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Post by smythley on Feb 20, 2014 19:03:45 GMT -5
Guys,
Only had the SS for about a month, and only have 4-5 trips out using it but man, it's making me feel awfully dumb. I've read the threads here and watched some YouTube videos but...I just haven't seen on it what you guys are seeing. I think I've seen one good school of big gizzards, but that was sheer accident as I drove right over them. I don't know if I'm not seeing fish/bait cause they aren't there or if they are there and I just can't see them.
How do you guys use the SS to find bait or fish? What do you look for? How "wide" do you scan? (I assume this depends on water depth...). Are you looking for kinda a cloud or faint thumbprint smudge off to the side? Any tips you guys could give me I sure would appreciate!
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Post by mwardncsu on Feb 20, 2014 20:28:19 GMT -5
Can you post a pic of your SS xducer mounted on the boat. Let's rule out any installation issues.
Bait balls will typically show up as a defined cloud in the sidescan image. I'll look to see if I have any screen shots. The other day when looking for bait I would run the sidescan and regular sonar. If I saw a pod of bait out to the side id make a u-turn in that direction and try to pun over the distance it was to the side. Having the SS on the transom means you've passed them by the time you see them.
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Post by smythley on Feb 20, 2014 20:50:29 GMT -5
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Post by mwardncsu on Feb 20, 2014 21:01:23 GMT -5
Ok - that looks like it should be ok. When your lower unit is trimmed down does it "overlap" the xducer any? Here are a few pics of bait balls out to the side This one has a lot of noise. I believe it was real muddy at the time.  Prop scars in the mud flat below BayRoc / Hardy  Can't find any others that show bait off to the side other than the one in the screenshot thread with the stripers tearing up a school of bait. |
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Post by mwardncsu on Feb 20, 2014 21:09:31 GMT -5
On the first pic above - there are some bait balls to the left in the water column - so they are somewhere between under me or to the left at that distance. Remember the sonar goes out as an arc and can't tell down from out - it's a reflection at some distance. It looks like there are some bait marks out on left and right in that image out in the sides that show the bottom.
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Post by smythley on Feb 20, 2014 21:14:10 GMT -5
Thanks Mike. I think maybe I have been looking for giant balls of bait, even when I have it set out to 250'. So I'm missing them because they are just huge blobs on the screen. I may also be having trouble differentiating between the bottom and what may be "above" it.
Do you normally set yours at 250 wide when looking for bait?
As far as the lower unit, it may be in the way? Not sure, would I be able to tell by looking at the sonar screen?
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Post by mwardncsu on Feb 20, 2014 21:21:41 GMT -5
As far as width - I'll run as wide as I get a good image for. In a narrower creek I'll choke it down. In deep water you won't see as far out to the side as you are also looking "down" with the sidescan.
On the lower unit - some folks see their range impedes by the lower unit on one side - or worse if set to auto range it will lock on the lower unit as it's reflecting off it thinking you are VERY shallow. Others don't seem to have an issue.
Do you have the settings right for the orientation if tho xducer? Drive by some docks and make sure the pilings show up on the correct side. May be a good way to also see if you are getting any shadowing from the lower unit.
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Post by smythley on Feb 20, 2014 21:36:24 GMT -5
When its on auto range, it seems to jump back and forth okay.
I assume if its "shadowing" and I go by pilings, they won't show up?
I'm almost certain that the orientation is right, items on the right show up on the right. Are there other settings that you adjust?
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Post by mwardncsu on Feb 20, 2014 21:41:51 GMT -5
When its on auto range, it seems to jump back and forth okay. I assume if its "shadowing" and I go by pilings, they won't show up? I'm almost certain that the orientation is right, items on the right show up on the right. Are there other settings that you adjust? Yeah, if you're getting shadowing from the lower unit then you probably could not see the pilings. Try it close and further away - I can mark dock pilings a long way from the boat As to other settings - I keep the noise reduction type stuff set to off or low. Pretty much leave the rest as is - maybe play a little with the "contrast" or whatever it's called for SS. And play with the color pallet. I like the blue and light browns the best |
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Post by smythley on Feb 20, 2014 21:46:09 GMT -5
Thanks a ton Mike. Hopefully with post some mwardNCSU and bentrod screen shots the next couple days.
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BentRod
Global Moderator
Posts: 2,252
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Post by BentRod on Feb 20, 2014 21:49:03 GMT -5
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Post by smythley on Feb 20, 2014 22:01:14 GMT -5
Thanks Tyler. Seeing that you run a wide width in shallow water helps. Great photos.
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Post by smythley on Feb 23, 2014 7:16:56 GMT -5
 Thoughts on this? Any ideas? Sorry for the lousy pic, was right at dusk. |
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Post by mwardncsu on Feb 23, 2014 8:51:18 GMT -5
It may be the light from screen over saturating the camera but you might try backing down the contrast on feb sidescan.
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Post by smythley on Feb 23, 2014 19:38:28 GMT -5
Mike, I think the camera just whited everything out. It was right at dusk, and a lousy pic.
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