fishfinder

Question
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Followup To
Question -
When I'm looking at my graph how do I know where in relation to the boat the fish are that I am seeing on my graph.  Also, when I'm fishing tidal areas (brackish water rivers) how can I differentiate between mullet on the screen and any other fish?

I have a fishmark 320 by eagle.  Thanks.
Jeff

Answer
Jeff,
Look over the owners manual, it should explain the operation of the fishfinder and how to read what the display is showing at the time. With most fishfinders it takes some time to get use to what you are suppose to see. The fishmark 320 has a transducer beam width of up to 60 deg. This fishfinder also has an advanced fish ID system that will show different symbols for different sizes of fish. The owners manual should also give or show a graph of the bottom VS depth to give you some idea of how much bottom the display will show for any depth of water. A little trick that I use to get an idea of what actual items would look like under the boat is as follows. I first would use a cinder block tied on a rope and lowered over the side about 5 or 6 ft to see what it would actually look like on the display. Next I would tie a two ft long piece of PVC pipe and lower it ( horizontally) and do the same. By doing this you can get a real good idea of what various sizes of things would look like. With experience you will be able to know at a glance of the display about what sizes of fish are under the boat at any given depth. Lastly, if the transducer is installed correctly the display will normally show you the area under the boat as viewed from right side to left side. There are some fishfinders that will show you the area under the boat in a 360 deg area with the boat in the center of the display such as a sonar system. One sonar system for fishing is a foward looking unit that will show you everything that is in front of the boat and track all the way down to the bottom of the lake/pond or river.

TOM,
T&D ELECTRONICS
[email protected]