FISH FINDERS - How To Read Them - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

YakDout · 11-29-2015, 12:37 PM

Yellow marks are hard marks, more reddish marks are softer marks. Sand and rocks off the bottom are usually yellow as are fish due to bone structure. Red colored marks typically kelp. There are so many factors that make your sonar different from mine and the next. Many adjustments make it nearly impossible to look EXACTLY like someone elses screen. For the water type installation I always use freshwater. Reason being is that this setting scans the depths I normally fish. General use water which I believe is defaulted, are depths for boats going offshore. These units are not made for kayaks. They were made for boats and people started putting them on kayaks. For a starting point I would try freshwater setting with colorline and sensitivity around 70 and slowly go up on each until it is not completely filling your screen, but you are still seeing important things. Also turn surface clarity off and go up from there if you need to. The problem with turning that on high is that it kind of voids your sensitivity adjustment. Downscan never really helped me out too much, unless I was in a bay or harbor. 50khz frequency is normall what I use fishing the common yellowtail depths. Let me know if you have more questions and I will try my best. I have spent much time getting my sonar dialed in to my preference.

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11-29-2015, 12:37 PM	#5
YakDout Brandon Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: San Diego Posts: 2,345	Yellow marks are hard marks, more reddish marks are softer marks. Sand and rocks off the bottom are usually yellow as are fish due to bone structure. Red colored marks typically kelp. There are so many factors that make your sonar different from mine and the next. Many adjustments make it nearly impossible to look EXACTLY like someone elses screen. For the water type installation I always use freshwater. Reason being is that this setting scans the depths I normally fish. General use water which I believe is defaulted, are depths for boats going offshore. These units are not made for kayaks. They were made for boats and people started putting them on kayaks. For a starting point I would try freshwater setting with colorline and sensitivity around 70 and slowly go up on each until it is not completely filling your screen, but you are still seeing important things. Also turn surface clarity off and go up from there if you need to. The problem with turning that on high is that it kind of voids your sensitivity adjustment. Downscan never really helped me out too much, unless I was in a bay or harbor. 50khz frequency is normall what I use fishing the common yellowtail depths. Let me know if you have more questions and I will try my best. I have spent much time getting my sonar dialed in to my preference.