How to use an echo sounder? The principle of operation of the device. Basic principles of catching predatory fish with an echo sounder How to navigate using an echo sounder while fishing

To understand this, you must first understand what it is and why it is needed. First of all, it is a device that uses ultrasonic radiation to obtain information about the nature of the bottom of a reservoir. The design of the device contains an emitter and a radiation receiver.

Since the device uses high-frequency radiation, it is able to distinguish between moving objects (fish) and display it on the screen in real time. That is, the user can visually observe the actual life of the underwater world and coordinate his actions with the real situation.

What is an echo sounder for fishing?

1. How it works

They are also sonars, developed around the forties of the last century to detect submarines.

The first sonars for sport fishing appeared in 1957. The main components of the device are:

1. Transmitting device – generates a signal as electrical impulses and sends it to the sensor.
2. Sensor – converts the received signal into sound emissions.
3. Return signal receiver - picks up the signal reflected from underwater objects, in accordance with the time delay of the return of the sound wave, the distance to the reflection point is determined and, thus, a picture of the bottom topography and the location of moving objects (fish) is formed. The radiation is harmless and is not felt by living beings.
4. Display – reflects a picture of the space invisible under water in real time.

2. Available operations and characteristics

1. Sensitivity. The function controls the product's ability to receive signals. If you need to consider the details, you need to gradually increase the level of sensitivity until the desired result is achieved. When the screen shows a large number of interference, you need to lower the sensitivity until you get clear reflections of the “fish arches”, if any are present. The sensitivity value can be changed both manually and when the automatic function of this function is turned on. The adjustment techniques in both modes are identical, but the resulting effects are different. Auto mode will allow you to increase sensitivity to the limit, but you can reduce it only to a level where the bottom topography differs. In manual mode, you can adjust the device to extreme values ​​in both directions; you can distinguish the bottom topography from approximately the 50% sensitivity level.
2. ASP function is a device that allows you to filter interference of various origins. It constantly analyzes the speed limit of the craft, light interference effects, and automatically filters signals of various types, eliminating interference. In sonar terms, any extraneous effects are called "noise." Noises can have a variety of origins, for example, the sound of a running engine or the operation of an ignition device. ASP has four operating mode settings: OFF – disabled, LOW – for low level, MEDIUM – for medium level interference, HIGH – for high level. In the presence of strong interference, it is better to use the HIGH mode, but the most effective way is to find the source of the interference and eliminate the cause of its occurrence.
3. ALARM – warning signals. The design includes three types of such signals: “Fish” - FICH ALARM, triggered when the receiver identifies a set of signals as fish, the next signal (ZONE ALARM) is heard while moving to this place, and a depth warning signal, reacting when approaching shallows (Shallow), and also indicates the depth at the location. The warning is triggered only by a device for monitoring the bottom of the reservoir.
4. CHART SPEED – setting the speed at which the display on the monitor is updated. Initially, this indicator is set to the maximum value. When the boat is stationary or drifting slowly, you can change the setting to 50%, this action improves the image quality. When positioned in a stable position at maximum settings, passing fish will be indicated by long horizontal lines; as the scrolling speed decreases, these lines will become shorter.
5. DEPT CURSOR - cursor indicating depth. Indicated on the display by a dash with numbers in the window. When moving it, you can obtain data about the depth of the object.
6. FICH ID – fish identifier; the computer considers a certain set of reflections as a fish. At the same time, it distinguishes the size of fish as small, medium or large. Accordingly, a symbolic image of a fish of the appropriate size appears on the screen. It should be noted that a set of signals from any floating objects (branches, aquatic vegetation, water bubbles) can be interpreted as a fish. Where the sonar “detects” fish, there may not be any, and vice versa. Only the experience of a fisherman and an understanding of the basic laws of the underwater world can help here. And the echo sounder is only a fishing assistant.
7. FichReveal – the mode selects from all signals only the one that identifies fish, using a “gray scale”. This means that weaker signals are indicated in white, and strong signals in black. There are about a dozen shades of gray in the gradation. When setting up the device, it is strongly recommended to disable the automation and adjust the sensitivity to the maximum.
8. GREENLINE – “gray stripe”. This setting allows you to distinguish weak signals from more intense ones. Thus, it is possible to distinguish a rocky bottom from a muddy one, which gives a blurred, indistinct outline of the bottom profile; a hard bottom looks like a clear, wide line.

Types of echo sounders based on beam indicators

Single beam. Sonars that emit a single search beam. They work to a depth of 30 - 32 meters, the beam expansion angle is 24 degrees in most models. Some models are equipped with emitters up to 90 o.

Double beam. These echo sounders have a coverage angle of about 60° from the axis of the first (narrow) beam. Fish that fall within the range of the narrow beam are displayed on the screen with light icons, and those located in the second beam – with dark icons. The survey depth can be up to 70 meters.

Multibeam. Devices can have a coverage angle of up to 90 o. The middle beam gives a clear picture of the bottom of the reservoir at a depth of up to 35 meters, and the other beams show the picture along the direction of the boat and behind its stern. The presence of fish on the left and right sides of the vessel in motion is clearly displayed.

3D echo sounders. This is a family of sonars equipped with six emitters and capable of providing a three-dimensional image of fish and bottom topography on a special screen by determining the distance to objects. The six-beam scanning system used is unique.

Forward looking echo sounders. These devices are equipped with a side emitter that monitors the situation as the vessel moves. The view increases to an angle of 180°, effectively detecting shallows and other obstacles along the way.

Wireless sonars. The emitter is attached to the fishing line and thrown to the desired location. Communication with the display is carried out wirelessly. Works at a distance of up to 320 meters.

