Reading fish finders

GraphiteZen · 05-08-2008, 09:54 PM

I just got an Eagle SeaFinder 500C DF with 4000 Watts peak to peak power, 50/200 khz transducer, and 1500 feet depth capacity.

Today was my first day using it. I was fishing a lake that at max was 11 feet deep. For 3 hours I messed with the sensitivity settings, made sure my transducer was level and away from turbulent water, the color line, all the filtering settings and there was still so much clutter I couldn't find anything. The manual claimed that at a sensitivity setting under 50 I might not see fish but they didn't say at what depth or environment. If I turned it down to like 20 it started to clear up but I couldn't find anything still.
What speed to I need to be traveling at to see the "fish arch" because there were things that looked like arches but they were either distorted or broken up. And I had to pick those out from all the clutter.
I have no idea and I really need some help figuring this thing out. Let me just say that on the water things didn't look ANYTHING like the simulation run. Ideas?

fishkisser · 05-09-2008, 02:23 PM

I have always found that the transducer athwartship needs to be level ...
But fore and aft it should be angled slightly toward the bow ...
You just have to play around with them a little for them to read properly ...

Smj · 05-10-2008, 07:49 AM

At only 11' you're just using it as a depth finder for the most part. You should have some clutter/noise on the screen, and it sounds like you're setting it right by not having the fish ID on. Use the noise filters as little as possible. You just need to get it in some deeper water to play with it.

Smj

Pickles · 05-10-2008, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smj

At only 11' you're just using it as a depth finder for the most part. You should have some clutter/noise on the screen, and it sounds like you're setting it right by not having the fish ID on. Use the noise filters as little as possible. You just need to get it in some deeper water to play with it.

Smj

Actually that really depends on which transducer you are using! With my Transducer at 11' I am able to view 22' side to side and am able to identify structure as well as fish!

fishingls · 05-10-2008, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GraphiteZen

I just got an Eagle SeaFinder 500C DF with 4000 Watts peak to peak power, 50/200 khz transducer, and 1500 feet depth capacity.

Today was my first day using it. I was fishing a lake that at max was 11 feet deep. For 3 hours I messed with the sensitivity settings, made sure my transducer was level and away from turbulent water, the color line, all the filtering settings and there was still so much clutter I couldn't find anything. The manual claimed that at a sensitivity setting under 50 I might not see fish but they didn't say at what depth or environment. If I turned it down to like 20 it started to clear up but I couldn't find anything still.
What speed to I need to be traveling at to see the "fish arch" because there were things that looked like arches but they were either distorted or broken up. And I had to pick those out from all the clutter.
I have no idea and I really need some help figuring this thing out. Let me just say that on the water things didn't look ANYTHING like the simulation run. Ideas?

The 20 degree cone is showing an area 3.8 ft in diameter on the bottom. If other cone is 45 degrees, at 11 ft of depth, it is showing a circle 8.6 ft in diameter on the bottom. As long as the transducer is correctly mounted, speed is not a factor to see fish on a depth finder.

Gizmo Man · 05-12-2008, 02:48 PM

Where you using the 50 or 200 khz mode? If in the 50 you will get a from about 0 to 6 feet black due to the way it is set up.

In fresh water use the 200 khz mode. Also make sure you set the depth range to fill up the window. If in 10' set it manually for 10. Between 10 and 20 set it for 20. I see many people allowing the machine to set the depth and sensitivity automatically and what you have is half a screen to view under you.

Also as mentioned above, in 11' you are not going to see many fish as they will not be under your boat.

Do not use the fish symbol as this tells you nothing.

Giz...

GraphiteZen · 05-12-2008, 09:55 PM

Thanks all. I have been using it for a couple days, and after gathering stuff on the internet along with a video that was loaned to me I am starting to understand.
I went back the the same pond next day and it was sunny. because of this I was able to see that there was a lot of brown clumps of stuff on the surface and submerged. This along with a few other things was mainly the problem.
I have fished a different pond that is much clearer, and from the tools I have learned from the video I am picking stuff out. I'm happy I got such a high powered unit with a detailed screen for I am now able to identify brush piles with crappy above them, weed beds, gravel beds, carp feeding on the bottom even the thermocline

. Fun stuff!

Another question:
Since it has so much power, I can actually hear the sonar pinging. It's like the tick you get when you touch the wire to the terminals of your car battery. Obviously constantly and really fast. Do you think this would spook fish? I hope maybe that it's like the rattle on a jig, and if I sit on one spot long enough they will all just pile up beneath me, but probably not.