Help With Depth Finder Please (For Streaking)

[troutgnat]

Gentlemen,

I put my depth finder to the test on Sat. It was a learning session for both of us, I should say it put me to the test! Anyway, I was drop shotting and really trying to get the "streaking effect". I was able to witness my buddy do this in his rig. He was running I believe a Lowrance X52 off his trolling motor. Sensitivity and almost everything maxed out, a lot of clutter on the screen but you could clearly see his line and weight fall to the bottom and you see fish follow his bait as he moved it up to desired depth.

We tried adjusting sensivity very high, I set my upper and lower depth limits, took everything off auto settings (depth and sensitivity), etc. but was never able to see my line and weight though I could still mark fish.

Can anyone give me any insight on what to do or do any of you have experience with this model of depth finder.? Is the Lowrance 125 capable of streaking???

This is what I know about my depthfinder: (mounted on bottom of trolling motor properly)

Lowrance 125

5" screen

480x480

200kHz

single-frequency w/ 20 degree cone angle and built in temp.

2400 peak watts

800' depth capability

Thanks to anyone for help and advice!

[CaptainJoe]

I am not familar with the 125, but it sounds like you are on the right track if it will work or not. Yes, stay in manual mode. You should not need the sensitivity on max...., set the minimum and maximum depth to zoom in on your strike zone, ping speed on 50%, chart speed on 75%, turn off fish id, and make sure that the transducer is shooting straight down. Now, go in very shallow water, like 18', and try to see your bait. Put a big worm on the drop shot or big creature bait so you can clearly see it. Once you see it, play with the settings to maximize you view. Now, move to deeper water and adjust again, Now, move deeper, and deeper, adjusting as you go. As water color, temps, depth, you always have to make small adjustments. See if that works.

[getfished]

That's pretty good feedback you already got there. I used to have that model Lowrance and it will do the trick once you get it dialed in. Occasionally I would have a challenge to keep the lure in the transducer cone.

[mclothier1]

With 2400 watts it should have enough power, and yes you have to be able to keep the bait in the "cone" pretty much sitting still. You might try using a larger target like a spoon, which should make it a little easier to pickup, then adjust from there.

[Brian K. Shaffer]

Darren - at least you are not using a Lowrance Fathometer....

Sorry the picture is blurry... its from a Nov/Dec 1970 copy of Fishing World magazine.

The caption reads "Carl Lowrance used his famous fathometer to gather this mixed bag of bass and crappie."

[Bill Babler]

Just for "Kick's and Grin's, Go into that 30ft. depth range and again watch your dropshot going down. Turn the sensivity as low as you possibly can and still see the target dropping. My Lowrance LCR 37 I can still see the drop shot fine at about 40% I am running it yesterday at about 66 percent with no other boats in the area. A lot of times deep fishing we will sometimes have as many as 6 guide boats all bumping into each other and we will run our graphs at that 40 to 60 percent range and still see the fish and the baits. If you are losing or having up and down lines while fishing near your buddy, it is his unit interfering and not yours. Tell him to turn it down.

If you have those units turned up to high, about 3/4 or what you think you are seeing Ain't really there. It is just improvely. That unit should show you are great pic at 70 to 75 percent.

IF you notice by looking at my graph pic's on either www.whiteriveroutfitters.com or ozarkanglers, you will notice you see nothing at all on my screens but the fish and the line. There is absolutely no trash on the screen it is perfectly clear. Go back and look at the graph pic's I have posted. If you are seeing anything at all any clutter, turn the thing down.

Hope this helps.

[troutgnat]

Bill,

Thanks for the advice I will heed and give this a shot tomorrow. I'm a loner tomorrow so will not have buddies boat to interfere..............D

[snakem]

Bill,

Thanks for the advice I will heed and give this a shot tomorrow. I'm a loner tomorrow so will not have buddies boat to interfere..............D

The transducer can be bad also,as it happend to me bought a new 1 for my 125 and works great now. Snakem out.

[focused fishing]

Chart Speed 100% - Always - regardless of depth or sensitivity, it has no effect on the number of pings or amount of power being input to the water only the speed which the graph is displaying the information.

Grey line - 60% - 64%

Sensitivity - the shallower you are the lower it needs to be, take it up to the point you are getting interference and then back it down. Adjust for depth.

Manually set your upper and lower limits as well

If these do not work you most likely have a bad angle on the transducer (not shooting straight down check it with the skeg on the trolling motor) or a burnt transducer. You will still get a lot of data from a burnt transducer but it will not pick your bait or the fish. Often times it will pick it up to a certain depth then disapear. Transducers will over heat under high power operation and eventually stop transmitting data.

Hope this helps,

EP