Sonar Usage Options

For successful fishing, it is very important to have an idea of ​​the nature of the bottom profile. It is known that fish feed on slopes and slopes. The angle of approach of the current to the bottom irregularities has an influence. Food substrates, following the current, settle in calmer water behind the ridge, and the fish knows this, and it does not bother the fisherman to know this. And it’s the echo sounder that will help you find the “glue spot”.

1. Using sonars when fishing from the shore

Here we come in handy, which can be cast over a distance using an ordinary fishing rod.

Having examined the bottom topography using sonar and identified theoretically promising places, you can start fishing:

1. We bring bait to the fishing site. Its purpose is to create a food trail along which the fish will come to this place. The main thing you need to remember is that the purpose of bait is not to feed the fish, but to attract it to the fishing spot.
2. An echo sounder will help you determine in what form to apply it; if there is a steep slope in front of us, then you need to apply the bait in “pancakes” and not in round lumps, which is more common.
3. We control the effectiveness of the bait - after a short time it should appear here and, if everything else was done correctly, it will soon manifest itself in active biting.

You just need to note that an echo sounder is not a panacea; it will help you navigate correctly, but will not ensure fishing success. There are too many other factors in this matter that influence the final result.

2. Using sonars when fishing from a boat

First of all, one should note the undoubted benefit of an echo sounder when moving around a body of water, especially an unfamiliar one. It makes it possible not only to study the topography of the bottom to select a promising fishing spot, but also warns about the occurrence of obstacles to movement.

One of the main problems when using it is to find the right place to install it so that the sonar does not interfere with cavitation flows of air bubbles. Therefore, to begin with, it is preferable to build a temporary mount and, through trial and error, find a best place on board the ship.

The usual mounting location is the transom. Otherwise, the use of sonar for fishing pursues the same goals and objectives as when fishing from the shore.

Over 7 years of active fishing, I have found dozens of ways to improve the bite. Here are the most effective ones:

1. Bite activator. This pheromone additive attracts fish most strongly in cold and warm water. Discussion of the bite activator “Hungry Fish”.
2. Promotion gear sensitivity. Read the appropriate manuals for your specific type of gear.
3. Lures based pheromones.

How to set up a fish finder

Just thinking about purchasing a device, the future user wonders how to configure it for maximum efficiency. The sales consultant will give the expected answer - the device is configured in optimal mode and no additional settings are required.

At the same time:

1. When you turn it on for the first time, the optimal settings for the functions of determining the bottom relief and searching for fish are established. Please note that the values ​​are expressed in feet, and the function of determining the type of fish detected is enabled.
2. To make changes to the settings, you need to go to the device menu and make the necessary adjustments. Remember that the amendments made are saved when the device is turned off, which means that the next time you turn it on, they will resume in the form in which they were made. For novice users, the identification mode is most understandable; experienced users prefer to change it, since this mode may not be informative enough.
3. The most frequent changes are usually made to the image settings in order to find out the maximum capabilities of the device. To achieve the result, you can try turning on the multi-screen mode, or increase the viewing of images, “play” in both directions with the sensitivity setting, or change the depth range. The wider the range, the clearer images of the bottom topography will be obtained on the screen.
4. As the sensitivity decreases, the width of the fish-searching beam changes. For detection fishing spots you can reduce the range and it will detect them more accurately. The main thing is not to overdo it, otherwise the device will not see not only small fish, but medium ones.
5. An experienced fisherman uses more sophisticated sonar options with advanced settings. Simply changing the sensitivity is not enough; you need to be able to adjust the search beam and adjust the pattern of the standard sensor accordingly.
6. The main thing is that before you start using it, carefully read the operating instructions and set up the echo sounder correctly, taking into account its design features.

How to read the data on the echo sounder display

The principle of sonar operation has already been discussed above, and it consists in estimating the time it takes a sound beam to travel to an obstacle and the time it takes for the reflected beam to return to the receiver. Thus, the device’s computer creates a bottom profile on the display, determines the density of the soil (hard or silty deposits), distinguishes objects moving in the water column and, in accordance with the program embedded in it, determines their identity, and complex devices even determine the type of fish and display their conventional image.

The vertical column on the left side of the screen displays the depths of underwater objects. In some devices, this information can be obtained by clicking on the corresponding cursor; more advanced ones show the data in the cursor window constantly.

All information about the rules for reading data from the echo sounder screen is described in detail in the instructions; you should read this section especially carefully, since each device has its own characteristics.

Echo sounders for winter fishing

These devices have a number of features related to operating conditions. For such products, special heat-saving housings are used. To provide power in the cold, more capacious batteries are used, often not built-in, but remote in appropriately insulated packaging.

This allows you to use echo sounders for quite a long time at temperatures from -15 o C and below. There are no special features in reading information from the display. By the way, winter sonars do not use liquid crystal screens and use special sensors.

1. An echo sounder can turn fishing into a holiday, making it exciting, exciting and productive. But you need to understand that this device is not a magic wand. It is imperative to know the habits of fish, their typical habitats, and dietary preferences. Then the sonar will become an invaluable assistant.
2. It is necessary to remember that the echo sounder does not show the current picture, but the one that was a few moments ago and coordinate your actions in accordance with this.

This part will touch on the most difficult issues related to echo sounders, and for an easier understanding of what is written, I dare to recommend taking the path “from practice to theory”, and not vice versa, as in the classics. I mean, it's much better if you already have some practical experience using a fish finder. That is, spend a few fishing trips with an echo sounder, and then read the article, which, hopefully, will explain why all these settings are needed and how everything works. After this, you can consciously play with the settings or leave everything as it is with peace of mind.

