Understanding Your Sonar when Trolling

Kokanee Fishing Forums

Help Support Kokanee Fishing Forums:

Fish finders are notorius for giving whacky readings if they are getting 100% required voltage. My buddy just went through a very similiar situation as you are describing and it turned out to be a bad point at the inside of his inline fuse. If you took a reading at the power coming into the back of the unit, you should get something between 12.5 - 13v. If you are getting something less, I'd know it was electrical. If you have proper power, you could investigate the transducer.
 
SuperD said:
Fish finders are notorius for giving whacky readings if they are getting 100% required voltage. My buddy just went through a very similiar situation as you are describing and it turned out to be a bad point at the inside of his inline fuse. If you took a reading at the power coming into the back of the unit, you should get something between 12.5 - 13v. If you are getting something less, I'd know it was electrical. If you have proper power, you could investigate the transducer.
Click to expand...

Great, thank you. I will test that out.
 
redmanjr1 said:
3RivrFishr, good post. Curious about your pics. Is that Dworshak I'm looking at? If so, how's the fishing? It's been 4 years since I've been up that way for fishing.

Thanks,
Bob
Click to expand...

The pic on the left is Dworshak. Fishing at Dworshak is average. The kokes are pretty small. Biggest I've caught this year is 12 1/2" but all are fat for their length. IDF&G started feeding the lake last year with somehting to get phytoplankton growing which feeds the zooplankton which feeds the kokanee which feeds the bass and the 'bows. A guide freind of mine caught a 22" bow up there on easter while casting cranks for smallies. I think in a couple years it will be cycled and there will be some 16'" kokes.

The pic on the right with the foggy windows was on the Clearwater in November--mustve been '07.
 
Excellent thread

I picked up a Lowrance LCX27C 50/200 a few months back and love it. So this information is very good. I have lost bottom a few times (Stampede) so this makes sense as I have the Ping set high. I will give it a try on lowering it.

I was not aware that the 200hz had a smaller cone angle (of all the research I did). I have been experimenting with the 50 hz and it seems to work Ok in deeper water (80’+)

I was told to get a regular 200hz and have the best of all worlds.

I have some questions:

1. What transducer options are there for this unit besides the regular 200hz.

2. I have small finned 8lb DR balls (painted black) and the line on the screen is huge, to big, depending on depth. I was told that if I got pancake weights that this would reduces the size in the screen. Sometimes it shows up in a 10 foot range.

See image

Any help would be appreciated worthy12

Thanks

Z
 

Attachments

  • Stampede 5-27-09 limits 019.jpg
    Stampede 5-27-09 limits 019.jpg
    54.3 KB
zhands said:
Excellent thread

I picked up a Lowrance LCX27C 50/200 a few months back and love it. So this information is very good. I have lost bottom a few times (Stampede) so this makes sense as I have the Ping set high. I will give it a try on lowering it.

I was not aware that the 200hz had a smaller cone angle (of all the research I did). I have been experimenting with the 50 hz and it seems to work Ok in deeper water (80’+)

I was told to get a regular 200hz and have the best of all worlds.

I have some questions:

1. What transducer options are there for this unit besides the regular 200hz.

2. I have small finned 8lb DR balls (painted black) and the line on the screen is huge, to big, depending on depth. I was told that if I got pancake weights that this would reduces the size in the screen. Sometimes it shows up in a 10 foot range.

See image

Any help would be appreciated worthy12

Thanks

Z
Click to expand...

Make sure your unit has the latest software on your Lowrance. Even if it is new check it as you don't know how long it may have been on the shelf. Mine was having a problem of not finding bottom once in a while, going to 0 ft and it wasn't a structure issue. It has been a ton more stable since the software update. I have the 26CHD unit.

Pancakes in the picture is a problem and to remedy that you can set your transducer a notch forward and it will generally reduce the lines in your screen. The downside is if you have short setbacks you may not see the fish following your lures. Stick / Rebar weights have very minimal profile so that is another option.

In your picture are you running all your weights at the same depth or is that just one weight that has spanned across 60 to 65 feet? Also try reducing your sensitivity and it will reduce the feedback a bit too.

Kevin
 
HiTechKoke said:
Make sure your unit has the latest software on your Lowrance. Even if it is new check it as you don't know how long it may have been on the shelf. Mine was having a problem of not finding bottom once in a while, going to 0 ft and it wasn't a structure issue. It has been a ton more stable since the software update. I have the 26CHD unit.

Pancakes in the picture is a problem and to remedy that you can set your transducer a notch forward and it will generally reduce the lines in your screen. The downside is if you have short setbacks you may not see the fish following your lures. Stick / Rebar weights have very minimal profile so that is another option.

