Ekolod. True or False?

[Carpoholic]

Are the readings on an ekolod always true??
If you see fish on the screen, is it actually a fish or could it be something else?
What can give false readings on an ekolod.

I have a Humminbird 200DX dual beam, would the readings on this ekolod be fairly accurate?? :ordning:

http://www.anchorexpress.com/images/prod/200dx-portable-prod.jpg

Tack förhand

Chris

[sevak6]

It can be wrong sometimes, it doesn´t need to be a fish if you see a fishsymbol, so its best to turn off the fishreading & read the curves instead. I´ve read it in many fishingmagazenes they have talked about this subject!!!

[Norden]

Thats right. The Fish-ID function or whatever it's called will cause more troubble than pleassure. There are a number of things that can cause a fishsymbol to appear. I have had problems with temperaturedifferances showing up as fish during the summer and algee have caused problems to. I also had some troubble when using it in rivers (some type of whirlpools gets spotted by the sonar). You have to turn the Fish-ID function off and enterperete what you see for your self. It's not that hard once you get the hang of it. Like said, there was a pretty good article on the subject one ore two years ago in Fiskejournalen, I think.. Good luck!

[Carpoholic]

It can be wrong sometimes, it doesn´t need to be a fish if you see a fishsymbol, so its best to turn off the fishreading & read the curves instead. I´ve read it in many fishingmagazenes they have talked about this subject!!!


Many thanks.

Read the curves?? Is this another facility on the ekolod? would it give a better reading as to what the "Object" is?

So we can't really tell if the reading is showing a fish/fishes or an object under the water.

Do you think the expensive ekolods give a more accurate/truer picture of what is below the surface, in comparrison to the cheaper models?

[Carpoholic]

Thats right. The Fish-ID function or whatever it's called will cause more troubble than pleassure. There are a number of things that can cause a fishsymbol to appear. I have had problems with temperaturedifferances showing up as fish during the summer and algee have caused problems to. I also had some troubble when using it in rivers (some type of whirlpools gets spotted by the sonar). You have to turn the Fish-ID function off and enterperete what you see for your self. It's not that hard once you get the hang of it. Like said, there was a pretty good article on the subject one ore two years ago in Fiskejournalen, I think.. Good luck!


Thanks a lot :)

Are they really that sensitive that different water temperatures may actually appear as fish on the screen.
As you say, it can cause more trouble than pleasure. It is annoying sometimes and especially if it is showing a lot of "Fish" (as it did when i fished Sävelången last week).

What is your main reason for using one? Depth readings? this seems to be the only "True" info that it gives me. I was dubious to weather all the fish symbols were actually fish.

Could you explain about "The curves" symbols instyead of the "fish" ones. What is the advantage of this??

Thanks for the info, it has answered a lot of questions i had. :cheers:

[BeBest]

As a matter of fact, a you migt see a fishsymbol but it isn't a fish. Sometimes it turns out to be a CARP or Nessie or maybe some of her cousins all over the world! If it isn's so the bloody crap is just going bananas! ;)

[Flodebanan]

Dont really know the WATTS of your sonar, but if must be quiet powerful to mark the "språngskit"(the area where warm water and cold water meets).

As people already said, the FISHID function really sucks !! It better to use "normal" function a be able to judge if it´s a fish or maybe not by yourself.
Sometimes you might see the fish rise against your bait and then turn down again, has happen sometimes during zanderfishing. Then it might help too fish the area once more...

The sonar it´s very useful when you´r looking for bait, want to se the bottom structure, the deepth and too find the as called "språngskiktet".

I¨v heard that most part of the pelagian (pelagiska) fish is hunting nearby the språngskikt.

[Martin_G]

Dont really know the WATTS of your sonar, but if must be quiet powerful to mark the "språngskit"

I think Flode ment to write "språngskikt" here, sonars have nothing to do with leapshit! :)

But as he says, turn off FishID and interpret the display manually.

/Martin

[team char]

Could you explain about "The curves" symbols instyead of the "fish" ones. What is the advantage of this??