Therefore, it is better to turn on the echo sounder, ride around and see what it shows. In principle, “from the factory” the settings are already set quite optimally so that it shows a good picture. We just turn it on, drive, watch, and turn it off after fishing. But you can, of course, read the article, take a ride and read it again - of course it will be even better. Just if something is not clear, skip it, you’ll figure it out over time. The purpose of the article is to reduce this time.
So, let's begin.

Frequencies and rays

Frequency in this context is the number of pulses sent by the sensor per second. At the moment, manufacturers of echo sounders most actively use the following frequencies and, as a result, rays:

200 kHz

Here is a diagram of a 50 kHz beam, but the principle is the same when switching to other beams -
200 and 83 kHz, just the angles in degrees will change depending on what frequency and
We chose sensitivity in the menu.

Those. this beam itself is narrow for a clearer depiction of the bottom, but when we increase the sensitivity parameter, it expands and, accordingly, captures more underwater objects, such as fish.

What is it for? It is clear that a wide beam is good for finding fish, but good should also be in moderation. If the beam is too wide, it will collect everything around the boat. A mess of a mass of arcs or fish will appear on the screen, but it will be very difficult to understand where it all is or was. But that is not all. There is one more nuance - if the device scans the bottom with a wide beam, then serious inaccuracies will begin between the readings on the screen and the real bottom topography. Especially when passing along the coastal dump.

For example, if the shore and the drop off from it are, say, on the starboard side, then the right edge of our excessively wide beam will “fall” on the upper edge of the edge, and the left one will “fall” down from the edge. In this case, colossal, sharp changes in depth will be drawn on the screen, which in reality do not exist. We simply walk along the coastal dump as in the upper diagram with rays. At the top of the drop there will be, let’s say, 2-3 meters, and at the bottom, let’s say, 7-8 and the echo sounder processor will be “confused in the readings”, should we show 2 or 5 or 8 meters. That is why Lawrence made such a “smart” beam.

So a narrow beam is more likely to be good if the precise bottom topography is primarily important. Here's another analogy to make it easier to understand why. Imagine that you need to draw some kind of landscape. For this you have a wide, construction brush and a thin pencil. What will be better, clearer and more accurate to draw? Again, I repeat - this is especially true when passing along a sharp coastal edge, when one side of the beam touches its upper part, and the other “falls” down. But it is worth noting that the new frequencies of 455 and 800 kHz and, accordingly, the beams are already arranged according to different principles and, with a significant width, the accuracy of the image of the bottom and bottom structures is simply amazing. But more on that below.

If your echo sounder has a choice between 200, 83 and 50 frequencies, 200 kHz will be the main frequency in the vast majority of cases on your fishing trips. The remaining two will only be auxiliary for special conditions, which will be discussed below. It’s also worth immediately warning that the three mentioned frequencies cannot work simultaneously in the echo sounder. Even if all three are on the menu, only two will work at a time. In this case, when both are turned on, the echo sounder itself will divide the screen into two windows. In one there will be a picture with one frequency, in the other with another. Which frequencies will work for you depends on the sensor and the echo sounder menu settings. A “marine” sensor can create 200 and 50 frequencies, a regular sensor 200 and 83 frequencies. That is, everything depends on the sensor, and not on the “head”.

50 KHz

But I think you are unlikely to need this frequency even for sea fishing at depths of up to 100 meters. It is wider than the classic 200 kHz for a reason. IN in this case the width of the beam will smooth out the distortion of the real depth as a result of pitching. That is, a wider beam will better image the bottom when the ship is pitching at sea. When to turn it on? Then, when the 200 frequency can no longer cope. Does not reach the bottom, and therefore does not display the bottom, due to excessive depth, pitching or speed of movement.

83 kHz

If you really need such a beam in addition to the base 200 kHz, look for a model with the inscription Pro at the end of the name of entry-level models. Or check if it is available on advanced models without the Pro inscription. For example, in the HDS and Elite series.

For new generation echo sounders DSI, HDI and LSS, two new frequencies have been introduced - 455 and 800 kHz.

455 kHz

800 kHz

Now more about the possibilities of the new frequencies (455-800).
Not only is the frequency two to four times higher than the classic, familiar 200 kHz frequency, but also the beam operating at this frequency has a different shape, flat, in the form of a lemon slice in cross-section. That is, if you look at the “spot” from the beam from above, it will be a strongly flattened ellipse, perpendicular to the movement, and not a circle from a cone, like from the light of a flashlight in a classic 2D echo sounder.

"Broadband Sounder" - a form of 200th, 83rd and 50th frequencies.
“SideScan, DownScan” - form of 455th and 800th frequencies.

On the one side, the narrow beam shape reduces the fish catching area when the boat is stationary or you are using an echo sounder on ice in winter. With a beam of 455 or 800 kHz you need to “walk” over the fish, and not at random, sideways, but changing the course as little as possible so that the thin side beams work evenly on the sides of the boat.

On the other side, this technology provides amazing image quality of the underwater landscape and fish as well. It also shows a picture of what is happening right at the bottom (50 cm above and below), which is practically impossible with a classic echo sounder with beam frequencies of 200, 50, 83 kHz.

A screenshot (copy of the screen) of the same place using different technologies - the new 800 kHz and the old 200 kHz.
Moreover, the classic one (below) is equipped with a built-in, the most advanced for 2D echo sounders.

