What are the lines on my fish finder?

Fish Arches If you have an arch fishfinder, then expect to be receiving lines and arches from the transducer. They represent fish as arches more clearly than Fish IDs. So when your fishfinder shows bigger arches, it means it has detected a big fish, while small arch will translate to smaller fish.

Can you see fish on down imaging?

Humminbird Down Imaging uses a razor-thin, high-frequency beam to create picture-like images of structure, vegetation and fish. Down Imaging returns are oriented identically to traditional, down-looking sonar returns—with the most-recent information appearing on the right side of the screen.

Which way does a transducer read?

The general rule of thumb is to mount the transducer to the starboard side, which is the down stroke of most single outboard boat propellers (right hand lower unit). This side produces the least amount of turbulence and is most efficient in delivering the best performance.

What does live bottom look like on sonar?

When you see a hard bottom like gravel, chunk rock or shell beds, that bottom will be thick and yellow. Whereas when you pass over a softer muddier bottom, the bottom will seem more translucent or darker red or blue.

Do you know what you’re looking at with your fish finder?

Reading the side imaging on your fish finder can be really confusing if you don’t know what you’re looking at. And even if you do know what you’re looking at, but you don’t fully understand how your device works, you might wildly misinterpret where structure or a school of fish actually is.

What is a fishfinder and how does it work?

The Fish-ID technology type of fishfinder will help you locate tiny fish icons. You will get to see them in different sizes and lengths. The best part is that you can also view different icons for plants, rocks, and schools of fish.

How do I know the size of the fish I see?

The bigger the arches on a fish finder, the bigger the size of the fish (though keep in mind that the range setting of your fish finder will also affect the size of the arches). With a little practice, you’ll be able to estimate the size of the fish you see on your fish finder screen.

Does Reading side imaging help with reading fish finders?

Although reading side imaging can be a little confusing at first, once you know what you’re looking for it can help tremendously in locating fish and structure. If you want more help with reading fish finders, check out our Fish Finder Mastery course here.