In your picture are you running all your weights at the same depth or is that just one weight that has spanned across 60 to 65 feet? Also try reducing your sensitivity and it will reduce the feedback a bit too.

Kevin
Click to expand...

I might have been running them together in that picture but in general the deeper ball sometimes shows up with that wide span on the screen.

Are you saying that pancake weights would be worse?

I was told by a friend that pancake weights might solve the problem but then I've read that they are not great for tight turns. When I fish I'm am usually doing that. I was also reading that the fish/shark shaped weights are good for tight turns and might have less of a return in the water.

I do have a black box so I do run short setbacks.

I will look into the software update and play with the sensitivity.


Thanks


Z
 
The pancakes should show less than a standard round ball but more than a rebar weight. As for turning I have no issues with the pancakes and I do some pretty severe turning at times to change up the pace or to keep on a school. In combo with the trails on the GPS zoomed in you can make those circles with more precision.
 
For those of you who have the lowrance f/f you may have to do a soft or hard reset. Go to lowrance.com/support it will tell you how to do the reset. I had to do this on the lowrance I use to have at least 2 times a yr. The tech guy I talked to said it may be caused from low voltage trying to start engine with the f/f on. The reset always worked to get it working great again. Copy it down and keep it on the boat for a quick fix.
 
dunnigan jim said:
For those of you who have the lowrance f/f you may have to do a soft or hard reset. Go to lowrance.com/support it will tell you how to do the reset. I had to do this on the lowrance I use to have at least 2 times a yr. The tech guy I talked to said it may be caused from low voltage trying to start engine with the f/f on. The reset always worked to get it working great again. Copy it down and keep it on the boat for a quick fix.
Click to expand...

Jim,

I have tried the hard reset several times and it does nothing to solve the problem. I also have brand new marine deep cycle batteries on my boat and the accessory battery that the f/f is hooked to charges off my trolling motor. Can't understand how it wouldn't have enough voltage. I usually start the big motor, launch and then hook my f/f up and turn it on afterwards. I do start the troller after the f/f is on but again, it should be plenty charged. I still have to set all my manual settings just to get it to read a weak bottom. I have email Lowrance tech support to ask them for advise or an RMA over two weeks ago and have yet to get anything back from them. Apparently they are helping all the other customers with problems ahead of me.:mad:
 
20 degree 1/3 rule

To keep things simple on my boat with a standard 20 degree transducer I use 1/3 the depth as the diameter of the transducer coverage. As an example at 15' depth the transducer diameter is 5', at 60' depth the diameter is 20'. If you do all the math for 20 degree transducer the transducer diameter is slightly more than 1/3, but only slightly. The chart that was provided shows the actual diameter and you can see how the 1/3 the depth formula gets you very close and makes it easier out on the water.

niteskies thumbsup
 
CODE4 You might be getting a power drain when you first start the kicker, which may effect the f/f . I have a 1000 amp battery to start the motors on the new boat. My old boat would sometimes crank over longer to start and I would get a low voltage window on the f/f. I would turn the unit off then back on worked ok then. I also had a tuff time trying to get LOWRANCE to email me back , had to call them ,, I'm back to Humminbirds gps/ff .. No problem with the last 3 that I have had. As Dave said check the voltage at the power plug when you are cranking the motors over. Good luck
 
SuperD and Jim,
THanks for the information. I haven't had a chance to try the voltage in the evenings after work because it has been raining so much here in the evenings all week. I will probably try next week after the derby as we are using my buddies new boat this week.
 
Zhands, Just thinking out loud here but after seeing your screenshot I'm wondering if 4x zoom is too much. Too you get the same wide band with no zoom. Here is a screenshot of my sonar while running DR's without any zoom:
 

Attachments

  • DRscreenshot.jpg
    DRscreenshot.jpg
    39.5 KB
Last edited:
zhands said:
Excellent thread



2. I have small finned 8lb DR balls (painted black) and the line on the screen is huge, to big, depending on depth. I was told that if I got pancake weights that this would reduces the size in the screen. Sometimes it shows up in a 10 foot range.

See image

Any help would be appreciated worthy12

Thanks

Z
Click to expand...

I had this same problem on my Lowrane x136. Did a soft reset this morning and it cleared it right up. I am using a 8lbs pancake.
 
Thanks for the ideas Guys. I'll give those ideas a shot. As far as the close up, I don't think that is it because it stays the same depth range.


Z thumbsup
 

Latest posts

Back
Top