Bottom Fishing: Holiday Double 2016

[Raskal311]

Great write up

[surfisher]

Very informative! I also like medium chirp mode and low chirp mode when fishing deeper. Although these are a bit shallower, medium chirp is awesome and reads great. These were from a week ago during a nice weather window.

[Deamon]

Sweetness right there.

[kirkdavis]

I am a retired Navy SonarTech, so I get it, but it is great to see the differences that you pointed out.
As a rule with sonar, the lower the frequency goes, the further the sound will travel. The higher the frequency, the greater the resolution. Sound in the audible range is used to find big object like submarines miles away, but a very high frequency is used to see the precious baby in a mother's womb.

Even with that knowledge, I have been too lazy or preoccupied trying to catch fish to figure out how to make changes like that on my Lawrence. Dropping to a lower freq will extend the range, but it is still a high enough freq to get pretty good detail.

Thanks!

[chris138]

Originally Posted by kirkdavis

I am a retired Navy SonarTech, so I get it, but it is great to see the differences that you pointed out.
As a rule with sonar, the lower the frequency goes, the further the sound will travel. The higher the frequency, the greater the resolution. Sound in the audible range is used to find big object like submarines miles away, but a very high frequency is used to see the precious baby in a mother's womb.

Even with that knowledge, I have been too lazy or preoccupied trying to catch fish to figure out how to make changes like that on my Lawrence. Dropping to a lower freq will extend the range, but it is still a high enough freq to get pretty good detail.

Thanks!

Ya you're totally right... the downscan frequencies (455/800) give even greater detail. But they can see such small objects that the scattering layer can be too much for them too look through. On 83 (or med chirp) small objects will kinda all lump together as big clouds, where as on 200 or hi chirp
you might see individual sardines. If you can run dual frequency there are a lot of advantages and further inferences you can make... but that will have to wait for the intermediate lesson.

Another thing to remember is the scale of column. When fishing in deep water say over 150', the returns look so much smaller due to the scale of the fish in relation to the depth of the water. A school of yt in 200' looks almost identical to a wad of greenback in 65'.

If you're preoccupied with catching fish... tuning your sonar is how its done.

[kirkdavis]

i have been "trying" to catch fish instead of learning to catch fish. BWE is helping me to overcome that. When I caught a BSB a few months ago, i was using a mackerel bigger than I had ever used before, and it worked! I almost didn't use it because I thought it was too big, but I dropped it down to soak while I fished another pole with plastic. "Big bait = big fish". I am now a believer.

[chris138]

Originally Posted by kirkdavis

i have been "trying" to catch fish instead of learning to catch fish. BWE is helping me to overcome that. When I caught a BSB a few months ago, i was using a mackerel bigger than I had ever used before, and it worked! I almost didn't use it because I thought it was too big, but I dropped it down to soak while I fished another pole with plastic. "Big bait = big fish". I am now a believer.

YT also will take very large baits... and usually prefer them. I'm sure many will attest to that hahaha

[jorluivil]

I just drop my bait down and fall asleep

[chris138]

Originally Posted by jorluivil

I just drop my bait down and fall asleep

Probably better that way... Then you don't have to watch the 10 fish that sniff out your bait before you get one biter.

[jorluivil]

Originally Posted by chris138

Probably better that way... Then you don't have to watch the 10 fish that sniff out your bait before you get one biter.

I hate when that happens.

You see the mark on your sonar and just as you're ready to see your rod go bendo the fish is gone.

[kayakfisherman]

Unlike George, I'm wide awake!!

Very cool Chris, I learned a ton!!! Thanks! Can't wait for more.

I've got an Elite 7 hdi that I'm replacing (since it doesn't seem to like
all the salt water I've exposed it to). I'm wondering if the touch screens end up with salt water deposits on the screen? Making for constant screen wiping.

Thanks ahead of time. Yanni

[chris138]

Originally Posted by kayakfisherman

Unlike George, I'm wide awake!!

Very cool Chris, I learned a ton!!! Thanks! Can't wait for more.

