Couple sonar questions

[cbrunick57]

Just purchased my first boat and am very green to the world of graphs/sonars. Been mostly into ice fishing but have been finding myself jumping into the open water world head first! The boat came with three units, a Lowrance LMS 334c, X-125, and a Global Maps stand alone GPS unit. My question is are there any good write ups on the internet, articles, etc. on reading and using graphs to their full potential. Like I said I tend to have the problem of jumping into things head first and I am finding myself doing it with this and loving every minute! Any help will be greatly appreciated, I have done some searches already just wondering if any of you guys have some good suggestions. Thanks again, Cody!

[wmw]

Most depth finders have two mode’s you can have it in, manual or auto, in manual it will give you all the unfiltered info and can be like reading tea levees or goat entrails to see the future. I have been to seminars and watched DVD’s on how to make the most of your depth finder, when they show you a example of how the sonar should look when you see fish, it is picture perfect the arches are clear and easy to see, the real world isn’t that way you may have a part of a arch and have so much clutter around the possible fish its hard to see, reading your sonar can be a hole hobby to it self.

The complaint in auto mode is the sonar will beep and show a fish symbol for ANYTHING between the bottom of your boat and the bottom of the lake. I find it’s not that bad but it has to be dense enough so the depth finder thinks it’s a fish. In auto it will filter out a lot of the clutter which could be plankton or algae.

I like auto it beeps it and shows me the depth I can easily see what’s going on I don’t have to be looking at it all the time.

My advice put it in auto and mark when you catch a fish on the GPS and get out and fish fish fish!!!

[Kyhl]

I'd say it's worth turning off auto or fish ID and learn to read your graph. After a while you will figure out what is a fish, what is bait fish, and what is a weed. Auto won't tell you the difference.

My most consistent walleye success is to find fish next to bait balls and boom. Fish on. Finding fish lounging with no bait around are tough to trigger. I'll stop for the them but won't stay long if they don't bite.

Fishing a weed fish is usually worthless so it pays to learn the difference.

[h8go4s]

Auto is a crutch. Go manual, turn off the beeps and "fish ID". Learn to adjust your settings so you know what you're seeing on the screen. Experience is the best teacher. Read your owner's manual.

[DLD24]

on your summer fish finders do you adjust your sensitivity like you would your gain on your flasher. Or do you just leave it most of the time?? thanks for any help