Sonar Tips - echomap 50

[pod]

Hi all,

I just bought a Garmin echomap 50 and have no experience with sonar/gps before so totally new. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

I drive around looking at temp, depth, and colour around Botany bay and the heads.

What I am trying to figure out is the difference between reef reading and everything else random. How to find a good spot to fish on the sonar?

Many thanks,

Regards,
Pod

[oz_brett]

you wont get a great deal of temp change in the bay or harbour, have a scan around a beach (brighton le sands) pay attention to the bottom thickness on your screen then go to an area you would expect to see a rock or hard bottom (Watts reef) you will then know the difference. thin bottom line is soft & thick is hard bottom (if I remember correct) but seeing the difference for your self you will remember best.or do what Ive done and out a pic in your phone to refer to.

Head for a live bait ground to see if you can mark fish on the sounder, if nothing try increasing the gain control they are usually set pretty low at factory settings. another idea is to have someone go out with you while they are casting and retrieving a soft plastic from the back of the boat try to detect there lure it should come up as a dotted line like a trail where it has passed.

most of all dont be afraid to adjust the settings if all goes wrong just go back to factory settings & start again.. Your sounder with the correct settings is much better then one worth thousands of $ with incorrect settings.

Brett

[pod]

many thanks for the tips brett loving it

[Twinfisher 4.9]

Agreed, use of the Gain function is imperative. Go up high until your screen is cluttered with images and then back it down until you see some distinct shapes. Try it over a known reef such as Watts. Keep adjusting to get the best out of it.