At the bottom behind the dump there is a silver carp weighing approximately 7 to 15 kg. It is clearly visible that a conventional echo sounder, even with Broadband technology, barely separates the fish from the bottom(picture below), while the Downscanner (above) calmly draws that there is still a decent distance to the bottom under the fish. Moreover, there is some kind of foreign object on the dump itself, possibly bottom fish or debris. It is difficult to determine exactly what this is, because bottom fish (pike perch, catfish) by nature try in every possible way to imitate a stick, a stone or something else, but not themselves. On the other hand, a classic echo sounder makes it easier to understand that it is a fish, with a clear arc and color difference.

In this screenshot, on the contrary, a group of silver carp is better visible using DSI technology (picture above) at 455 kHz frequency. Conclusion: sometimes a 2D echo sounder draws fish better, and sometimes a 2D echo sounder doesn’t see it at all, but the scanner sees it perfectly.

And of course, the most the best option Today, for finding fish and studying the bottom structure, it is a comprehensive Lowrance HDS system with an additional Lowrance StructureScan HD unit. Such a system has everything you could want and everything works, while simultaneously giving the complete picture. And a 2D echo sounder with Broadband Sounder technology with frequencies of 200, 50, 83 (depending on the installed sensor) and new technology scanning and even the ability to radiate on the sides of the boat up to 80 meters in each direction. That is, to have a total of up to 160 meters wide coverage strip with rays with image quality comparable to an X-ray or even rather a photograph. An underwater surveillance camera cannot be compared with such a system, because water transparency does not matter to it. By the way, if necessary, the camera can be connected to new HDS - “Tatch 9, 12” which already have a video input. Sometimes a camera is still needed for a detailed examination of an object from a close distance, after it has been found by the Structure Scanner. This is often much more convenient, faster and cheaper than using a diver. After the appropriate settings and some skill in use, the result on the screen will be something like this:

Upper large left upper square- side rays. Zero is the wake of the boat.
At a distance of 20-40 meters on the right side there is a school of silver carp in the form of large dots.
Top right- downscanner at a frequency of 455 kHz. Black blots on the screen are silver carp from the edge of this flock.
Bottom right- they are on a 2D echo sounder with Broadbensaunder.
And finally, at the bottom left is a GPS map on which you can accurately view and mark the location
this flock or found snag.

That is, this is the upper limit of quality and functionality today. And perhaps your first echo sounder will immediately look like this. But, if we return to budget versions, for example, to the very successful, in my opinion, Mark-5x, then the result can be expected like this:

A flock of the same silver carp. The image quality is actually spoiled by a not entirely successful photo
camera, the image is better “live”.

In practice everything is simpler

If something is not clear, don’t be particularly upset, I assure you, over time, after some practice, it will be simply simple and understandable. Just let your eyes pass as you read further, and re-read the same after about 10-15 fishing trips.

But first, it’s worth understanding the basics.

The principle of operation of an echo sounder - as briefly as possible

So, the emitter sensor sends sound clicks (pulses) towards the bottom.

The pulse encounters various objects on its way and finally reaches the bottom and is reflected back up to the emitter sensor, which now receives it back. On the way to the bottom and back, the impulse collected various information: the number, size and density of objects in the water column and, finally, the bottom itself. The head, or rather its processor, processes the information it collects and displays it on the display in the form of a moving, graphic image. Something like a cardiogram of the heart.

And here one very important point should be taken into account: regardless of the speed of your watercraft, from a complete stop to maximum speed, the echo sounder screen will scroll the image at the same programmed speed. And the user has a fair question: “We are standing still, but the picture is moving! How so?” Moreover, if there is a fish or tackle under the boat in the cone of the beam, then a long strip will appear on the screen, and a novice user will get the impression that it is something huge. In fact, the impulse bounces off the same object repeatedly, and the screen is forced to show it constantly.

Now let’s assume that we pass over the same object at a speed of 5 km/h and the impulse will be reflected from our object (fish, snag, grass, net) only a few dozen times. And, most likely, a so-called arc or spot of a certain size will appear on the screen. And if we then pass the object at a speed of 20 - 50 km/h, then the beam will only have time to hit the object a couple of times. And he will be depicted as a very small and short arch. Or maybe it won’t have time to be displayed at all if the object is small and the speed is high. Moreover, in all three cases the screen will scroll at the same speed.

Passing through a school of fish at a very low speed of 1-3 km/h. After hitting a fish, the boat
braked, and the right edge of the jamb stretched even more.

And this is the same fish scanned at a normal speed of 5-7 km/h. The stripes (of the fish) have become shorter
and overall smaller in size.

The general conclusion is this: if in practice it was not possible to pass through an object at the optimal speed, then at least you need to take into account the phenomenon described above, that is, make an adjustment for speed. 2D echo sounders have a “screen scrolling speed” setting. It can be adjusted so that the subjective sensation of the boat moving above the bottom coincides with the screen scrolling speed. There is no scroll speed setting on DSI, LSS and HDI fishfinders. I don’t know how the manufacturer achieved this, but in practice it seems that these echo sounders themselves somehow make corrections for our speed and paint a picture as believable as possible, despite our shortcomings in controlling the boat.

How to use an echo sounder?

By and large, they do not need to be used in the usual sense of the word. The word use would be more appropriate. That is, by and large, it does everything itself, just turn it on and don’t forget to turn it off at the end. It’s just how the manufacturer intended it and all the default settings from the factory are set to auto modes, which work quite normally. Perhaps it’s worth adjusting it for the first time to suit your own or new fishing conditions, and that’s all. Further, you may need some minor correction no more than 1-2 times a year.

