Technology at the service of fishing
Fishfinders are technical electronic tools that allow us to send back an image of the bottom via waves. This technology is a valuable asset for the fisherman, but only if you know how to read and analyze the information that appears on the screen.
Float-tube fishing with the Lowrance Elite 4x HDi fishfinder
You don't have to be a fisherman to know how to use an echo sounder
Previously the use of the echo sounder was limited to the boat, but with the democratization of fishing kayaks and float-tube, we are more and more numerous to use this tool to scan the funds of our fishing posts.
Nowadays, it is even possible to fish from the shore thanks to the Deeper, a small ball that attaches to your line to be launched directly on the spot you want to fish from the shore.
Understanding what appears on the screen
The technology of echo sounders is more and more advanced, but the images that appear on the screen are not always easy to interpret. We don't see like on a camera, they are echoes created by waves that appear on the screen.
A wealth of information
First of all the sounder can give you useful information:
- water temperature
- the depth scale of the bottom
- the speed of navigation or drift
- gPS position
- ...
Next, the sonar's detection cone scans everything beneath the sonar. The width of the cone varies depending on the frequency used.
The sonar indicates the structure of the bottom, but also its hardness, objects with low density send a weak signal, while dense objects send a stronger signal, so the brighter the colors that appear on the screen, the denser the echo.
Screenshot of a detection made with the Deeper. The yellow spot between two waters is a carnivore in front of a ball of live fish.
This rule allows you to identify the nature of the bottom and distinguish fish echoes with a little practice.
Ãeuros to follow
In the second part of this article, I will present you examples of screenshots taken while fishing to describe what is displayed .
