101 Fish Finder Tips and Tricks

[Wreckfish]

101 Fish Finder Tips.

Thought I would try to start a thread to gather a bunch of “using your Fish Finder/Sonar” tips.  I don't have a 101 myself but hopefully with everyone's input.

1)   Setting you Sensitivity Setting correctly.
Turn Auto Sensitivity off.
Turn your Sensitivity setting to 100% or whatever max is on you sounder and then back it off until the clutter clears at the depth you are targeting.  This is the optimal setting.  If you change depths you may need to adjust you setting.

2)   Zooming in. 
Most if not all sounders have a zoom button.  This is very convenient but the only problem with zoom is it distorts the picture by compressing the sides and elongating upwards.  If your sounder has function that allows you to display a cross section of the water column try using that. My Lowrance has an upper - lower depth setting.  Shut Auto Depth off. If you are in 70 ft of water set you upper and lower setting and 50ft and 80ft and you will see a zoomed in non-distorted display.

3)   Book
A very good book for getting the most from your fish finder is called Depth Sounder Secrets by Rick Huckstepp. Cost about $10.

[BigAl13]

Keep an extra in line fuse on board

[IrishAyes]

Turn off the cheddar cheese fish crackers. You have a more realistic display of what is down there with the fish shape icon feature turned off.

[CapBob]

Most of the time I like to run a split screen, 50/200  gives a differant look at the same piece pick up some very good reads.

There are altimes when I will run either a 50 or 200 screen and split it with the asolator, the asolator screen gives great accurate fish reads