If you own an echo sounder-chartplotter, then the “On-Off” rule also works, but it wouldn’t hurt to learn more “advanced” techniques. If you make a comparison, it’s the same as if you bought a TV, connected everything, learned how to turn it on and off, and watched the same program. It is clear that it is advisable to at least learn how to switch channels. This will open up great opportunities! Understanding what it shows is another matter. This will be discussed below.

But still, even with such simplicity, several important, elementary rules must be followed. If the task is to thoroughly and accurately examine the water area for the presence or absence of fish and study the bottom topography, then:

1. Boat speed should be within the range of no less than 4 and no more than 10 km/h. And the best is 5-6 km/h. For ease of visual understanding, this is the speed of a fast human step. Such a seemingly simple task can become complicated under the influence of strong winds or currents. When moving against a significant wind or current, the illusion of sufficient speed will be created due to the good rustling of the water against the sides of the boat. And vice versa, when going with the wind or current, you will want to increase the gas. To correctly solve our problems (high-quality, truthful pictures), the speed of 5-6 km/h should be relative to the bottom, and not the sensations of the water.

   In such situations, the speed indicator on the GPS will be very helpful. This is one of the important arguments in favor of purchasing an echo sounder - chartplotter. In a nutshell the motto is: “Don’t trust your eyes and ears - trust the number on the GPS screen!” In the absence of it, we orient ourselves at least relative to the shore. If there is almost no current, then it is better to orient yourself relative to the water surface, imagining a human step.

2. Try to keep the boat on a level course. A common mistake, both professionals and beginners, is “going headlong” into the screen, not noticing the world around you. And as a result, the boat’s uncontrolled course. And a confused understanding of what is under water. This rule is especially relevant when using new generation echo sounders with scanning technology. For those interested, you can read the article “The Truth about LOWRANCE Mark-5x DSI and Elite-5 DSI” and watch the video there.

   By analogy, correct study of the water area using an echo sounder will be similar to the operation of a combine harvester. Smooth passages in one direction or the other, with steps the width of the beam, without skipping or marking time. If the echo sounder is equipped with GPS, then the correctness of your passages can be tracked on the screen along the remaining track (trace) - another argument in favor of purchasing it. If you don’t have a chartplotter, but just an echo sounder, you can look at the wake. If something appears on the screen, it means that it was left behind the stern a couple of seconds ago (the time of emission and reception of the pulse and its processing is approximately 1.5-3 seconds) and from the trace you can roughly guess where exactly it was. For the latest generation of Lowrance fish finder/chartplotter combinations, you can simply point the cursor directly on the fish finder at the object you found and the built-in GPS will calculate exactly where it was. And it will make it possible to immediately place a waypoint in this place on the “Map” page.

3. For new generation fish finders with the abbreviations DSI, HDI or with the StructureScan unit it is important to avoid diagonal, “oblique” scanning. This is when, under the influence of a strong side wind or current, the boat goes “as if skidding.” That is, the boat's course (course line) does not coincide with the real direction of movement. The boat goes a little sideways, and in this case the picture is slightly distorted. Therefore, the recommendation is simple - in such conditions, scan either against or with the current or wind and as rarely as possible across, exposing the side.

How should we understand it?

Bottom

There is one important feature. There are places where the amount of silt is simply prohibitive and it is very liquid, like semolina porridge. This happens most often where there is a lot of water chestnut (chalima). There, the echo sounder signal may simply disappear, and this does not depend on the brand, type of echo sounder or sensor. There is simply nothing for the signal to reflect from and it simply “goes out” in the deep liquid silt.

What else should you consider? As I already said, the delay in the signal passing from the sensor to the bottom and back to the sensor is approximately 1-2 seconds. That is, the depth figure is what was behind you 1-2 seconds ago. It should be taken into account that at the moment the depth figure is displayed on the screen, the boat may already be driving at full throttle 10-20 meters from the place where the readings were taken. On Lawrence's latest models, combined with GPS and echo sounder, you can easily calculate the location of an object floating across the screen. Simply by pointing the cursor at an object of interest on the echo sounder screen, the carplotter, in turn, will accurately calculate its location and allow you to place a point on the map screen, even if you have gone a considerable distance from this place.

Fish

On new echo sounders with scanning technology - in the form of a blot or dot (depending on the size of the fish) of different shapes.

Above were two screenshots of the echo sounder screen simultaneously depicting the same fish with different beams. All of the above-mentioned echo sounders are capable of displaying fish the size of a little finger on the screen.

How do you know what kind of fish it is? The experience of using and understanding comes something like this. You found something with your echo sounder, perhaps a fish or a piece of snags or a bush of grass. Next we try to find out what kind of fish it is, that is, catch it or find out from other fishermen what they are catching. Thus, if this succeeds, you now understand that this is how such and such a fish is depicted. If you pull out a bunch of grass, then it is clear that this is how grass is depicted, and not snags.

There is also a mode for recognizing fish and displaying it with fish symbols - “Fish ID”. In principle, it is considered unprofessional to enable this mode. And until recently, it was believed that this was a marketing ploy to prevent novice users from asking difficult-to-explain questions: “Where is the fish?” But still, technology is improving, and in some cases it would be nice to include this function. For example, in the mentioned case of vertical fishing for small fish (mackerel, for example) or from the ice. Moreover, it is good to even turn on the sound signal for detecting fish. In such a simple mode of use from the point of view of advanced users (with fish symbols and sound signals), it turns out that it is very convenient to fish vertically for schooling pelagic (those in the water column) fish, without being distracted by looking at the screen. When we hear a beep, the fish is below us. If the signal disappears, the jamb has moved and you need to look for it again.