The Humminbird 200DX dual beam do not show The curves="Bananer"
instead you can set the sensitivity on both fish size and the interferense.
If you set it right the fish ID dont show small fish and other scrap as a fish symbol. if the setings are right you maybe se schools of baitfish as a cloud on the screen. But the 200dx might not have enough pixels for separation of small details

[esobus]

I have a 300 TX tribeam, those bananas are crap on my display..

Now rembering that all that are noted as fish on the display are not, there is also a loss of info in choosing the no id variant, as the sounder tells you if the echo is left right or below. This can be of value at times..

But I am seriously contemplating a newer one with better resolution like the x125 or so. I just have to wait until my saved gold meets the lower price. But with the rising dollar that might take some time yet. Meanwhile abu is making new interesting reels. Not good..

pic from:
http://www.humminbird.com/images/PDF/300tx.pdf

[Norden]

Thanks a lot :)

Are they really that sensitive that different water temperatures may actually appear as fish on the screen.
As you say, it can cause more trouble than pleasure. It is annoying sometimes and especially if it is showing a lot of "Fish" (as it did when i fished Sävelången last week).

What is your main reason for using one? Depth readings? this seems to be the only "True" info that it gives me. I was dubious to weather all the fish symbols were actually fish.

Could you explain about "The curves" symbols instyead of the "fish" ones. What is the advantage of this??

Thanks for the info, it has answered a lot of questions i had. :cheers:

I'm not sure if they really show different water temperatures, but that's the only explanation I have found. It mostly happens in muddy lakes with rather coloured water. I speculated that it's mud/particles that gets stired up from the bottom by the wind/current but then I was told that it was due to temperature differances. I cant find a relly good explanation, but it's not fish.
I use sonars both for depth readings and for spotting fish, but mostly for depth readings. If you turn the fish-ID off you will get dots and lines instead on the screen. Set the sensitivity so that you have a clear view of the bottom and start using your common sense. Even if fish dont show up as "bananas" you will spot pelagic "clusters" and lines that cant be anything but fish. Schools of baitfish also show up as clouds on the screen. If the cloud reaches from the bottom at 30m depth to 6m depth and is consistent while trolling for several minutes, then thats probably not a school of baitfish... And so on. You'll get the hang of it once you have spotted a few fish and some schools. I've tried the same kind of sonar that you mention a few years back so I know you can spot fish with it. (They're hard to spot clearly near the bottom though)

[Carpoholic]

As a matter of fact, a you migt see a fishsymbol but it isn't a fish. Sometimes it turns out to be a CARP or Nessie or maybe some of her cousins all over the world! If it isn's so the bloody crap is just going bananas! ;)

Carp dont show thierselves on fish finders mate, they are far too intelligent to get caught out that way :nut:

As for nessie, i think she was a carp going to an underwater fancy dress party and got caught by papperazzi :)

:hoppa: :hoppa: hahahahahaha

[Carpoholic]

I'm not sure if they really show different water temperatures, but that's the only explanation I have found. It mostly happens in muddy lakes with rather coloured water. I speculated that it's mud/particles that gets stired up from the bottom by the wind/current but then I was told that it was due to temperature differances. I cant find a relly good explanation, but it's not fish.
I use sonars both for depth readings and for spotting fish, but mostly for depth readings. If you turn the fish-ID off you will get dots and lines instead on the screen. Set the sensitivity so that you have a clear view of the bottom and start using your common sense. Even if fish dont show up as "bananas" you will spot pelagic "clusters" and lines that cant be anything but fish. Schools of baitfish also show up as clouds on the screen. If the cloud reaches from the bottom at 30m depth to 6m depth and is consistent while trolling for several minutes, then thats probably not a school of baitfish... And so on. You'll get the hang of it once you have spotted a few fish and some schools. I've tried the same kind of sonar that you mention a few years back so I know you can spot fish with it. (They're hard to spot clearly near the bottom though)

many thanks for all your answers guys, i will look at my "Boat TV" in a different perspective this weekend.
And i think i will print this out and take it with me ;)
Fiskesnack is deffinatley the place to come for any answers regarding fiash with teeth

Cheers lads

Chris! :cheers: