Well by this weekend I will have my sonar up and running, plus a topo map of lake Waco.  I have managed to catch a few decent fish lately just fishing along the shorelines, but nothing consistant.  So I am asking for a little advice on what to look for with the sonar?  What to look for on the map?  I have not used either one in the past, all my fishing has just been "that looks like a good spot" fishing.  Now with these couple tools to help me, I really want to learn to use them effectively.  I want to learn how to fish a point or a ledge or a channel.  So any advice anyone can give me is much appreciated.  

Thanks   ;D

Cliff

Look for spots that drop from, let's say 7' to 20', then throw out marker bouys and find the length and width of the drop off. Also if you have a topo look at creek channels, like where 2 creeks join together. Just try to find humps,ridges, and drop offs.

Go to the places you have caught fish and see what is there, if you find anything in particular then look for that in other areas.  I always like starting out in the spring where i know the fish are spawning then from there its not hard to follow them.  That kind of goes the same way starting now, if you can find fish, they aren't that hard to follow, most of the time.

I live in Fort Worth....lets go fishing. I'm no expert, but I can show you the basics. You need to use a topo map first, to narrow down several spots, and then your 'finder will narrow down the spots you selected on the map.  It would take a year to graph the whole lake!  However, if you know a productive creek, we can scan around and find the sweet spot.  

Read in the articles about what type of structure and cover to look for.  There's some great reading in the articles section, and even a few articles about how to use and read your fish finder.

I live in Fort Worth....lets go fishing. I'm no expert, but I can show you the basics. You need to use a topo map first, to narrow down several spots, and then your 'finder will narrow down the spots you selected on the map. It would take a year to graph the whole lake! However, if you know a productive creek, we can scan around and find the sweet spot.

tell me whan and i will be there!   ;D

thanks for all the info guys, hopefully i can figure this stuff out and catch fish more cinsistantly.

Cliff

I have been doing some reading on the articles page and also the manual for my unit.  I think I have a pretty good idea on the setting and such.  However I do have one question.  I have used this unit once before the transducer died.  I was using the the setting with the little fish symbols.  It seems that the setting with the arches is preferable.  When I played with it a bit I tried this setting and the whole screen was black.  Is this a sensitivity issue?  Am i missing something?  Should I use it in automatic mode or manual?  I want to get using this thing, might have to go tomorrow after work, don't know if I can wait for the weekend!

thanks

Cliff

reading is good(needed), if its a lowrance unit, i would download the emulator, lets you "use" it on your 'puter to become more familiar with the settings, BUT, time on the water was the only way for me to get better at interpetation

Bruce Sampson DVD's are worth having and Don Iovino's book.

http://www.iovino.com/donbook.htm

Don is one of the best sonar bass fisherman around.

Fishing off shore structure is similar to bank fishing, except you can't see what you are fishing without the aid of the sonar.

The terrain underwater isn't different from the terrain above water; look around for ravines, creek channels, ridges, islands above the water near where you plan to fish. A long point is a ridge line above above water that continues out under water. Use your sonar to follow the point out to where it may intersect a river or creek channel. Watch for suspended bait or bass as you meter the point. Arches that are near the bottom or within a few feet are usually active feeding fish of some type. Brush, trees, weeds, rocks, hard bottom, soft bottom are all easy to "see" with a good sonar unit.

Keep in mind that your viewing areas is smaller than you think;, about 1/3rd the depth of water you are metering. Good luck.

WRB

Thank you Paul,

Very good reading. I have learned alot off the first site.

Dugald (Woodlander/LTbama) has done us all an enormous service with his experiments and sharing that knowledge. Newbs at sonar are not the only people reading; he's had the ear of a engineers from Lowrance and HB too.

I have been doing some reading on the articles page and also the manual for my unit. I think I have a pretty good idea on the setting and such. However I do have one question. I have used this unit once before the transducer died. I was using the the setting with the little fish symbols. It seems that the setting with the arches is preferable. When I played with it a bit I tried this setting and the whole screen was black. Is this a sensitivity issue? Am i missing something? Should I use it in automatic mode or manual? I want to get using this thing, might have to go tomorrow after work, don't know if I can wait for the weekend!

thanks

Cliff

Default your unit back to the factory settings, use the automatic mode until you are familiar with the unit and turn off the fish ID feature.

What unit do you have?

WRB

Thanks for the info guys, I have a Lowrance x24, nothing special.  I just got off the lake, didn't have a bite.  But I got familiar with the unit.  It seems to work pretty good, but I think I need to be fishing the other side of the lake.  I don't actually have the map yet, supposed to get it tomorrow.  I will let you know how I end up.

thanks again

Cliff

Hit the lake this morning and put into a creek that runs into the main lake.  I fished the flooded timber early in about 6-8 feet of water, nothing.  Then I located the creek channel, 16-18 fow, and fished it for a while, nothing.  Then I found a point that ran into the creek channel and I fished that for a while, nothing.  Then I found a drop off at the mouth of the creek and fished that for a while, nothing.  There were three other boats in the area, two fishing the flooded timber and catching fish and another on the creek channel and they caught a big old fat one.  I fished c-rigs, t-rigs, jigs, cranks, spinnerbaits, and some weightless stuff, nothing, not one single bite.  I fished until about 10:30 then came home, now after I finish this cold beer I am gonna take a nap.  Maybe tomorrow I will try again, I can usually wrastle up a dink or two, but a big ol skunk for today.

Cliff

P.S. The map I got isn't much help, it shows the old lake level and there is no contour lines or anything.  Apparently a fishing map, like the "Hook-N-Line" maps DOES NOT EXIST for Lake Waco.  

Well, that's a start. The areas you mention are ballpark. Now you gotta find the bases.

Not surprising about the map. A good map will show you the ballpark. Sounds like you have a map of the stadium!

Yeah I have also been using google earth, that is very helpful too, especially since the map shows the old lake.  I talked with the guy who gave me the map this evening, he had a great day! lots of fish and good ones too, but he said they were all very shallow, right up in the nasty flooded junk, guess thats where I should have been.  Gonna give it another go in the AM, I will let y'all know how I do.

thanks

Cliff