Tips To Set Up And Use Electronic Fish Locators
Electronic fish locators have fast become one of the most popular tools of many boaters and anglers. These helpful devices allow fishers to see beneath the surface of the water to view fish, debris and other structures. Additionally, these products give other valuable information, like water depth and temperature. In this article, we'll share some valuable tips to help you get the most of your high tech fishing gear.
The secret to the effectiveness of a fish locator is the transducer. This is what emits the sonar signal in a cone shape and transmits the data back to the screen where you can see it. By bouncing a sonar signal, you will be able to see not only fish, but weeds and underwater structures. A lot of fish locators use a dual beam sonar. One beam is emitted at 60 degrees to discover the fish and the other is at 20 degrees to precisely display the bottom of the body of water and its structure.
Many smaller units have transducers fastened to a suction cup that can stick to any surface. These styles are small enough and lightweight enough to be used in small vessels like speedboats, canoes, and even inflatable boats.
Most fish finders are easy to install. All you'll need is a few tools. You may want to recruit the help of a friend to help hold the components in place, while you secure them with the screws. The electrical leads from the unit connect to the relay box of your boat. If you don't have a relay box, then the leads can be connected directly to the battery. The transducer is attached to the bottom of the boat. Put silicone around the transducer to prevent any water from penetrating where the holes were made. Once the cable is routed from the transducer to the view screen, you're ready to start catching fish like you never have before.
Operating a fish locator is as simple as pushing a button. After switching on the unit, digital readings will appear on the screen. Depending on which model you get, these will represent boat speed, depth and water temperature. The line running across the bottom of the display relates to the floor of the lake, river or reservoir. The waves on the screen reveal the terrain on the bottom. A thick, dark line means a hard bottom, while a thin, light line indicates a soft bottom. Fish will be displayed as icons or arches.
Once you have installed the view screen and transducer, it's time to program your unit. Most electronic fish locators come with default settings that you can modify to your needs. Start by selecting the "Normal" operation mode. This is suitable for most fishing situations. To adjust the settings, press the "View" button while in "Normal" mode to cycle through the different sonar modes. There will be several different options on this menu, from standard fish finder sonar all the way to side-looking sonar. You can save these settings so that you don't have to reset the device every time you use it.
The secret to the effectiveness of a fish locator is the transducer. This is what emits the sonar signal in a cone shape and transmits the data back to the screen where you can see it. By bouncing a sonar signal, you will be able to see not only fish, but weeds and underwater structures. A lot of fish locators use a dual beam sonar. One beam is emitted at 60 degrees to discover the fish and the other is at 20 degrees to precisely display the bottom of the body of water and its structure.
Many smaller units have transducers fastened to a suction cup that can stick to any surface. These styles are small enough and lightweight enough to be used in small vessels like speedboats, canoes, and even inflatable boats.
Most fish finders are easy to install. All you'll need is a few tools. You may want to recruit the help of a friend to help hold the components in place, while you secure them with the screws. The electrical leads from the unit connect to the relay box of your boat. If you don't have a relay box, then the leads can be connected directly to the battery. The transducer is attached to the bottom of the boat. Put silicone around the transducer to prevent any water from penetrating where the holes were made. Once the cable is routed from the transducer to the view screen, you're ready to start catching fish like you never have before.
Operating a fish locator is as simple as pushing a button. After switching on the unit, digital readings will appear on the screen. Depending on which model you get, these will represent boat speed, depth and water temperature. The line running across the bottom of the display relates to the floor of the lake, river or reservoir. The waves on the screen reveal the terrain on the bottom. A thick, dark line means a hard bottom, while a thin, light line indicates a soft bottom. Fish will be displayed as icons or arches.
Once you have installed the view screen and transducer, it's time to program your unit. Most electronic fish locators come with default settings that you can modify to your needs. Start by selecting the "Normal" operation mode. This is suitable for most fishing situations. To adjust the settings, press the "View" button while in "Normal" mode to cycle through the different sonar modes. There will be several different options on this menu, from standard fish finder sonar all the way to side-looking sonar. You can save these settings so that you don't have to reset the device every time you use it.
