COLUMN : TACTICAL BASSIN
To get a clear picture with little to no cloudiness , slightly adjust your sensitivity , contrast and water column sensitivity . We like to start with our sensitivity at 10 ( or 50 percent ). On our graphs , the sensitivity is on a scale of 1 to 20 . We turn our contrast up to 2 and our water column sensitivity to -2 . Remember , if you don ’ t like this view , restore to your default settings and you ’ ll be right back where you started .
you ’ re not scanning what you think you are
Side imaging has changed the way anglers break down fisheries and dial in key locations . Used alongside mapping , we can idle over areas that look good to us on the map and see what ’ s going on below the surface . We can see if there are any fish or pieces of structure or cover that we need to fish .
One thing a lot of anglers are unaware of is that the distance they have their side imaging set to scan is not the actual distance they ’ re scanning . If you ’ re side imagining 100 feet left and 100 feet right of your boat and you ’ re idling over 25 feet of water , you need to subtract the depth of the water you ’ re idling over . This comes into play when you ’ re side imaging large flats and you want to grid the flat out . Make sure the distance that you ’ re scanning minus the water depth is greater than your grid line on your chart . You don ’ t want to miss a school of fish or a key rock pile because you thought you were covering enough distance with your side imaging .
We understand that a very small percentage of anglers get to be on the water all the time to dial in and tweak their gear to get the best out of their electronics . If you ’ re a weekend warrior or a seasoned tournament pro but still have a 40-hour work week , time on the water is limited . Hopefully , these tips will help simplify your electronics and give you the confidence to dial in your gear quickly . Remember , fish finders are tools for anglers to help shorten the search for bass , but they can ’ t replace fishing instincts . Don ’ t get too wrapped up in what you ’ re seeing on the screen and miss what ’ s going on around you .
Side imaging
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