Written by Ryan Ketter, Courtesy of Fishing with Maps by Fishing Hot Spots
Ways a depthfinder enhances a fishing map:
1. Knowing a precise location- Your depthfinder agrees with your fishidy.com map.
2. Updating your fishing map- Navigating with a fishing map and a depthfinder tells the angler if his map is accurate.
3. Finding specific locations and structure- A depthfinder is necessary to confirm that exact location
4. Visualizing a 3-D image- Projects enough data for an angler to create a mental view of the subsurface environment.
5. Staying on edges with fish- Weed edges and breaklines are outstanding places to catch fish and an angler must have a depthfinder to stay on top of them.
6. Estimating distance- Depthfinders display speed and distance traveled on screen.
7. Locating Fish- A depthfinder will tell you whether fish are present or to motor on to the next predetermined area to fish.
Depthfinders have become an integral part of every angler’s tools over the past decade or so. The term depthfinder refers to a device utilizing sonar. Sonar emits high frequency sound waves that are inaudible to fish and humans. These impulses strike an object and reflect back to a receiver. The receiver measures the time it took for the impulses to return and continually calculates the distance between it and the object. Screens, graphs, or calibrated flashes display distance. The data you obtain from a depthfinder screen, in part, includes: bottom composition, bottom terrain, depth, structure type and configuration, presence of fish, size of fish, and submerged weeds and wood. With the bank of information a depthfinder furnishes, savvy anglers can create a complete representation of the fish’s world—a picture that will allow them to catch more fish.
