Helpful Information for Using A Fish Finder

Fishing can be an exercise in futility if you can't find the sweet spot where a great catch is waiting for you. That's why a fish finder can be the perfect tool to add to your fishing gear. A fish finder scans the area beneath your boat to help you locate the best spots to cast your line. In this article, we'll look at how to go about using a fish finder, for those who have never done so before.

Fish finders are made from sturdy, long-lasting hard plastic that gives maximum protection from the weather and any potential harm that might occur during use. Some models feature stretch neoprene covers to protect them from water damage. There are protective cases designed to cover the mounting assembly as well. They are small enough to be used on speedboats, canoes as well as inflatable vessels.

Getting your fish finder ready for action is quite an easy process that requires just a few tools. All the hardware that you will need comes with the kit. Start by pre-drilling holes and mounting your fish finder. It should be placed in a spot that is easily accessible like near the steering wheel. Next, connect the electrical leads from the unit to the relay box of your boat. You must connect the power to a hot wire and the ground to your ground plate. Alternately, you can connect the leads directly to the battery. Finally, mount the transducer to the bottom of the boat. This is normally done at the rear of the boat in an unobstructed spot. To prevent leakage from the drill holes, seal the transducer with silicone. All you have to do then is route the cable from the transducer to the input of the view screen and screw it into the input jack.

After turning on the fish finder, check out the digital readings which show up on your display. Based on the model you have, these could be depth, water temperature and boat speed readings. These readouts are determined by the placement of the transducer that transmits sonar signals from the water to the fish finder.

Once your fish finder is installed, you will need to program the settings. Generally, choosing the "Normal" operation mode uses factory set defaults that allow some control over the settings. This mode allows you to quickly use the unit's sonar functions without making in-depth setting changes. For more options, you can cycle through the different sonar modes, which typically range from standard sonar all the way to side-looking sonar. Once you're familiar with using a fish finder, you will wonder how you ever fished without it.