Kayak Sonar Discussion

[SoCalEDC]

Originally Posted by Salty

What destroyed my mac?? Mac was on a 6oz drop shot. No sea lions in the area. Got this mark and about a minute later this happened to my mac. Could feel several strong hits, kept the drag a little loose, hoping it would take the hook. Something ran with it pretty good, then nothing. Twisted the hook up pretty good/

You sure it wasn't a sea lion? I have had them do that exact same thing to my baits on multiple occasions. They are smart enough to avoid that hook (usually)

[Salty]

Originally Posted by SoCalEDC

You sure it wasn't a sea lion? I have had them do that exact same thing to my baits on multiple occasions. They are smart enough to avoid that hook (usually)

Yeah, I've had them do the exact same thing many times too(and same thing with roosters in southern Baja!). Sea lions were not around me at the time. Usually I'll see them in the area approaching or mark them diving/surfacing on the finder. Whatever it was was hitting it in about 5 second intervals before finally running with it. and taking everything but the head. Weight was on the bottom, Mac was about 10" up the line on a short dropper loop

[GregAndrew]

Well, this thread has not seen much action for a while. Though I might add a few pics for discussion. What do you think you see here?

[socal.beach.bum]

Originally Posted by GregAndrew

Well, this thread has not seen much action for a while. Though I might add a few pics for discussion. What do you think you see here?

Looks like berries chasing a bait ball.

[deptrai]

Last weekend.
Raymarine Dragonfly7Pro. Transducer mounted in Hobie Outback external pocket with BerleyPro cover.

School of Black Rockfish outside of Depoe Bay.

[socal.beach.bum]

Originally Posted by deptrai

Last weekend.
Raymarine Dragonfly7Pro. Transducer mounted in Hobie Outback external pocket with BerleyPro cover.

School of Black Rockfish outside of Depoe Bay.

So jealous you guys get to pull up dungies up there.

[chris138]

Originally Posted by GregAndrew

Well, this thread has not seen much action for a while. Though I might add a few pics for discussion. What do you think you see here?

My guess is this is a giant squadron of bat rays feeding on smelt.

Haha rad marks Greg, why do I get the feeling your downrigger cam is in there somewhere.

[FullFlavorPike]

Maybe that first photo is a large torpedo weight, with a fish coming off the bottom, eating the attached bait, and then pulling a GTFO downwards and out of the sonar cone.

[GregAndrew]

Originally Posted by FullFlavorPike

Maybe that first photo is a large torpedo weight, with a fish coming off the bottom, eating the attached bait, and then pulling a GTFO downwards and out of the sonar cone.

That is a very good start, but there is more to it than that.

[Polychrest]

Great info in here. Couple of noob questions.
1. What depth should I switch from High to Mid CHIRP?
2. Any reason to not use CHIRP?

[GregAndrew]

Originally Posted by Polychrest

Great info in here. Couple of noob questions.
1. What depth should I switch from High to Mid CHIRP?
2. Any reason to not use CHIRP?

You are better off thinking of that first question in reverse. You want to use medium where you can and switch to High when you are getting too much clutter on your screen. But the answer is going to be based on your settings. The lower you have your sensitivity set at, the shallower you can use it.

After using Chirp, and getting my settings worked in, I dont see any reason I would go back to standard.

[GregAndrew]

Originally Posted by chris138

My guess is this is a giant squadron of bat rays feeding on smelt.

Haha rad marks Greg, why do I get the feeling your downrigger cam is in there somewhere.

The second shot had my camera down there. Had to bring it up off the bottom and into the mix. You can see it 8 or 10 feet off the bottom on the left side.

[SoCalEDC]

Originally Posted by GregAndrew

Well, this thread has not seen much action for a while. Though I might add a few pics for discussion. What do you think you see here?

pic one looks like weight or jig and fish coming up off of the bottom to strike it, and then dropping it shortly after, perhaps it struck the weight rather than the bait. Maybe a halibut, who realizes hes been had.

The second looks like a school of bigger fish maybe calicos feeding on sardines or another small-medium sized bait fish around some kelp.

if i had to guess.

[GregAndrew]

Originally Posted by SoCalEDC

pic one looks like weight or jig and fish coming up off of the bottom to strike it, and then dropping it shortly after, perhaps it struck the weight rather than the bait. Maybe a halibut, who realizes hes been had.

