Help Analyzing a Fish Finder view - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

YakDout · 10-24-2015, 05:59 AM

Too many variables with settings on your lowrance unit to decipher what exactly that is. Each person uses different settings because there are so many options. My advice is to watch a video or do some studying on how to get to a good starting point with the unit. After that go out and drop a yoyo jig until you can pick it up all the way to the bottom. Pay attention to the color since it will be a different color than something soft. Start turning up your sensitivities to where you can really see that jig well but dont have too much clutter on the screen. Have to find the balance point. After that send down a sabiki. I have my FF dialed to where I can see each individual hook on my rig and my weight all the way down to 130 feet no problem. You want to be on the higher side of your sensitivity vs the lower so you wont miss anything good. Just have to learn that there will be some stuff on the screen that isnt good stuff, just a little clutter.

Cbad Mike · 10-25-2015, 09:43 AM

If I'm near the kelp I drop my sabiki.
If I'm away from the kelp I drop my iron.

the dude · 10-25-2015, 05:43 PM

the heavier lines might be those bonito, and the lighter / fainter ones towards the bottom would be the red crab imo but I'm no expert. Most of the times I hook up the meter is blank...

Goose1993 · 10-25-2015, 06:00 PM

As everyone else has said, turn off the fish ID. It blocks the real picture of what's down there.

But I don't think those are YT. I've noticed that YT have distinctive, thick arches (I think due to their size?? I don't know the science of fish finders that well). And as others have said, they don't school that tightly.

In the first pic, the strand coming off the bottom is kelp.

Goose1993 · 10-25-2015, 06:01 PM

On the bottom left of the first pic and the bottom of the second pic is a school of baitfish.

chris138 · 10-25-2015, 06:31 PM

its mostly kelp in both pics, maybe some spanish in there... notice how the swiggly returns line up directly with the bottom contour, and the lines are continuous. bait should come back more broken up randomly and fuzzy looking. also the return is "soft" ie not the same color as the bottom. gamefish and greenbacks should almost always be hard marks... yellow on your display. also your depth is consistent with the submerged bullkelp in LJ from ~80-100'

PS- this is the cbass ambush zone...

10-25-2015, 09:43 AM	#2
Cbad Mike Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Carlsbad Ca. Posts: 1,206	If I'm near the kelp I drop my sabiki. If I'm away from the kelp I drop my iron. __________________ [SIGPIC]

10-25-2015, 05:43 PM	#3
the dude Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Valley Center Posts: 271	the heavier lines might be those bonito, and the lighter / fainter ones towards the bottom would be the red crab imo but I'm no expert. Most of the times I hook up the meter is blank... __________________ The dude abides.

10-24-2015, 05:59 AM	#1
YakDout Brandon Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: San Diego Posts: 2,345	Too many variables with settings on your lowrance unit to decipher what exactly that is. Each person uses different settings because there are so many options. My advice is to watch a video or do some studying on how to get to a good starting point with the unit. After that go out and drop a yoyo jig until you can pick it up all the way to the bottom. Pay attention to the color since it will be a different color than something soft. Start turning up your sensitivities to where you can really see that jig well but dont have too much clutter on the screen. Have to find the balance point. After that send down a sabiki. I have my FF dialed to where I can see each individual hook on my rig and my weight all the way down to 130 feet no problem. You want to be on the higher side of your sensitivity vs the lower so you wont miss anything good. Just have to learn that there will be some stuff on the screen that isnt good stuff, just a little clutter.

10-25-2015, 06:00 PM	#4
Goose1993 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: San Diego Posts: 115	As everyone else has said, turn off the fish ID. It blocks the real picture of what's down there. But I don't think those are YT. I've noticed that YT have distinctive, thick arches (I think due to their size?? I don't know the science of fish finders that well). And as others have said, they don't school that tightly. In the first pic, the strand coming off the bottom is kelp.

10-25-2015, 06:01 PM	#5
Goose1993 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: San Diego Posts: 115	On the bottom left of the first pic and the bottom of the second pic is a school of baitfish.

10-25-2015, 06:31 PM	#6
chris138 donkey roper Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Pacific Beach Posts: 968	its mostly kelp in both pics, maybe some spanish in there... notice how the swiggly returns line up directly with the bottom contour, and the lines are continuous. bait should come back more broken up randomly and fuzzy looking. also the return is "soft" ie not the same color as the bottom. gamefish and greenbacks should almost always be hard marks... yellow on your display. also your depth is consistent with the submerged bullkelp in LJ from ~80-100' PS- this is the cbass ambush zone...