06-05-2011, 12:00 AM
[cool][#0000ff]Go to the manufacturers' websites and look for their sonar tutorials. They explain the different buzzwords and features and how they work.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In a nutshell, the higher the wattage/power the greater the sensitivity and the more accurate the display (when properly tuned).[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Anybody who buys a sonar strictly as a fishfinder is delusional...at least in the lower price ranges. Some of the better quality units DO display fish in real time and also your lure if you are vertical jigging. That can be extremely helpful for seeing how the fish react to different lures and different presentations. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Unfortunately, many of the lower priced models are guilty of "false readings" when it comes to marking fish...especially if you have your display set on "Fish ID'...and it displays little pixelated fish swimming across the screen. The signal from the transducer interprets anything it hits between top and bottom as a fish and displays it as a fish. That includes bubbles, algae globs, aquatic insects, tree limbs, etc. That's why unless you have a special need you should not use the Fish ID display.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Also, unless you are making vertical presentations to bottom hugging fish...like perch, walleye, bass, etc. you will seldom catch the fish you are seeing on sonar. You might see signals from fish going through at 20 feet deep in 30 feet of water. What that should tell you is that there are fish in the area and they should be fished at or above the 20 foot mark. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]If you are fishing fairly shallow water...like Utah Lake...you will seldom see any fish marks on your screen in less than 6 or 7 feet of water. Even in a quiet float tube the fish will generally move out from beneath your tube. And the "cone angle" of the transducer is very small...about 1/3 the depth on a 20 degree transducer. That means that at 6' the "footprint" of your sonar is less than 2' across. You literally have to run over a fish for it to show on your screen.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In most cases the major value of a sonar is to help keep you fishing in the right depth. This is especially important when targeting bottom hugging species that generally have a preference as to depth and bottom contours. Being able to fish in the right "zone" is more important than just seeing a little fishy icon on the screen. There will be times when the fish are laying right on the bottom and even a pretty good sonar will not separate the fish from the bottom and you will never know it's there.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That being said, I have been a Humminbird fan for several years and am very happy with the quality and accuracy I get in float tube sonars for under $200. There are times I lust after super side scan systems...with GPS, mapping and all the goodies. But I still manage to muddle through somehow.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][url "http://www.lowrance.com/en/Support/Tips-and-Tutorials/Sonar-Tutorial/"]LOWRANCE TUTORIAL[/url][/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In a nutshell, the higher the wattage/power the greater the sensitivity and the more accurate the display (when properly tuned).[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Anybody who buys a sonar strictly as a fishfinder is delusional...at least in the lower price ranges. Some of the better quality units DO display fish in real time and also your lure if you are vertical jigging. That can be extremely helpful for seeing how the fish react to different lures and different presentations. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Unfortunately, many of the lower priced models are guilty of "false readings" when it comes to marking fish...especially if you have your display set on "Fish ID'...and it displays little pixelated fish swimming across the screen. The signal from the transducer interprets anything it hits between top and bottom as a fish and displays it as a fish. That includes bubbles, algae globs, aquatic insects, tree limbs, etc. That's why unless you have a special need you should not use the Fish ID display.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Also, unless you are making vertical presentations to bottom hugging fish...like perch, walleye, bass, etc. you will seldom catch the fish you are seeing on sonar. You might see signals from fish going through at 20 feet deep in 30 feet of water. What that should tell you is that there are fish in the area and they should be fished at or above the 20 foot mark. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]If you are fishing fairly shallow water...like Utah Lake...you will seldom see any fish marks on your screen in less than 6 or 7 feet of water. Even in a quiet float tube the fish will generally move out from beneath your tube. And the "cone angle" of the transducer is very small...about 1/3 the depth on a 20 degree transducer. That means that at 6' the "footprint" of your sonar is less than 2' across. You literally have to run over a fish for it to show on your screen.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]In most cases the major value of a sonar is to help keep you fishing in the right depth. This is especially important when targeting bottom hugging species that generally have a preference as to depth and bottom contours. Being able to fish in the right "zone" is more important than just seeing a little fishy icon on the screen. There will be times when the fish are laying right on the bottom and even a pretty good sonar will not separate the fish from the bottom and you will never know it's there.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]That being said, I have been a Humminbird fan for several years and am very happy with the quality and accuracy I get in float tube sonars for under $200. There are times I lust after super side scan systems...with GPS, mapping and all the goodies. But I still manage to muddle through somehow.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][url "http://www.lowrance.com/en/Support/Tips-and-Tutorials/Sonar-Tutorial/"]LOWRANCE TUTORIAL[/url][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
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