I just installed a Lowrance Hook 5 fish finder on my hole in the water ( https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/help-me-buy-a-hole-in-the-water-or-not/186470/page1/ ) and read up on reading it and modes and such. I wanted a reality check though, as several times today we had screens like this:
Is that a whole butt load of fish or is there something else that could be? Most of the time the screen did not look like that. But a bunch of times it did, and I was surprised. Kid troubles precluded any attempts at catching the fish, but I want to know for next time.
In reply to dculberson :
its something.. Thats all i figured on my fish finder. I mostly just used it for depth and structure under water.
mtn
MegaDork
7/3/22 5:10 p.m.
I'd be marking each of those spots as you see them. Sure looks like a school to me.
I would be marking that spot even without the fish, just for the structure and drop off that I see.
I was never sure either what direction was it showing. How is the boat oriented with the display?
With a fish finder, The transducer and mounting of it matters even moreso than the display with regards to accuracy. That being said, of the current or tide was flowing towards the deeper end of the display, that's fish marking sitting above the lump on the bottom hunting bait and smaller fish coming through/off the current deflection from said bump
Thanks guys! I'll have to go back when I can put a hook in the water. I know that lake has a reputation for crappie. and blue catfish.
@tjl: it seemed to me that the right side of the display corresponded with what the rear of the boat was over at the moment. The depth was correct for that and double checking it with the state's depth map for the lake it was accurate.
The chart plotting feature was super handy and another really neat part was seeing the variation in the depth. There was even one part where the depth fairly rapidly went from 60ft to 6ft then back down to 20ft or so. Pretty fun to watch. It was hard to keep the kids far away enough to let me steer safely.
In reply to dculberson :
Okay, now that you mentioned blue cats, that bump on the bottom at the left that I thought the fish marked make have been sitting off the current of, that (and you'll note the return signal is a different color than the marked bottom) was likely a 40-60lb blue cat parked on the bottom.
Go back with some weight and some stinky bait and look for markings like that on the bottom.
In reply to Captdownshift (Forum Supporter) :
Good tip thanks!