The second looks like a school of bigger fish maybe calicos feeding on sardines or another small-medium sized bait fish around some kelp.

if i had to guess.

Another couple of pretty good guesses. On the first one you pretty much got it up until "perhaps". Btw, Halibut have no air bladder and will not give you a very strong return (color) until they are pretty close to your transducer.

On the second, you were doing pretty good up until "calicos".

[TCS]

What Palette do folks use for fishing LJ?

[GregAndrew]

Originally Posted by TCS

What Palette do folks use for fishing LJ?

You should be able to put your unit in simulation mode and play around with your pallette, sensitivity and colorline. Chose a pallette that your eye picks up strong returns with best.

[chris138]

Originally Posted by TCS

What Palette do folks use for fishing LJ?

Personally I like the default white Lowrance best. I played around with blue background variations but they just don't pop as well in the glare for me.

[JohnMckroidJr]

Originally Posted by GregAndrew

Though I might add a few pics for discussion. What do you think you see here?

First one:
The line at 50ft from left to center screen is a lead weight or jig of some sort. A predator fish comes up and checks it out. The weight gets pulled up to about 40 ft, then lowered back down towards the bottom as it approaches the cloud of bait on the right side of the screen.

Most of the productive fishing in my area is in 2-5 times that depth of water. When I use a downrigger, I see similar stuff.

Second one:
Is tougher because there is no reference of depth distances to help determine the size of the targets. On the far left, I see the weight or jig? (straight line...as it is dragged into the school). I will guess a large form of baitfish, possibly with some interference, or possibly feeding on a smaller form of baitfish.

In my area, That looks like Barjacks or Bluerunner, neither of which are on the West Coast.


Any UW video?

[GregAndrew]

Originally Posted by JohnMckroidJr

First one:
The line at 50ft from left to center screen is a lead weight or jig of some sort. A predator fish comes up and checks it out. The weight gets pulled up to about 40 ft, then lowered back down towards the bottom as it approaches the cloud of bait on the right side of the screen.

Most of the productive fishing in my area is in 2-5 times that depth of water. When I use a downrigger, I see similar stuff.

Second one:
Is tougher because there is no reference of depth distances to help determine the size of the targets. On the far left, I see the weight or jig? (straight line...as it is dragged into the school). I will guess a large form of baitfish, possibly with some interference, or possibly feeding on a smaller form of baitfish.

In my area, That looks like Barjacks or Bluerunner, neither of which are on the West Coast.


Any UW video?

The first one is my 8oz torpedo on the left side. You can make out my 10" Greenie barely as the broken dotted line above the sinker. The fish bit and spit initially, then you can see that I began to bounce my bait by what the sinker is doing (bait had been on the hook for a while, and I did not know how lively it was). A bit before both big marks end, the fish bit again and this time it stuck. Both sinker and fish left my sonar cone quickly (although in opposite directions). That fish ended up being a 64# WSB.

The second one is my downrigger ball down below the school of fish on the left side. You can vaguely make out that I cranked it up in 2 steps a total of about 12 feet (in order to put my camera in the middle of the school). I also cranked up my bait after each of the steps, to bring it back in view. The vertical movements on the right side are when the fish bit and I set the hook. Although I did not maintain good pressure, and allowed the fish to shake the hook. But I did get the bite on video (but it is poor visibility). That was a school of WSB probably in the 25-40# range (at least the ones I could see).

[Oolie]

Originally Posted by GregAndrew

The first one is my 8oz torpedo on the left side. You can make out my 10" Greenie barely as the broken dotted line above the sinker. The fish bit and spit initially, then you can see that I began to bounce my bait by what the sinker is doing (bait had been on the hook for a while, and I did not know how lively it was). A bit before both big marks end, the fish bit again and this time it stuck. Both sinker and fish left my sonar cone quickly (although in opposite directions). That fish ended up being a 64# WSB.

The second one is my downrigger ball down below the school of fish on the left side. You can vaguely make out that I cranked it up in 2 steps a total of about 12 feet (in order to put my camera in the middle of the school). I also cranked up my bait after each of the steps, to bring it back in view. The vertical movements on the right side are when the fish bit and I set the hook. Although I did not maintain good pressure, and allowed the fish to shake the hook. But I did get the bite on video (but it is poor visibility). That was a school of WSB probably in the 25-40# range (at least the ones I could see).

Congrats!