Fish Finder Training – Screenshots & Interpretations

[J-Doc]

I doubt it. I have a screen over my livewell inlet and do not get lines. My setup is quite similar to yours. 

At this point, I'd call Hummingbird.  If it's under warranty, they should repair it or at the least, help diagnosis it.  

[Ketchup]

Ok J, out yesterday evening up the James, and took a few snaps for ya.   The humps on the bottom are rocks I assume do to having large boulders on the shore close by.  What are all of the suspended spots all over?  Also some of those arches puzzle me.  Sometimes I miss just fishing.  Haha .  Now when I go, I find myself putting around trying to learn what im seeing.  Thanks again for helping us newbs. 

 

Sorry for the the screen glare. 

[J-Doc]

Short fat arches are typically bass because of their body shape. Crappie also look like this, usually a bit smaller and grouped up near structure or brush. 

Nice looking screenshots. 

 

I need to upload one of a group of tires I found on the bottom of the lake on side scan.  Putting around on way to a waypoint and "oh look.....tires!"  That or someone dropped a box of really big Krispy Kreme donuts. ;-)

[KenFisher]

So useful post! I've just read a buying guide for a fish finder, it's great for choosing a new fish finder: http://fishfinderselect.com

[TonyD]

Hello all! I am obviously new here but how I found this forum and this topic, I just installed a new fish finder on my boat.. a new color screen and really, I have no idea how to read it. So I searched and searched until I came across this forum and thread - and wow, still reading through it and there is just some really really great informative stuff in here. Thank you all!

That said, I have a few questions about the images I am seeing on my sonar - I installed  the Garmin Echo 551dv and I am not sure if I have the correct location on my transom since A) I am getting a rooster tail and  not sure if the images are what I should be seeing -

In this image, I am just sitting in my boat slip, it's very shallow and also very weedy. The bottom looks okay I think but what is all that up top? (Pictures are coming sideways for some reason-sorry!!)

 

In the next two pictures, I am just running at about 3500 RPM - not even sure I know what I am looking at...

 

[TonyD]

BTW, I asm not from the Ozarks.. I am on Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey. :-) 

[J-Doc]

On ‎4‎/‎28‎/‎2016 at 1:23 PM, TonyD said:

Hello all! I am obviously new here but how I found this forum and this topic, I just installed a new fish finder on my boat.. a new color screen and really, I have no idea how to read it. So I searched and searched until I came across this forum and thread - and wow, still reading through it and there is just some really really great informative stuff in here. Thank you all!

That said, I have a few questions about the images I am seeing on my sonar - I installed  the Garmin Echo 551dv and I am not sure if I have the correct location on my transom since A) I am getting a rooster tail and  not sure if the images are what I should be seeing -

In this image, I am just sitting in my boat slip, it's very shallow and also very weedy. The bottom looks okay I think but what is all that up top? (Pictures are coming sideways for some reason-sorry!!)

Sorry for the delayed response. I've been pretty busy lately and have to respond from a computer vs. my tablet or phone sometimes.

A.  While in your slip, the red is simply water temperature fluctuation.  It's probably warmer on the surface for a few feet vs. below the surface (or vice versa in mid-winter)

B.  The rooster tail is not a problem.  Set the transducer so half of it is below the transom and the other half is above the transom and level with how your boat rests in the water.  Some make it flat with the transom so they are at the same angle but most boats sit a little heavy in the rear with the outboard so I tilt mine upwards a bit so it's sitting level while in use.

C.  You're not reading much of anything at that speeds.  Sometimes you see "blips" in the white area which can be fish.  The sonar signals or "arches" become vastly shorter because the signal is weaker because of the speed at which the boat is moving.   Slower speeds read much stronger arches.  Sitting still in one place reads as a long line for a signal unless the object is moving which makes an arch because how the fish is shaped (like a football).

 

I suggest you buy Dr. Sonar's "Sonar Basics" DVD.  It will really help you get the most out of your unit and you will gain much more confidence in what you are seeing.

 

And hello from Arkansas!   

[TonyD]

Hey, J-Doc! Thanks for the response! No worries about delays - all good!  

 

That makes sense about the water temperature up top, at this time of year the temps up top are a little warmer. I guess it's similar to being able to see the thermocline on these sonars.

For the rooster tail, I found out that Garmin makes a spray shield just for this issue. Though I do want to play around with tilting the transducer first - right now it's straight with the bottom when on the trailer, not taking into consideration when the boats sits in the water and the bow is up a little.

I'll keep looking for the DVD, though I haven't had success yet. Thanks for the info and for a great read in this thread. I'll post an update when I have this all sorted out!  Thanks!!

[o2bnMO]

Garmin wants $20 for the shield. When i questioned why i should pay for something to fix a problem with there product they agreed to send me one as a courtesy. They said the warehouse is out of stock but should have more by mid april.

BTW i was very polite with the lady.

Old post sorry

[LittleRedFisherman]

J-Doc enjoy reading your post on these screen shots.  Nothing to educational here and apologize for the sun glare in them, but here's a couple side scan shots with my helix 9 mega. First one was on a slough off a river here in the delta and the second is on current river a couple weeks ago.  I was gonna try another spot first but my side scan showed a wad of fish in a pocket by a rock dike.  The sun glare doesn't do that shot justice plus it's zoomed in.   I decided to fish there first after seeing that and got in a great bite!  Very impressed with the new mega imaging!