Sonar question/Fish finder

iwaterdave

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 8, 2012
Messages
109
Had this boat and finder for 3 seasons now. However not sure if I fully understand how to use it.The screen shows what I believe to be fish... however after hours of fishing several spinners and at different depths no bites. Is what I'm looking at really fish or something else?
 

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Texasmark

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 20, 2005
Messages
14,544
Sometimes it's turbulence (bubbles), other times it could be interference picked up from the engines ignition. Quick way to see if it's that is to look at it with the engine off. Sometimes bait fish group together and appear as a larger fish.

I have used it in catching fish years ago when all you had was a spinning neon light "flasher". I mounted the transducer under the seat where I sat and using a cane pole and minnow, I fished for Crappie by noting the depth of a reply and responding. It was a great day and I had a lot of fish. That was the only instance I can remember.

The owner's manual should tell you how to operate it and how to interpret the replies. Mine did.

Mark
 

undone

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 26, 2014
Messages
147
Do a search on using a fish finder, it will go over the details and show you what fish look like on the screen. They don't typically look like that.
 

jigngrub

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 19, 2011
Messages
8,155
your sonar can show fish, but it can't make them bite,,,,,,,,

LMAO!!! Boy ain't that the truth!!!

I hate hate hate hate hate insolent fish!!!... I can see them on the display! They're right down there! WHY WON'T THEY BITE???:mad-new::mad-new::mad-new:



Seriously though, there looks to be a few fish "arches" on your display... but most of those marks look to be junk or maybe baitfish, or both. Whatever it is down there, it looks to be scattered and unorganized which wouldn't be conducive to a fish feeding pattern. One of the things me and my OCD really like about fishing and finding fish with a sonar is that when they're biting the fish are pretty organized. Tight bait balls with fish holding just outside and below the bait picking off stragglers or rushing in to grab and injure as many as they can with the fish below the bait feeding on the injured that fall out of the ball to the bottom....... ok, that done it. I've gotten myself all excited and now my sticker is pecking out. :embarassed:
 

gm280

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
14,585
If you are slowly moving, you should see arches for the fish. I also agree to turn the sensitivity down a little. It doesn't look like fish to me, but then it has been so long since I fished (refurbishing a boat now) that I can't say for certain.
 

R055

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 13, 2015
Messages
579
Last year while camping my friend had a fish finder, lesson learned after 3 days that the fish on the fish finder never bite, sell your fish finder and enjoy fishingšŸ˜‚
 

airshot

Rear Admiral
Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
4,222
I have that same fish finder on my boat, and yes the gain or sensitivity is set to high and it is showing junk in the water. Mine hardly ever shows an actual arch for fish so I just leave the fish symbols turned on. Played with the arch setting for quite some time but was never successful with it. But...as stated by others you have no idea how many times I see fish and no bites. Then again there are times when I am catching fish and there are no marks on the fishfinder!! Just depends on whether the fish are in the cone of the signal from your transducer. In 30 ft of water your cone diameter is less than 10 ft in diameter on the lake bottom, and as you come up near the surface the cone becomes smaller, so not much area for the fish to swim thru. I use mine more for searching for bottom structure and bait fish.
 

ondarvr

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
11,527
Nothing on that screen looks like fish, just interference or some other form of disturbance.
 
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