There are several cases when the fish cannot be detected by anything. For example, when almost all the fish (most often in summer) “walk along the tops,” that is, 1-3 meters from the surface. She just runs to the sides in front of the boat. I think the next step in the development of fish-finding systems could be search, in such cases, by echo sounder from the air using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). At least they can find submarines even from space.

Driftwood, algae

It is also 200 kHz frequency on the Mark-5X

It's generally good for underwater hunters. They can just dive in and see what's really there.

Tinctures

For other settings, the recommendations are as follows:
To begin with, most often everything is already set up quite normally from the factory. Perhaps you can do some easy tuning. In 2D echo sounders, increase the “pulse generation frequency” to the maximum, and slightly increase the “screen scrolling speed”. The rest that is not clear should be set to “Auto” or as set from the factory.

For scanners and DSI, reduce the contrast to 40%, select a black and white palette for the bottom beam and light brown for the side beams. In the vast majority of cases, the frequency for DSI is most often 800, for LSS scanners it is 455. Everything else is set to “Auto”.

More frequently asked questions:

Does a fish finder scare fish?

I once asked a question to one experienced “quack fisherman”: does the echo sounder scare the catfish when it rises to the quok? To which he answered me. “I don’t care whether it’s scary or not, just watching his approach on the screen is so exciting and exciting that even the thought of turning it off doesn’t even cross my mind.”

And yet, listening to different stories and comparing my experiences, I’ll say that it’s most likely not scary and there’s really no point in turning it off, unless it’s to save the battery.

What happens if you “shine” the sensor away from the boat. Is it possible to “spot” fish?

For preparing the material, we would like to express our gratitude to the specialist in installation and configuration of marine navigation equipment, Orlov Yuri, +380674068897

When reprinting, a link to the article is required.

Jig fishing in large standing or slow-flowing water is one of the most difficult from a tactical point of view. Even experienced spinning anglers find it difficult to navigate a large body of water and choose the right tactics for searching and catching a predator.

Fishing depth

So, you find yourself in a boat on a vast reservoir, what should you do?

First of all, you need to decide which depths to pay attention to in a given season and at a given time of day. Answering this most important question is not at all easy. I remember the MSL stage, which took place in the fall of 2002 on Mologa below Vesyegonsk, where it was a flooded channel with depths of up to 14 m and 3-4-meter irrigation around. The stage was carried out with a limit of no more than 5 tails of each type of fish, so catching perch could not give results; it was necessary to catch pike and pike perch.

The water level that autumn was at a record low, but there was enough water during irrigation for pike to come out to them and to the upper part of the edge. But in the first round, few pikes were caught and it was difficult to build a specific system, since bites occurred in different places, including on the lower edge of the edge. Those who paid attention to the last circumstance adjusted their fishing strategy in the second round and brought a complete set to the finish line - 5 tails of each species. Using heavy jig baits, about 30 g, they caught pike and zander at the bottom of the Mologa riverbed, at depths of about 13 m.

Typically, pike occupy depths from 2 to 7 m. Pike perch, as a rule, hunts deeper - from 3 to 12 m, although quite often these predators are caught from one point. The seasonal dependence is as follows: the higher the water temperature, the smaller the predator comes out to feed after the fry. Let's trace it using the example of the Ivankovo ​​Reservoir.

The opening of the spinning season in the Moscow region (early June) usually coincides with the end of the spawning season for pike perch. The water temperature at this time is on average 13-15 degrees and schools of pike perch have not yet fully recovered from spawning - fanged ones are often seen in breeding plumage, painted like “stokers”. At this time, the most productive fishing depths are 6-7 m, which are adjacent to the vast coastal shallows, where pike perch apparently spawn. The border where the 6-7 meter watering ends in a hole with a depth of 13-15 m - post-spawning bite occurs in such places. This time is favorable for fishing; large pike perch are often caught. Active biting in such places occurs both in the late morning and at lunchtime, when the water is slightly warmed by the sun. Even if the morning did not bring the desired trophies, you should actively continue the search during the day.

In mid-summer, when the water warms up to 20 degrees and above, shallow-water mounds and spits with depths at the top of 3-5 m and a characteristic size of about 10 m become more productive places for fishing. On one side, a deep hole (more than 10 m), on the other hand, there can be even watering with a depth a couple of meters deeper than on the hillock. In such places, the bite is morning and evening, but it also happens that a predator comes out during the day.

Deeper mounds, 5-7 m at the top, located in the middle of the pit, also deserve attention, but they do not always work and not all of them. As a rule, there are many such hills among a large hole, and it is impossible to determine from the image on the echo sounder how promising a given place is. You just need to catch them to understand which ones are attractive to fish and which ones are not. Fish often come out to such mounds for a short time, for example, at dawn, and then you can catch enough in half an hour.

In autumn, as the water gets colder, the pike perch gradually sinks deeper and deeper. First, the summer mounds stop working, and the fish reach depths of 6-7 meters. And in late autumn, the main depth for fishing reaches 8-12 m. At this time, you should focus your search on deep relief located in the middle of the holes, with the maximum depth for a given place. The working terrain, as a rule, consists of narrow, steep hillocks rising 3-5 m relative to the bottom of the pit. In the fall, you can get a good bite at any time of the day, even if in the morning there was zero activity of pike perch at the point; at noon or after lunch you can get a zhor there.

Macro and micro relief

The next question facing the underwater relief researcher is which edges and depth differences are considered good, and which ones can be ignored. I believe that it is the steep changes in depth that you need to pay attention to first.

