For many anglers, fishing without a fishfinder is like driving without a steering wheel.
Okay…maybe that example is a little extreme, but fishfinders are still important tools for anglers all over the country. From commercial fishermen who depend them to make a living to professional anglers who compete and win with their help, a fishfinder can make a big difference for a lot of people on the water.
Every Scout comes with advanced technology and fishing features, including a fishfinder. So how can you get the most from this tool?
Keep Things Simple
Depending on the fishfinder you have on your boat, there could be dozens, even hundreds of different setting combinations, tools, applications, and uses. These tools are very effective for a wide variety of purposes, but when you’re just getting started, keep it simple. Stick to basic settings that you understand and use them consistently. Once you have mastered the basic fishfinder tools, you can move on to more-advanced settings and applications.
Learn to Tune the Sensitivity
Sure, we just got done telling you to lay off all the fancy switches and dials, but one setting is very important to understand: sensitivity. The sensitivity basically determines how much information you receive, but if it’s too high, you won’t be able to interpret the fishfinder properly.
On most fishfinders, you’ll need to start by turning off automatic mode. You can then manually adjust the sensitivity. Crank it all the way up to 100%, then dial it down slowly until you get distinct arches from fish and detailed information on the bottom.
Learn to Recognize Fish and Schools
Using your fishfinder you find fish! What a concept! Start by learning to recognize signs of fish, including schools, large fish, and predators near pods of baitfish. By learning the basic signs, you have given yourself the fundamental tools for success with your finder.
Use the Finder to Locate Structure and Drop-Offs
Once you understand how to spot and differentiate fish in the water, should know how to identify structure at the bottom. Obviously this will be effective in shallower areas where fishing near the bottom is actually an option. Use this new skill to spot reefs, wrecks, and other structure where baitfish and predators are hiding.
Use Ever-Increasing Circles to Find Structure
Using fishfinders to locate structure is a highly effective way to locate fish, but incorporating maps that show depth as well as wrecks and reefs can also be effective. However, what if you come to a location that, according to the map, should have a wreck, but you can’t seem to spot it with the fishfinder?
Make slow, ever-increasing circles around the spot until your structure is located. By spiraling out from the center, you cover all the water and give yourself the best chance of spotting the structure.
Master Fishing with a Scout Boat
You can be the master of the sea by fishing with a Scout Boat. Our boats are equipped with quality fishing features, including fishfinders, aerated live wells, and convenient rod holders. Contact Scout Boats today to learn more about our luxury fishing boats.
