Hello.

I have combed through the multitude of "fish finder" topic posts, but they seem to focus primarily on what type of fish finder to purchase.

A buddy of mine has picked one up recently and we will be using it this year- so my question is- how should we be using it?

What should we be looking for? Variation in depths, sunken islands, etc?

We will primarily be using it to find walleye- early June. Thanks!

-Mike

I've found that it's most useful for the obvious: staying in a productive depth and not wandering aimlessly in worthless waters. And you can't always tell by your surroundings... it's surprising how often that there is incredibly deep water near a flat bank of land or when there are shallow flats that stretch much farther than expected from steep cliffs. It really shows its usefulness when you stumble upon mid-lake humps and shallow bars. Circling around them while watching your depth can identify some gold mines, especially if near deeper water.

I am also interested in more information here. I am taking a fish locator for the first time on a trip June 6th. I am always looking for tips on how to get the most out of the unit.

Thanks,

quote schweady: "I've found that it's most useful for the obvious: staying in a productive depth and not wandering aimlessly in worthless waters. And you can't always tell by your surroundings... it's surprising how often that there is incredibly deep water near a flat bank of land or when there are shallow flats that stretch much farther than expected from steep cliffs. It really shows its usefulness when you stumble upon mid-lake humps and shallow bars. Circling around them while watching your depth can identify some gold mines, especially if near deeper water.
"

+1

I use it to make sure I'm trolling in the right depth. Once you find out how deep they are your depth finder will help you stay there. Remember, if you targeting walleyes, you want to be a couple feet off the bottom. For example, if you trolling a rapala that goes down to 15ft, you will want to troll in depths of ~15ft for best results (give or take a couple feet depending on speed and amount of line out).

Depth-o-meter........a useful tool? Or not?

Heads up and pay attention newbies and I will pass on some nuggets for you. Here is the deal.......much of a depth finders usefulness depends on when you are going. Anytime in May or June I would feel completely confident of not even bringing a depth finder and doing fine and dandy. And starting in July and August I find having one absolutely essential. And why is that? Simple........in the spring fish are shallow and tend to be more scattered.........In summer fish are deeper and tend to school tightly.

Here is the problem for newbies and depth finders IMO......an over reliance on its "magical" fish finding abilities. Trust me, if your not careful you will spend your trip staring at a little screen. No good! Don't let that happen to you!

Here is what you do (stop looking at your phone and pay attention....i'm trying to educate you ;- ). The first thing you should be doing is looking at the bank especially early in the year.....yup, the shoreline......not your depth finder. That is rule #1.

The bank/shoreline is usually indicative of what is below your boat. Is the bank steep....plunging into the water? Probably deep below your boat. Is the bank smooth rock? Probably the same under your boat. (Both scenarios are typically lousy fishing BTW). Is the bank a bit more flat or gently dropping?........is the bank composed of rip rap and a variety of boulders? Probably the same under your boat! Now we are onto something.......we are getting closer!

And why? Why lousy fishing on the smooth rock and steep plunging shorelines? Because there are no GROCERIES for the fish! Fish want to eat so they typically aren't far from their viddles. If you are a crayfish are you going to live on a smooth rock (help!) or are you going to live in a pile of rocks? The bigger variety of stuff happening on the bottom the better.........you found some rubble........are there any weed patches around? More variety = more of a food chain.

Starting in July fish start to move away from the bank and the visible clues of the shoreline which were so useful. Yikes! Now what! Hello depth finder! Now you can paddle around and find reefs (sunken islands) offshore which the fish tend to gravitate to. Or even large flats in water over 12 feet. Here is where a depth finder, a crank bait, and of course a rod holder shine. Paddle around and try and keep that crank bait a few feet off the bottom. All while keeping one eye on canoe country ;-)

You can use the depth finder for trolling in spring as well but you want a shallower diving offering that you can put far behind the boat. Once you have found a good area you can set up a drift and cast bait or lures. Turn your depth finder off and be very quiet when working shallow waters.

Got it? Good! For HotSpot fishing maps covering all of BWCA and Quetico be sure and visit MT Enterprises.com. Type in the coupon code "TuffLuck" for an additional 10% off.

Any more tips?

Any more tips?

The best tip I can give is really go through the functions on your depthfinder and really learn how to navigate through it before you ever get on the water. Not all depthfinders are created equal so before you buy one ask alot of fisherman what they use and see if you can find one that sticks out above the others. Having a working knowledge of the fish you're after and where they might be found during whatever time of year you're there helps immensely. If im fishing for walleye for example in august, I would be looking for main lake structure such as islands near deep water, saddles between humps , extended points that fall off into deep water and things like that. If Im looking for walleyes in late May or early june alot of times I wont even use my depthfinder I just start shallow and work my way out until I contact fish. A fish finder can be a very valuable tool in concert with learning about the type of fish your hunting. It helps when asking questions here to get very specific about what lake your going to what fish you're after and when you're going, because there are probably a few people that have been to that lake and can give you some good tips on where to start.

Don't expect to always see the fish. I have a small fortune in electronics in my fishing boat. I often catch fish I can't see and just as often see fish I can't catch.

Here's a laker chasing a little Cleo last week.

My buddy just bought an 80K Bass boat with 14K worth of electronics on it. He set them up with the "fish icons". Moral of the story......... Don't use the fish icons.

I find them useful locating mid lake humps. I use Google Earth to spot mid lake humps and have an idear where they are at (bing.com/maps is also great source). I use the depth finder to help locate them and see what is around them. I always go in August so it is very helpful this time of year,

When you target a hump the schools of baitfish and predator fish usually will not be spread all around them. You can see them staged off of the hump one side or tother. You find where they are and you will know which side of hump to fish early and late when they come up to feed.

So have an idea before you go where known humps are from satelite. Use your depth finder to locate. Check structure around hump noting flats drop offs schools of baitfish and larger marks. Then Target that area at Dusk or dawn.

K

I find many walleye relating to "transition" areas i.e. where "hard bottom" changes into "soft bottom" on the lakes I fish. Many times I will find walleye where rock, boulders or gravel transitions into sand or mud.

I often locate walleyes coming out of rocky bottom points to a mud flat that has a insect hatch going on. Walleyes may stick right along this transition zone or they may venture way out to a mud flat where their meal is.

Most depth finders have a GRAY LINE feature to help you determine bottom hardness.

I utilize the "GRAY LINE" feature of my Lowrance X-4 ( older black and white model) to locate where hard bottom turns into soft bottom. A soft muddy or weedy bottom will return a weaker echo signal from your transducer which is shown with a narrow line or no gray line at all. A hard bottom returns a strong signal, which will be displayed on your screen as a wide gray line.

Lowrance X4 Fish Finding Sonar Gray Line Page 27

The MN DNR has some useful lake contour maps that help plan a strategy. Look for inflows that might feed areas with drop-offs. The advice above on mid-lake structures is excellent advice as well.