joefromchicago
Steelhead
I'm a real work with what you got guy.
Depth finder for lakes
- Thread starter Blackdogfishing
- Start date
Thank you, I actually don’t remember that but that’s what I was wondering. Interesting solution!
I finally broke down and bought one a couple years ago. It's really nice for learning a new lake. And even lakes that you've fished forever. I was at one of my locals and I always catch fish quick trolling a type 3. The fly is probably only a couple feet under the surface. Well, the Striker showed me the fish were literally rising 10' to strike. Pretty cool info to have.
Be careful though. Some days are tough and it's not any better when the damn Striker keeps reminding you that there are plenty of fish that you should be catching. I had a steady stream of fish at 7 feet. Like, a constant damn stream. I threw about 5 different combos for a total of 10 different flies under a bobber. All the usual suspects. Nope. Stripped 4 different flies on a type 3. Nope. Hooked 1 on a fast troll that the Striker didn't see. And he flopped off at the net. So today??? I hated my Striker. Haha! Beautiful day to be out and explore a new lake though!!
Be careful though. Some days are tough and it's not any better when the damn Striker keeps reminding you that there are plenty of fish that you should be catching. I had a steady stream of fish at 7 feet. Like, a constant damn stream. I threw about 5 different combos for a total of 10 different flies under a bobber. All the usual suspects. Nope. Stripped 4 different flies on a type 3. Nope. Hooked 1 on a fast troll that the Striker didn't see. And he flopped off at the net. So today??? I hated my Striker. Haha! Beautiful day to be out and explore a new lake though!!
You will get more out of your sounder if you turn the fish icons off and learn to read the raw data.
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This thread reminds me, everybody needs to do what works or makes you happy with your fishing day. @skyriver it's like my Grandpa used to tell me "jumping fish aren't necessarily biting fish". And I have told guys I know about Rocky Ford (and fish finders), it's like going to a strip club, "just because you see them and get all worked up doesn't mean you have a chance!"
Also, reminds me of a very similar discussion about "trail" wildlife cameras for hunting. So many people/hunters complain about them, and say it's not sportsman or you are cheating. Then I started using them just to see what was in an area (and my yard), crap you see cool things! And it still didn't guarantee you shooting something, it just helps you when you don't live in the woods and only have a short season or limited time. Kinda like fishing.
Anyway to reach their own, I'll keep using mine.
Also, reminds me of a very similar discussion about "trail" wildlife cameras for hunting. So many people/hunters complain about them, and say it's not sportsman or you are cheating. Then I started using them just to see what was in an area (and my yard), crap you see cool things! And it still didn't guarantee you shooting something, it just helps you when you don't live in the woods and only have a short season or limited time. Kinda like fishing.
Anyway to reach their own, I'll keep using mine.
Oh totally, but I prefer the happy fishes.
Or in the case of today...the evil fishes that were laughing at me.joefromchicago
Steelhead
Don't you just hate it when your sonar tells you how many fish you're missing?Oh totally, but I prefer the happy fishes.
RCF
Life of the Party
Don't you just hate it when your sonar tells you how many fish you're missing?
Turn off the sound so you do not get alerted to fish identification by the depth finder. As some have suggested turn off the fish icons. It could be just be debris below. I also find it frustrating seeing fish below with no bites. One should be watching the indicator and not the screen because you will miss subtle takes.
Also if watching the fish finder you could be missing what is happening around you. I have experienced times when fishing is slow with lots of fish below. Because of watching the water around me, a hatch was happening. I was fishing two poles and had to remove a pole from fishing. I could not keep up the number of hookups. A fish finder would not show you that.
When I use a fish finder/depth finder it is for depth, temp and structure. The cone of sonar is very small for shallow waters - anywhere from 1/3 to 3/4 of the depth of the water at the bottom of the lake depending on the transducer. At 10' the cone is very small when the depth is 30'. Understand what the area you are viewing. There are limitations for sure - all mathematical.
I was a lake steward for a lake nearby for a number of years. I would take my fish finder out when I was measuring lake quality. When I saw a bunch of fish I was able to measure the water temp at that level. It showed that there was a thermocline which the fish liked - approximately 55 degrees.. Understanding thermoclines is important for sure.
Use fish finders as a resource/tool and not the answer to catching fish. It is only a data point to help you understand what is below. Make sure to add your knowledge to it for more successful outings.
