Fish-Finder..?

[mgilker]

I'm not really sure where to put this forum soo... how dose a fish-finder work and can it be used to mesure the depth of water ways? iI'v had a few boats and a common problem is running aground on submerged objects.. is there some way [either fish-finder or other] to see these objects [objects such as land and shallow spots] before i hit them?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Fish-Finder..?

All fish finders (better that they be called locators because they cannot find fish). Locators locate them when they in the cone formed by the pulsing of the transducer. Most locators do indeed indicate depth fo the water. However, if you plan to use any locator or a dedicated depth sounder while at speed, you will be aground about 16 - 20 feet (the length of your boat) BEFORE the locator tells you the depth of the water. The locater reads what is beneath the boat, not what is ahead of it. However if you pay attention to the locator you can tell when the water is getting shallower and you can actually follow the contour of a river channel or reef if you understand what the locator is showing you.

 

[mgilker]

Re: Fish-Finder..?

iv seen the transducer on the back of boats before (in fact i think my current boat already has one), could you put it at the front of the boat to get a reading of whats ahead of you or is the back still the best?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Fish-Finder..?

You can install the transducer anywhere but on the front of the boat would do no good. You are missing the "speed" part of this discussion. Assume there is a submerged stump or rock directly in your path. The locator won't display that object until the transducer is over it. By then it is too late for you to change course so you hit it anyway. They can tell you depth -- but it cannot do it ahead of time. You need to constantly watch a depth finder/locator for changes in depth.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Fish-Finder..?

iI'v had a few boats and a common problem is running aground on submerged objects..

Ayuh,.... You've got the learn yer local waterways, 'n stay outa the shallow areas...

Fish finders look Down, not forward...

 

[dingbat]

Re: Fish-Finder..?

Furuno makes something they call search light sonar. It basically a sonar transducer mounted to a retractable, rotating pole that extends out from the bottom of the boat. It gives you a 360 degree view of the surround water for up to 500 meters from the boat.

A very popular item with the offshore fishing crowd but a little pricey. They start at $14K USD

 

[mgilker]

Re: Fish-Finder..?

thanks for all the info.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Fish-Finder..?

Even if you did get a transducer to work in the front of the boat by the time the finder found it and got it on the screen you would have hit it already, I fish a particular stretch of river and it took quite alot of bumping into things to get to know the river with enough seat time you will learn to read the water, shallow water acts and looks differently than deeper water.

There is also a lake I fish, it is 80+ feet deep then all of a suddden it comes up almost like a wall to 2' and that is right in the middle of the lake and you don't know it is there until you find it, you could get maps of the waters you're on but even those only give you a ggeneral idea of depth and they don't mark things like stumps.

So just go slow at first and learn your water and hopefully you don't break anything but that really is the only way to learn.