Need Fish Finder reading pointers - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

doggmann · 06-11-2017, 09:48 AM

Thanks for the responses. Like everything else it will be a bit of homework then spend time on the water working it out.

Thank you!!!

FullFlavorPike · 06-13-2017, 07:24 AM

Here is an older shot of a nice sandy bottom (really constant gradient) with some YT cruising through about to crush my three-way setup and "ruin" a day of halibut fishing

The hard/soft return appearance is going to be dictated a lot by how you set the sensitivity and colorline on your personal sonar. Once you get used to reading your sonar and get it dialed in to where you can see clear marks in the column without a lot of interference, start bumping the bottom with a 10-12 ounce dropper loop. You'll be able to tell if it's hard or soft, especially in shallower water, and then you can start correlating in your head with what's marking on the sonar.

Denis_Ruso · 06-13-2017, 07:31 AM

Look up some posts by @chris138. He's a guru with these things and posted a really great explanation somewhere on here a while back.

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/s...ad.php?t=30462

Unfortunately, the screenshots are gone.

FullFlavorPike · 06-13-2017, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denis_Ruso

Look up some posts by @chris138. He's a guru with these things and posted a really great explanation somewhere on here a while back.

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/s...ad.php?t=30462

10/10 recommend listening to anything Chris has to say. Also, anything GregAndrew has to say is worth a careful read.

Mr. NiceGuy · 06-13-2017, 12:21 PM

Another thing to remember is that viewing the bottom on your FF is relative to your position on the surface and your speed.

In other words, on a calm day your image of the bottom will be relatively flat, or more even in reading depths, hardness, softness, structure, kelp, etc.

I went out last Saturday and it was rough. I was up by Black's Beach between 20'-60' to see if the previous night's grunion run was affecting the bite. The bottom is as flat as a pancake there, open sand.

According to my FF, the bottom was wild sharp zig-zags up and down, which meant my kayak was all over the place like a yo-yo. It does NOT mean I'm looking at a jagged bottom.

Learning to read nuances of my FF has been a confusing and slow learning curve for me. For the most part, I think it's safe to say I still don't know WTF I'm looking at. Nevertheless, I study it all the time when I'm on the water. Trying to interpret what I'm looking at still falls in the category of "it depends," "maybe," and "I don't know."

Yes, look up Chris138. He was active and generous in a thread about this and his comments helped me a lot. Kevin Nakada (Sea Samurai) gave a talk at Fastlane Hobie Center in Mission Bay and I thought his depth of knowledge was very good. You might check with them for future events. Keep your eye peeled for seminars by local guides on this subject at the fish & boat shows. Check with Lowrance to see if they have anything coming up.

Good luck! Please report back and let us know what you learn.

06-11-2017, 09:48 AM	#1
doggmann Junior Join Date: May 2013 Location: San Gabriel Valley, CA Posts: 21	Thanks for the responses. Like everything else it will be a bit of homework then spend time on the water working it out. Thank you!!! __________________

06-13-2017, 07:31 AM	#3
Denis_Ruso Senior Member Join Date: May 2015 Posts: 571	Look up some posts by @chris138. He's a guru with these things and posted a really great explanation somewhere on here a while back. http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/s...ad.php?t=30462 Unfortunately, the screenshots are gone. __________________ 2018 Hobie Outback 13 I do not fear the storm as it will teach me how to sail my ship. Last edited by Denis_Ruso; 06-13-2017 at 07:51 AM.

06-13-2017, 12:21 PM	#5
Mr. NiceGuy Manic for Life Join Date: May 2015 Location: San Diego Posts: 839	Another thing to remember is that viewing the bottom on your FF is relative to your position on the surface and your speed. In other words, on a calm day your image of the bottom will be relatively flat, or more even in reading depths, hardness, softness, structure, kelp, etc. I went out last Saturday and it was rough. I was up by Black's Beach between 20'-60' to see if the previous night's grunion run was affecting the bite. The bottom is as flat as a pancake there, open sand. According to my FF, the bottom was wild sharp zig-zags up and down, which meant my kayak was all over the place like a yo-yo. It does NOT mean I'm looking at a jagged bottom. Learning to read nuances of my FF has been a confusing and slow learning curve for me. For the most part, I think it's safe to say I still don't know WTF I'm looking at. Nevertheless, I study it all the time when I'm on the water. Trying to interpret what I'm looking at still falls in the category of "it depends," "maybe," and "I don't know." Yes, look up Chris138. He was active and generous in a thread about this and his comments helped me a lot. Kevin Nakada (Sea Samurai) gave a talk at Fastlane Hobie Center in Mission Bay and I thought his depth of knowledge was very good. You might check with them for future events. Keep your eye peeled for seminars by local guides on this subject at the fish & boat shows. Check with Lowrance to see if they have anything coming up. Good luck! Please report back and let us know what you learn. __________________ Another ho-hum day in Paradise Last edited by Mr. NiceGuy; 06-13-2017 at 12:45 PM.