The dark area is a shadow cast by the edge of the flat. The small white specs that keep appearing and disappearing are 2 pounders that are coming up on the edge to feed. These pics are 10 seconds apart.  I caught 3 in about 10 minutes and moved on to another area. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200724/4cd82b41ebbb9ebfaca30fc610f8f25b.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200724/e004ef3447443b617ba17988de380d34.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200724/4e94fcb9296f5eada34622ecfe6be738.jpg)

Wow, that is truly great. My neighbor who fishes Okeechobee religiously has said these are all worthless in that lake. Or say "for the most part" if tournament fishing I would find it as MUST HAVE.... They have came a long way.
Where is the transducer mounted ? if I may ask...

Quote from: PSL on August 27, 2020, 09:05:22 PM
Wow, that is truly great. My neighbor who fishes Okeechobee religiously has said these are all worthless in that lake. Or say "for the most part" if tournament fishing I would find it as MUST HAVE.... They have came a long way.
Where is the transducer mounted ? if I may ask...

There are a couple of options but mine is on the trolling motor..

People who say they are useless are the bank beaters not willing to change their fishing style.  (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200828/4e15062a1ff780b058301290e8e6ddf2.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200828/98ab4dc919d1a205c50b8db847ff18df.jpg)

CPF Lures Pro Staff
   

Very interesting, it's like being in a modern jet cockpit!  Too much for me, I'm just trying to figure out Zoom Chat on my phone!  Dam technology, who thought you would have a phone, and computer, in your pocket, and you could call almost anywhere in the world.  Amazing stuff!  Good luck with all the new toys. ~c~

Quote from: big g on August 29, 2020, 05:27:39 PM
Very interesting, it's like being in a modern jet cockpit!  Too much for me, I'm just trying to figure out Zoom Chat on my phone!  Dam technology, who thought you would have a phone, and computer, in your pocket, and you could call almost anywhere in the world.  Amazing stuff!  Good luck with all the new toys. ~c~

Honestly it's not that hard to use once you get the basic concept of the perspective you are looking from.

FYI I still can't use zoom on my phone...

CPF Lures Pro Staff