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Y’all, for frame of reference, we are discussing old, old technology here, as good as a Garmin Striker is. (I still use a Fishin Buddy 120 FWIW)
Forward-facing sonar has entered the chat.
www.outdoorlife.com
Watch out for the “lures that detect fish and swim autonomously into their mouths.”
Forward-facing sonar has entered the chat.
The Unwinnable Battle Over Forward-Facing Sonar
Should forward-facing sonar technology like LiveScope be banned from fishing tournaments? Maybe, but there's no going back.
www.outdoorlife.com
Respectfully I kind of disagree with some of this mindset. Not sure the finder you use but you can absolutely tell debris from fish with all the newer models. With an older 120 I did mostly use it for the bottom and temp. I didn't trust side scan.
With a new Garmin I absolutely use it to find fish, catch fish, see how fish react to my fly, find baitfish, identify fish and so on. These capabilities are incredible.
If you like to fish shallow regardless then yeah a fish finder can tell you the depth and temp just fine and you may occasionally see a fish in shallow water.
But playing in the deep. Man game changer unlocking that
It's hilarious how behind the times fly fisherman are. Dudes rolling around with a 22 inch screen and several 12 inch screens on the cockpit in their bass/walleye boats. Mega 360 live roaming every inch around them!Y’all, for frame of reference, we are discussing old, old technology here, as good as a Garmin Striker is. (I still use a Fishin Buddy 120 FWIW)
Forward-facing sonar has entered the chat.
Watch out for the “lures that detect fish and swim autonomously into their mouths.”The Unwinnable Battle Over Forward-Facing Sonar
Should forward-facing sonar technology like LiveScope be banned from fishing tournaments? Maybe, but there's no going back.
Fly guys are like 120 till the day I die!
Which is fine! Right? We’ve already decided to fly fish which is usually not the most efficient way to catch fish. But people should be aware what’s really out there. So Billy, at what price point do you strap a forward looking unit on your bass boat? (And can I come check it out some time, I wanna see this in action)It's hilarious how behind the times fly fisherman are. Dudes rolling around with a 22 inch screen and several 12 inch screens on the cockpit in their bass/walleye boats. Mega 360 live roaming every inch around them!
Fly guys are like 120 till the day I die!
I guess they have forward looking tech that works in hundreds to thousands of feet deep now.
Totally fine! Don't get me wrong.
I doubt I ever go the live scope route but some of the 360 stuff looks useful. Not sure what price point I would consider it.
It use to be after new technology came out the price would drop over time. Now it just seems to be ramping up. Bigger screens. 360 live viewing and so on. This craze of I want itis over taking every aspect of our society and the market capitalizing on it.
Maybe the 120 is where it's at:
I hope so, I keep holding on to my spares like they’re Jerry Rice Rookie cards. And just like the cards they keep changing in value.
Annoying for sure. Haha!Don't you just hate it when your sonar tells you how many fish you're missing?
I understand what you're saying and you have way more experience than I do with them. And I totally agree with you that we shouldn't have our face stuck to the screen. That is exactly why I have the sound on and the fish icon on. Sure it might be debris or something besides fish. I've used mine enough to know it's usually a fish. I've sat in a clear lake with 15' vis and played around with it while fish are cruising under me. Pretty cool.
The Striker is decent at deciphering junk from fish based on my experience with it.
If there are fish on the screen then I usually give that spot a bit longer than I would if I don't see fish. That has paid off several times. And I know that when moving it won't show all the players like the fish I hooked yesterday. But when I'm anchored up in 15' or less and there's no fish on the screen that's a no go for me.
I really just want depth and temperature and the rest I'll mostly figure out on my own. Or not.
Great minds think alike.
BriGuy
Life of the Party
Great minds think alike.
But what if there's still beer left?
Admittedly a fishfinder newb, but I also like the fish icons and use them in conjunction with the real time A Scope view that shows the arches and the cone diameter at the bottom.You will get more out of your sounder if you turn the fish icons off and learn to read the raw data.
Oh totally, but I prefer the happy fishes.
As far as the accuracy of the icons goes, I don't doubt that there will be at least some false positives, but this video of the model I have shows they can be pretty accurate.
That said everything displayed on the Garmin's main screen is history with no actual reference other than depth and time something; i.e. bottom structure, a fish... passed through the sonar cone. I was utterly spoiled by 8 years of looking at USAF fighter interceptor radar scopes testing systems with a target simulator over the radome and observing aircraft near the field that even in the 1970s clearly showed target direction, distance, heading, and speed relative to my position, plus the size. That's hard for a fishfinder newb to unlearn.
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