Sonar Advantages
Having a good sonar unit can turn a bad day fishing into a magical outing. Here are some basics on sonar and why you need one.
I personally use a Lowrance X15 split screen GPS and sonar, it has really given me a more defined approach to fishing every time I hit the water. I can rely on it to help me find areas that I otherwise would never know about. I am still in the learning process of how to fully read what I am seeing but just being able to see depth changes can make a huge difference in my decisions. I primarily fish in central Florida so deep water is usually not an option. You have to be able to determine subtle depth changes as well. Sometimes a 18 to 25 inch depth change is all you need to locate fish.
If you are in the market for a sonar unit make sure you look for these features. Your screen clarity is extremely important, you do not want alot of clutter that you have to spend time deciphering. A good 240 pixel unit is normally all you will need. This will give you a very high quality display. You will want unit that has good detail for showing individual fish signatures. Fish are detected by their entire skeletal structure, their swim bladder and their overall mass. Black and white units will have many different shades of gray to show different signal strengths depending on your individual settings on your unit. Many new models are color which is easier to see details thus making it easier to determine what you are seeing on the screen. The past problems with these color units was the sun affecting the ability to read the screen. This has been remedied by the introduction of LCD screen covers.
I quickly learned that looking for fish on your sonar is not always the best approach. I like to travel the lake I am on and watch my graph to show me key areas such as ledges, creek channels, grasslines and hard to soft bottoms. This gives me a place to start, and I determine the time of year I am fishing and the conditions to start putting together a plan of attack.
If you are able to be a bit picky on your sonar selection I would recommend a sonar/GPS combo. This gives you the best of both worlds and makes things easier when trying to determine a specific area to fish. The ability to view a map of the lake you are on and see the depth and contour changes is amazing and can be a huge benefit. My Lowrance gives me the ability to choose certain areas to fish without ever casting a line. I look at the map and compare it with the sonar to locate potential hotspots and am able to save precious time when on the water.
If you have not yet invested in a good sonar unit you need to really consider doing so. Save a few bucks here and there and before you know it you will be on your way to finding areas you only dreamed about!
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