The tips we have on different fish finders could fill a book. There’s always a problem with giving generic fish finder tips, though - what works on one model might not work on another.
So today, we’ve decided to take a different route. We’re going to give you three tips that will help you get more out of any fish finder, regardless of make or model. By doing these three things, you can drastically improve your results when you’re out on the water:
This step might seem obvious, but we’ve known anglers (ourselves included) to get a little overeager when it comes time to test out their new toys in the water. You should take the proper time to set up your fish finder - at least a day before you plan on going out into the water - that will help you avoid the temptation to rush things.
And while we encourage you to read the instruction manual and learn how to mount your unit’s transducer, we also encourage you to read online guides. You can start with this Boating Magazine Guide to Installing Transom-Mounted Transducers (assuming, of course, your transducer is transom-mounted).
Once you’ve installed your fish finder, you’ll want to go through the setup process. While most fish finders are more or less plug-and-play (more on that in the next section), we encourage you to take a look at some of the core settings. You might, for example, have opted to use a trolling motor-mounted transducer. In this case (and in some other installation methods), you’ll want to change your depth offset for greater accuracy.
No two anglers are exactly alike. We all have different preferences, distinct setups on our boats, different bodies of water we’re fishing, and varied fish we’re looking to catch.
Fish finder designers know this. That’s why modern fish finders have a staggering number of customization options. Even on relatively low-cost fish finders, you’ll find different color palettes, sensitivity settings, display options, and a whole lot more.
The first time you use a fish finder, you won’t need to worry about all of this. Your first goal will be learning how sonar fish finders (and imaging, if you have it) work. Once you’re comfortable with the basics, however, you should take the time to play around with the various options on your fish finder. By tweaking things to exactly your liking, you’ll be able to find - and catch - a lot more fish.
We know. This sounds pretty basic. If you already know how to spot arches, and you’ve got a good idea of what different types of bottom structure look like, you already know how to read your fish finder.
Right?
Not so fast. Advanced users don’t just look at arches - they look at how those arches are congregating and looking around. An experienced angler, might, for example, recognize the different school formations the fish they’re angling for are likely to take on. They might also recognize that it’s a good idea to hang out near baitfish if you want to catch fish that eat those baitfish.
All of that information can be seen on a properly configured fish finder - you just need to know what you’re looking at, and what you’re looking for.
Here’s a bonus tip - even if you’ve mastered interpreting data from your fish finder, you’ve installed it perfectly, and you’ve customized it to suit your personal preferences, a bad fish finder will still lose out to a good fish finder 9 times out of 10.
How do you solve this problem? Get a good fish finder. You don’t need one that breaks the bank - there are plenty of incredible fish finders that are quite affordable. Here at Fish Finder Tech, we review every fish finder we can find on the market and give you the breakdown of what’s worth it, and what isn’t. Read our reviews.
