Sonar Readings on plane

[spincast]

I've read in several articles and sites about being able to read fish with your sonar when on plane. What is the secret? Is it angle, location? I only get dots across the screen until I slow down. Using a HDS 7 Gen 2

[Fisherpete]

The dots are minnows

 

Lol kidding

 

Same with my HDS7 gen 1. Get depth reading but not much on the screen

[Roy]

And the dotted line is a braided line....it only catches every other fish.

[Pikeslayer]

I find there is a significant lag in processing data to screen when cruising beyond 10+ MPH. After decelerating to trolling speed I need to advance (foward) the screen to real time due to data lag. When in real time, rewind & review the lagged data, alter course and catch the missed fish

[spincast]

OK then... OFC to the rescue....

 

 

google is my friend

your best option for marking bait and fish at speeds above trolling is a thru hull transducer. Location is key. You want somewhere within 12" or so of your keel far enough back that it stays in the water all the time and as far from strakes as you can get. You don't have the freedom of trial and error with location like you do when transom mounting but if you do some research and get it right which is very feasible you'll love it. I have been watching my graph at 25mph several times marked bait and hooks doubled back setup and popped fish. It isn't always that easy in fact most times it isn't but when it all comes together you feel like a hero.

so the quest continues for an aluminum solution....hopefully there are alternatives to pretty little minnows, braid and instant replays.......

[Tomcat]

I've been using a Lowrance HDS-7 since 2009. It's my understanding that, at speed, fish show up as vertical lines.

[Fishwilly]

I'm running a Humminbird 800 series and played with the transducer till it sits about 1/2" below the hull. Best way is use a straighedge to follow bottom of hull then place ducer about 1/2" lower. I can mark depth no problems at all speeds but not so much for the fish though. That only works at slower speeds.

[Garnet]

Increase your ping rate and max your scroll (speed of screen) right to left.

[Sinker]

I'm lucky to even mark bottom after about 20mph.

 

S.

[Garnet]

It's your set up.

[G.mech]

With the correct setup and transducer placement you should be able to read the bottom at 50 mph. Sonar simply cannot read fish effectively at much more than about 10 however. Downscan will read at higher speeds because of the super high frequency it runs at but even it won't read fish with any certainty at higher speeds, you simply aren't over the target for long enough for it to pick it up properly.

 

Here is a link showing the differences in readings between 20 mph and 2.5 mph:

 

http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/gone-fishin/2014/04/walleye-sonar-fish-finder-fishing-electronics

 

Here is a link to an article discussing how to use use your sonar at 20 mph....I have my reservations about this though:

 

http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0239/1093/files/FLW_March.pdf?1635

Edited June 21, 2015 by G.mech

[Canuck]

I would highly doubt you would ever be able to see fish on plane. If you think about it, at 2 or 3 mph a fish is a short arc. At speed the arc would be so short it would look just like a dot, just like all the other screen clutter you see at speed. I think that the ocean fish boats can see big fish, but I doubt any setup here would give you enough information to confidently be able to find fish at speed.