I've got an Elite 7 hdi that I'm replacing (since it doesn't seem to like
all the salt water I've exposed it to). I'm wondering if the touch screens end up with salt water deposits on the screen? Making for constant screen wiping.

Thanks ahead of time. Yanni

Yes, for sure you get salt deposits on the screen. I had a windy day in gonzaga and the screen was totally covered in salt. That said, i could easily see the GPS through the residue, and the touch screen worked fine. Mine has been covered in guts and mackerel slime and touch works fine. It really seems like they nailed the enclosure on the Ti.

However, its pretty heavy. I found that I needed a 1.5" RAM ball to hold it securely.

[FISH11]

However, its pretty heavy. I found that I needed a 1.5" RAM ball to hold it securely.[/QUOTE]

Hi Chris, I have the same problem with the 7TI. When I had the 5TI the 1" ram mount was fine, but now with the 7TI a hard bump or a wave over the bow on launches and the Fish Finder tilts towards me, no matter how hard I tighten the mount handle. Did you just switch out the ball on the deck to a 1 1/2" and leave the 1" on the Fish Finder head end. I love your screen shots. Super detail, it always annoys me when I see those same screen shots and have the bait right in the middle of it and there are no takers. It is so easy to tell that those are large fish and likely yellow tail but just don't go for the nice mac on your line. I guess I got a little spoiled by the bite the past couple of years, all you had to do was troll a mac in the area of the bait clouds and WHAM!. Thanks for sharing. Mark

[chris138]

Originally Posted by FISH11

Hi Chris, I have the same problem with the 7TI. When I had the 5TI the 1" ram mount was fine, but now with the 7TI a hard bump or a wave over the bow on launches and the Fish Finder tilts towards me, no matter how hard I tighten the mount handle. Did you just switch out the ball on the deck to a 1 1/2" and leave the 1" on the Fish Finder head end. I love your screen shots. Super detail, it always annoys me when I see those same screen shots and have the bait right in the middle of it and there are no takers. It is so easy to tell that those are large fish and likely yellow tail but just don't go for the nice mac on your line. I guess I got a little spoiled by the bite the past couple of years, all you had to do was troll a mac in the area of the bait clouds and WHAM!. Thanks for sharing. Mark

No I had to buy the 1.5" ball to attach to the back of the unit. Plus side is that the 1.5" ball double ended socket is longer and it reaches up towards me more which makes it easier to keep tinkering with.

There are still flyline fish to be had in the winter... but typically they are the smaller models.

[YTHunter]

Originally Posted by chris138

No I had to buy the 1.5" ball to attach to the back of the unit. Plus side is that the 1.5" ball double ended socket is longer and it reaches up towards me more which makes it easier to keep tinkering with.

There are still flyline fish to be had in the winter... but typically they are the smaller models.

Great post Chris! I too have a 7TI and quickly found that the 1" RAM ball mount was not large enough. Initially I planned on getting the 1.5" RAM universal mounting plate to mount to the stock Lowrance mount but found out that they have an adapter that allows you to bypass the stock Lowance mount altogether and mount directly to the back of the FF. The mount has a 1.5" ball on one end and the other end plugs directly into the mounting slot on the back of the fishfinder body. I'm guessing this is the same approach Chris took.

I know you can get them at Fastlane but I think OEX has them also.

[TheBentRod]

Great post. Sharing your knowledge and techniques is the way to be a team member of the kayak community.

Thanks.

[Mr. NiceGuy]

Excellent thread Chris. Thanks!

I use my FF all the time. Still can't figure out what I'm looking at

[chris138]

Originally Posted by Mr. NiceGuy

Excellent thread Chris. Thanks!

I use my FF all the time. Still can't figure out what I'm looking at

Post up some screenshots, lets see what you got going on.

That goes for whoever, post up your sonar pics and I or some other knowledgeable individual will help you out!

[steveooo]

Nice write up, tutorial, and sweet fish to go along with it!

Love winter time fishin'!