Should a person up grade to a new flasher?

[live4chrome]

the lcd screens on some of those newer flashers scare me. I feel like the screens on the Vexilars and older marcums are more protected. I also feel like when in cold weather the kiss principle makes for fewer issues. just my .02$

[TyGuy02]

When I'm trying to figure out size, I usually pay attention to how fast the signal strength increases. If it comes in green and stays green/orange = small fish. If it comes in green and quickly goes to red = big fish. Keeping your flasher at a consistent gain level will help you recognize the size.

One BIG BIG aspect of flashers that most fishermen don't seem to understand is where the fish are in relation to the bottom. If fish after fish are coming onto the flasher on the bottom, come up one/two feet, go down one/two feet and then leave the screen. The fish probably didn't go up to look at the bait and go back down. More than likely (in deep water especially) the fish came into the cone angle at two feet off the bottom and just cruised by at the same depth. Do a simple equation of geometry and you'll realize that a fish (in deep water) reads to be deeper when on the outside of the cone angle than when a fish is directly below the flasher.

Too many fisherman see this type of fish as "on the bottom" and only set the line to 6-12" off the bottom and fail to realize that the fish was actually 2' off the bottom.

[PFUNK]

That's a very good point TyGuy. Same reasoning behind fish arches on your open water sonar. I am curious how deep it would have to be though to show the fish rising and falling by a full foot or two. I would think that would be a pretty large rise in the depths of water I normally fish though. Is there a mathematical way to calculate something like that I wonder? Very interesting point you bring up.

[kg2]

I gotta agree with Behind The Head on the size of fish scenario, BUT... experience staring at the screens plays a huge role in "guessing" the size.

IMHO - I think most people would be further ahead with keeping their existing flashers and spending their money on a Side Imaging or Side Scan unit and learning structure while on open water.

[fishwater]

Is there a mathematical way to calculate something like that I wonder? Very interesting point you bring up.

The Pythagorean theorem will give a decent approximation if the signal is regarded as a true cone. At 20' a 20 degree ducer will read the edge of the cone as approximately 20.3', so less than 4" difference. You need to be over 100' to get a 2' change in distance between straight down and the outer cone.

[sheephead2]

Basic Trig

.017in 1 degree at an inch

Sine of 20 degrees =.342 in 1 inch

.342x12 inches =4.10 inches

4.10 x 20 feet =82 inches a little under 7 feet which is your cone on the bottom of lake

8 degrees 20 feet 33.4 inches under 3 feet is your cone

12 degrees 20 feet 49.89 inches little over 4 feet is your cone

this would be for a TRI BEAM

[PFUNK]

That is the size of the sonar footprint on the bottom though right? I was curious about a formula for figuring out how much your flasher would be "off" when marking a fish on the very edge of the cone depending on the depth you're fishing, but the previous suggestion makes sense. Anyway... my curiosity is taking the thread away from the original posters intent... so I will stop asking questions.

[bbfenatic]

Basic Trig

.017in 1 degree at an inch

Sine of 20 degrees =.342 in 1 inch

.342x12 inches =4.10 inches

4.10 x 20 feet =82 inches a little under 7 feet which is your cone on the bottom of lake

8 degrees 20 feet 33.4 inches under 3 feet is your cone

12 degrees 20 feet 49.89 inches little over 4 feet is your cone

"Can you repeat the part about the........................."

[whos_on_first]

I need to stop reading this stuff. I don't ever want to have to apply "basic trig" to fishing...

[CaptainMusky]

I need to stop reading this stuff. I don't ever want to have to apply "basic trig" to fishing...

And you thought you would NEVER have to use that again huh? Now watch all the guys hitting the ice with graphing calculators this weekend. LOL