At many reservoirs, and in particular at Ivankovsky, where my friends and I fish most often, work is constantly underway to extract soil, as a result of which many holes and mounds of unpredictable shapes are formed. Fish really like this kind of landscape, but it is distributed there very unevenly, as, indeed, happens in places with natural relief. If you master fishing on artificial terrain, it will not be difficult for a spinning angler to identify fish sites in any natural body of water where the bottom structure is simpler. Let's try to figure out what places to look for pike perch.

In my experience, the first place in the ranking of reliefs should be given to spits protruding from untouched watering into a dug hole. The width of the spit is usually several meters, the depth at the top is from 3 to 7 meters, the edges are steep with differences of 5 meters or more. The end of the spit, as a rule, is the most productive place, but fish can be caught in other places - in connection with the breaks of the edges, snags that often remain on the spits, or any other microrelief. The spit can be about hundreds of meters long, and usually there are several catchable points along this segment.

In Fig. Figure 1 shows one of the real man-made spits of the Ivankovo ​​Reservoir, where we caught a lot of pike perch. During the period of active biting, when a school of pike perch feeds on the spit, bites occur on top edge eyebrows and in front of it. But even if there is no active school in the area of ​​the spit, you can almost always catch fish there. At such moments, you need to pay attention to the lower part of the edge and the relief, which is located next to the edge at depth.

Of the many hummocks that are easy to detect with an echo sounder, not all will be productive. The most interesting are the mounds adjacent to massive changes in relief, located near the exit from the irrigation pit. Pay attention to formations that are about 10 m in size, with steep slopes, sharp peaks or unevenness at the top. The bump should be hard, “rough”, this is usually visible on an echo sounder, and it is immediately detected during wiring.

The kilometers of edges that surround the dug holes always attract predatory and peaceful fish. You can simply move the boat along the drop-off and systematically fish the edge using the “square-cluster” method. In this case, one should take into account the location of the edge of relatively large bays, extensive shallow waters, shores, i.e., the supposed migration routes of fish, and, of course, depth. But usually such tactics are ineffective; it is better to use an echo sounder to look for relief features on the upper edge of the edge, or on the drop itself, to which the fish are attached.

There are catchable points on the edges where pike perch stand and are caught from the same depth, regardless of the time of year. This is due to the attractive microrelief of this point for him. Such a point, for example, exists at the mouth of the Fedorovsky Bay of the Ivankovsky Reservoir; we discovered it during training before the Russian Championship 2002. The echo sounder showed a broken ledge at the bottom of the edge at 10 m, next to which there were silhouettes of large fish. Literally immediately caught from this point good pike perch and, having had two more bites, they left the point alone. The protrusion was clearly felt when guiding, like something very hard, possibly a large stone, or, most likely, a sunken boat. This point brought me five pike perch in two rounds of the Czech Republic, the largest of which weighed more than 2 kg, which actually determined my final second place in the personal competition. At the same time, other athletes trying to fish on this edge in other places did not catch any fish. Subsequently, we successfully fished from this place many times, at very different times.

In almost all catchable places where we catch pike perch on the Ivankovsky Reservoir, the bottom is littered. More often these are stumps and stones, sometimes entire trees, or strange formations, most likely of anthropogenic origin. I call all this microrelief and I consider its presence on the bottom to be very important, even a necessary condition for successful fishing.

Places where the depth sharply decreases by 0.5-1.5 m before the dump are very catchy, i.e. when moving from irrigation to the edge there is a narrow ridge. Such formations are quite common and are also usually associated with excavation. It is very convenient for predators to set up ambushes around them.

Separately, it is necessary to highlight the places where large specimens are caught. Catching a trophy pike perch is the dream of every jig fisherman, but this requires a special approach. In my experience, large pike perch are almost never caught in shallow water, where 1-2 kg pike perch come out to feed. Good, but not great deep place, you can catch a lot of medium-sized fanged ones, but never get a bite from the trophy. Trophy pike perch lives in strong places near maximum depths. These are deep mounds and ridges; there must be snags or other microrelief there, among which pike perch live. The fishing depth in such places can exceed 10 m even on the hottest summer days (we are talking about large reservoirs where a stable thermocline does not form due to wind and small currents).

The opinion of Gennady Polyushkevich, winner of the “Best Trophy CD rods 2007” competition with a pike perch weighing 11 kg, deserves special attention: “When searching for pike perch, I look for a hard bottom, shell rock, stumps, lumpy terrain, with large differences in depth. I love steep hills with a transition from 6 to 13-15 m. As a rule, these places always pay off, the most important thing is to get to the point correctly. You can stand on one hillock from different sides, but it is not a fact that you will present the bait to the predator the way he wants it. I believe that choosing a place and correctly positioning a point is the main thing for successful fishing for pike perch. I use an echo sounder to study the bottom; the presence of fish is secondary for me.”

Navigator, echo sounder and underwater cartography

Just a decade and a half ago, all that jigoviks used to find places was a depth gauge on a marked cord and orientation along the lines. It’s funny, or rather sad, to remember that even at the mentioned Russian championship six years ago, where echo sounders and navigators were prohibited by the rules, the athletes had to remember these navigation methods. Now it’s impossible for me to imagine how you can catch a predator on the terrain without a GPS navigator and echo sounder. Obviously, the better you understand the surrounding underwater terrain and your location, the more effective the fishing will be.

