How can you tell what it is when you're reading the graph? I still haven't mastered the art of reading my fish finder. I guess i'm going to have to get my hands on a tutorial of some sort.

i guess it depends on the Sonar/Finder. i have now a Wide 100 its basic, just shows me the way the bottom looks like, ups and downs or just Flat, not anything else.

i had a LCX-16 CI, NOW that thing would outline a tree laying on its side, and all other debris.

so, it depends on the quality and brand. to me.

As was stated before about depending on the quality and mfg of the graph. One way you can learn what is showing on your graph as far as bottom composistioin, is to throw a carolina rig. You will be able to feel rocks, mud, weeds, submerged laydowns, and most importantly fish. A deep running crankbait will also do the same thing as well. You can feel what your depth finder is showing, and that is a big help when trying to fish structure.

Hope this helps.

Fishinfool,

I'm having the same problem, I have Lowrance Electronics on my boat so I went to their website.

They have an awsome tutorial showing how to use your depth finder and interpret what it is you're seeing.

If yours isn't lowrance check and see if the brand you have has a web site tutorial.

Good luck!!  

There are a few articles on here with some useful info on them, keep in mind that they are useing some good systems.  I think that you can link at the bottom of this one

http://bassresource.com/fishing/fishing_electronics.html

Or go to the top under articles then fishing equipment tips and scroll down.

In my part of the country we have flood control lakes where the water levels can vary 25 feet between winter (at full drawdown before the spring rains) and levels at prime fishing times.  I will take my boat out in the winter and take photos of the areas I like to fish and when these places are under water, its easy begin seeing what they look like on the graph with the photos in hand.  then when I go to a lake with a constant level, I know what the graph is telling me.

Up until I got my first paper graph in 1983, I did the same with flashers.

Lake photos when the lake is down is also a good way to find cover and other small bottom changes that are normally easily overlooked because they are out of sight out of mind.

I agree about taking pictures of low water conditions on a lake.....I do it myself in the winter down on Kerr Reservoir.Video camera footage helps too.