Mapping mapping
Getting a good map card for your electronics is a must . Having an accurate chart for your lake will save you hours ( if not days ) of idle time behind the wheel . Map chips show you precise contour lines and make it much easier to locate key waypoints and break down your fishery . The base maps that come preloaded on fish finders are decent but have nowhere near the detail of a good aftermarket map card like Humminbird ’ s Lakemaster PLUS and Lowrance ’ s C-MAP .
adjust chart orientation
The first thing we adjust on our map is the chart orientation . Chart orientation adjusts the way the chart is displayed and refreshes as the boat moves . Most units out of the box have the orientation set to “ North Up .” This means that no matter what direction the boat is heading , the map always shows compass north at the top of the screen , and the boat icon turns on the screen as the boat turns .
We always switch our map orientation to “ Heading Up .” This adjusts the map so that it rotates to whatever direction the boat is pointing . The boat icon stays centered and the map rotates to show you the direction you ’ re heading . We ’ ve found that this little adjustment makes it a lot easier to drive to specific areas or waypoints . This setting adjustment is usually found in the navigation settings .
water level fluctuations , and this means that , most likely , the depth labeled on your chart is often incorrect .
That ’ s bad news for two obvious reasons : Number one , safety . You don ’ t want to be in a situation where your chart is telling you the water is 15 feet deep but your lake is 13 feet below full pool . This could lead to serious safety issues . Number two , fishing . If you ’ re targeting fish in a certain depth range , you need your chart to be accurate .
This is an easy adjustment to make if your chart allows it . Compare your current depth to what it shows the depth should be on your chart . If your chart says that the depth should be 15 feet but your sonar says there ’ s 10 feet of water beneath the boat , you need to set your water level offset to -5 feet . That will adjust the chart to show current water levels over the entire lake . Remember to reset the water level offset to zero when you go to a new body of water .
sonar
Sonar is an amazing tool for showing you what ’ s going on below the surface . With the ability to shoot transducer beams out the side and in front of the boat , fish are finding it harder to hide from modern electronics-wielding anglers . Although factory settings on today ’ s fish finders are pretty good out of the box , a couple quick and easy adjustments will make your picture clearer and your fish more findable .
Heading up orientation adjust water level offset
One of the first things we do after launching the boat in a new lake is to cross-check our sonar depth readout to the depth labeled on the chart . A lot of lakes have tremendous
Forward-facing sonar don ’ t be afraid of change
Without going too deep into the details of adjusting the settings on your electronics , the sensitivity and contrast settings are something you absolutely need to tweak . Experiment with those settings until you find the levels you like the best . If you mess up your picture , “ Restore Default Settings ” is a do-over .
The truth is , we should always be slightly adjusting our sensitivity settings . Depending on water clarity , pollen or algae levels in the water , you need to adjust your sensitivity and contrast to get the best picture possible .
On our graphs , there ’ s another setting that helps out with this as well . “ Water Column Sensitivity ” lets you adjust the sonar sensitivity in the water column while maintaining the same sensitivity on the bottom . This helps with clearing up the water column and making suspended fish stand out on your units .
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