Our team has two main sets of electronics: a Garmin 160 echo sounder in conjunction with a portable GPSMAP 60 C navigator and a stationary chartplotter combined with a GPSMAP 178 C echo sounder. All devices are Garmin, but this is not due to the fact that they are superior in any way operating parameters of other manufacturers. The reason is that three years ago we set out to make maps of the underwater relief of our fishing spots, and such that they can be seen on the navigator screen and used during fishing for optimal positioning of the boat. It turned out that the only map format for GPS receivers in which you can create your own maps for loading into a navigator is the Garmin IMG format. I would like to say a special thank you to the Russian and Polish programmers who made this possible. An alternative option could be to use a pocket or laptop computer with a GPS module, but problems with the waterproofness of PDAs and laptops and processing information from the echo sounder predetermined our choice in favor of Garmin devices.

When the boat moves, the navigator records its coordinates in the track, and if an echo sounder is attached to the GPS receiver, then the depth will be recorded in the track along with the coordinates. Not every GPS navigator is capable of recording depth values ​​in a track, even if its description indicates the ability to receive the NMEA* protocol. We spent a long time with Garmin's Legend, trying in vain to find a depth record in its track. However, while the legend is capable of receiving NMEA data, it simply does not have an area in its memory where depth is recorded. Among Garmin navigators, devices of the 60th and 76th series are suitable. Also, not every echo sounder has a data transmission function; for this, the menu must have the “NMEA output” option. Typically, the cheapest series of fish finders do not do this.

To initially study the underwater terrain, you need to travel around the reservoir, as if scanning the water area on parallel tacks. The more complex the terrain, the more often you will have to tack. If a promising terrain is found, then you need to ride more closely on it. The accuracy of modern GPS receivers on water is about 3 m, i.e. it is possible to make a map showing relief details with a characteristic size of 3-5 m. Further, during fishing, useful data is also collected and added to the general database. As a result, records of the vessel's movement tracks are accumulated in the form of coordinates of points passed and their depth. Of course, collecting a sufficient number of points and making a good detailed map is only possible if you regularly fish in a given body of water or in a given place.

The data from the navigator's track is downloaded to the computer, and then a rather labor-intensive processing process follows, the description of which goes beyond the format of a fishing magazine. Let me just say that the data is sequentially processed using six different programs before it is returned back to the navigator in the form of a depth map. It's difficult, but the game is worth the candle. If the underwater relief of a reservoir is complex, then understanding it without such a map is problematic. Analysis of the map will help predict new catching areas. So, at the beginning of work on underwater maps, we scanned a new section of the Moscow Sea and built a map of it. At home, I identified for myself a previously unknown small spit with a 5-meter depth, which was surrounded by a 10-12-meter deep dug hole. On the next fishing trip, the fish had to be literally tortured - spring was late, the spawning of the pike perch was delayed, and there was no active post-spawning bite, which is typical for the beginning of the season. Therefore, the capture of this pike perch was memorable, but the main thing is that it was caught on this “virtual” spit. We simply anchored the boat as the map instructed, and I cast out to where, judging by the map, this spit should have been. And the spit was there, and the pike perch was right there.

In fact, if you are navigating using a depth map, you can leave the echo sounder at home as a depth gauge! But remember that you can also use it to search for fish. Although the basic rule for using an echo sounder is “don’t look for fish, but look for a place,” promising places have already been identified on the map. Now, if a predator is found in a “combat” position on a promising terrain, then the chances of successful catching increase many times over. In addition, the type of potential prey mobilizes the angler, and concentration when fishing with a spinning rod is very important. It is clear that not a single echo sounder will distinguish a pike perch from a bream; in any case, it will show the silhouette of a fish or an arc when digital signal processing is turned off. But by indirect signs, a fisherman can with a high probability distinguish predators.

As a rule, a predatory fish stands close to the edge or is tied to some irregularities on the bottom, which can be snags, stones, etc. Then a decent-sized pike perch or pike will be depicted on the screen with the largest symbol or a large arc, and other fish - smaller ones. An important factor for the search is the presence of forage fish, which are most often found in the middle layers of water. Sometimes it happens to observe very dense concentrations of forage fish, which even the echo sounder beam cannot penetrate. Of course, fishing is not always successful even when a fish is found on the edge, but, as a rule, the presence of fish in the echo sounder screen is a good prerequisite for a bite. In recent seasons, we rarely stop at a point if the echo sounder does not show fish.

In addition to fish, an echo sounder will help you find everything that I called microrelief: individual snags at high speed look like small sharp peaks, at lower speeds they take on wider outlines; In places with a hard bottom and shell rock, the so-called function of the device will help determine. “white line” - a stripe on the bottom, the width of which depends on the density of the bottom; small irregularities in the bottom, bumps, drops - all the indispensable attributes of a good place.

Of course, it is not at all necessary to have detailed depth maps; most anglers do without them, and their catches practically do not suffer from this. But without an echo sounder and navigator, fishing along the terrain is not only ineffective, but also of little interest.

If you are just starting to explore a new area of ​​the reservoir, then I advise you to stock up on several buoys, with a supply of cord slightly larger than the expected depth of their installation. When passing through an edge or an interesting hump, throw the buoy overboard - this will greatly help you navigate the next tacks of the boat. Having installed 3-4 buoys, you will immediately imagine the direction and shape of the edge, the position of the hump, etc. Be sure to keep in mind that the echo sounder displays the relief with some delay, so the buoy must be thrown back. You can also navigate using the navigator screen, but, as practice shows, buoys are more visual and allow you to more accurately position the boat in a new interesting place. Buoys that are easy to make and clearly visible on the water are made from plastic bottles with a capacity of 0.5-1 liters. If the place is determined correctly, i.e., the relief on the line is good or a fish is caught, you enter this point into the navigator. Further, as they say, it’s a matter of technology, and this will be discussed in the next part of the article.