Lowrance HDS Seminars?

[Basskicker]

I was wondering if there is any HDS seminars in the GTA area to help optimize the full potential of these new units with Structure Scan. I have read the manuals and searched online and found some helpful info, but a hands on seminar would certainly help.

 

These units are amazing but I just want to learn more!!!

 

If anyone in the GTA area that TRULY knows how to use them to their fullest potential is interested in going fishing on rice lake in the next couple of weeks.....let me know. My treat....full day of free fishing on a brand new Stratos 176XT....just bring your lunch...and your HDS knowledge....

 

Thanks once again.

 

Jason

[ecmilley]

I feel your pain brother, i have a hds8 unit and get a little overwhelmed at what it can do

[Terry]

I don't have Structure Scan, but I do have a HDS unit and I found it quite easy to use everything seemed strait forward, I don't think I have had to look at the manual yet and I used it all winter for ice fishing, only had it out twice on the boat but know problem making it do what I want

[spinnerbaitking]

Too late now but you should have went to Bass Talk at Radio World both Lowrance & Hummingbird had multiple Staff & Prostaff there to help answer questions & both Companies had a 1 hour presentation put on buy one of there rep's, lots of questions answered & 4 other great speakers as well plus a great meal was provided by Black Angus Meats Kangaroo Sliders were very tasty

Richard

[aplumma]

If you want to get the unit set up correctly and have a decent chance at seeing what it can do.... Put the unit on demo in the driveway with all of the leads connected. You can then tune up all of the options and color with ease. The contrast and signal settings can be dialed in and will get you a clean starting point because out of the box it is really poorly tuned. Then go to the water and find a buoy or known structure and pass over it tuning till you can see the block and anchor chain that is holding it. Use the unit in split screen lss-1 and 200 khz and tune the 200 till you get a blip on the screen in both windows. You can then adjust the lss-1 till you get the clearer picture of the chain and block. Dont forget to cycle between 800 and 455 so you can see the difference on the returns. Both have an advantage it seems the 800 is better for down scan and the 455 for side scan in my opinion. The buttons and menus will just take time to learn.

 

 

Art

[Basskicker]

If you want to get the unit set up correctly and have a decent chance at seeing what it can do.... Put the unit on demo in the driveway with all of the leads connected. You can then tune up all of the options and color with ease. The contrast and signal settings can be dialed in and will get you a clean starting point because out of the box it is really poorly tuned. Then go to the water and find a buoy or known structure and pass over it tuning till you can see the block and anchor chain that is holding it. Use the unit in split screen lss-1 and 200 khz and tune the 200 till you get a blip on the screen in both windows. You can then adjust the lss-1 till you get the clearer picture of the chain and block. Dont forget to cycle between 800 and 455 so you can see the difference on the returns. Both have an advantage it seems the 800 is better for down scan and the 455 for side scan in my opinion. The buttons and menus will just take time to learn.

 

 

Art

 

 

Thanks for the valuable info...guess I'll be sitting in the driveway AGAIN tonight with the neighbors looking out their windows!!!

[ecmilley]

Thanks for the valuable info...guess I'll be sitting in the driveway AGAIN tonight with the neighbors looking out their windows!!!

been there my neigbourss now think me sitting in the boat is normal behaviour in the driveway

[Big Cliff]

I have an HDS5 and while I love it, I am still trying to fine tune it and I'm not sure I am getting the best out of it yet. Because I fish very shallow water most of the time I find I am having trouble picking up fish. If I crank the sensivity up then I end up with a lot of noise on the screen. If I adjust out the noise, I end up not seeing fish.

[Handlebarz]

take the trip to Woodstock and talk to Josolyn he will learn ya everything you need and just a bit more. I know that some of the Muskies Canada Chapters have had him in to do demos for them but not sure if there is another coming up soon.

[aplumma]

I have an HDS5 and while I love it, I am still trying to fine tune it and I'm not sure I am getting the best out of it yet. Because I fish very shallow water most of the time I find I am having trouble picking up fish. If I crank the sensivity up then I end up with a lot of noise on the screen. If I adjust out the noise, I end up not seeing fish.

 

 

Cliff if you really want to test out and find your filter level you can......

 

Purchase a fish 2 to 4 lbs from the market and take it fishing with you. Take the fish and hook it in the back and hang it off the back of the boat at different levels under the transducer. (Do the same thing with a stick) and tune out the sensitivity till it shows Blue which is a weak return (Red is medium and yellow is the strongest). You at times if you are lucky will find a thermocline if that happens tune the sonar till the line is faint you have found the setting that picks up water that is slightly denser than warm water above. With the HD you have the ability to use the auto sensitivity mode and still tune the sensitivity up or down. If you have an area were it is a know bottom (hard) you can adjust the sensitivity to go from a heavy yellow band to a thin one then as you move about if you lose the hard bottom you will get a blue return for weeds or sediment keeping you easily on a weedline edge.As far as seeing fish near the bottom remember that you are seeing the return of a circle depending on the depth a large circle. That means that if you have a rock sticking up that enters into the cone that is above the fish it will show up before the fish does till it leaves the cone. I look for a weaker return on the bottom colors after tuning it out to a thin yellow line.This setting will usually give you a yellow bottom a red weed and a blue fish. Take all of this with a grain of salt a fish can also look like a weed in color but it will form an arch instead of a line.

 

 

Art