Sonar questions

[kroppe]

Hey all,

Just got my first sonar, Raytheon L365. I love it. I had it out today for about 6 hours in two different bodies of water. One was a medium sized lake and the other was a small pond, backwater of a creek.

First question: do any of you think the sonar is a distraction to fishing, or a beneficial tool? I was using it like a video game and staring at it most of the time. Maybe that will wear off after a while, but I always had the urge to look at the sonar the whole time I was fishing.

Second question: does sonar spook fish in shallow (15 feet deep or less), small bodies of water? I noticed the clicking sound of the sonar in the small pond, but not the larger lake.

Third question: what are the strongest benefits that you get from your sonar, and what tips do you have for using it? I think finding bottom drop-offs and structure is a good benefit. Also water temp is a very good thing to know. Marking fish I think is farther down the list due to false readings.

Fourth question: how many false fish readings do typical sonars give, using fish ID mode? Is it worth it to use fish ID mode, or switch it off?

Thanks for any and all replies.

[WALLEYE MIKE]

I too question the fish ID mode. I try to use the raw data, but I have yet to see an arch which is suppose signal a fish. With the fish ID mode I "see" many more fish. I have caught walleyes in 30-40 ft. in the river that did not even show up on the sonar. I have 20 degree cone angle so in shallow water I use it basically for depth. At 10 ft. it shows only a 3ft. circle on the bottom. I am going to start another thread to ask others what kind of sonar they have and if they like and trust what they have.

[jimbos43]

My Lowarnce arches the marks(fish) all the time. If it's just junk(weeds) it won't. It does work better in deeper water, such as salmon or laker fishing. As far as showing the small/medium/large fish marks, I never use it,showed every little blip as a fish.

I set the shallow alarm when working a shelf so I don't go hanging up a cannon ball, you can watch the grey line on the bottom to show what type of bottom your over.
False marks? I truly don't believe I get that many. No marks,usually no fish.
All I know is I couldn't live(fish)without it.

[stelmon]

Just outta curiosity, how much do you pay for these thing's?

[WALLEYE MIKE]

Anywhere from 100 to 500 dollars.

[stelmon]

Thank's Walleye Mike!!!

[Baydog]

Kroppe I just bought the Raytheon L365 , after my Hummingbird died. I paid 199.00 at Boaters World the cheapest place I found. One feature was you did not have to send back in to the company for the temp and speed transducers. They came with the raytheon unit all in one transducer. I have not got a chance to use it yet, but I hope it holds up better than the other two brands ( Hummingbird & Eagle) I had in the last five years. I,ll try it out on them Saginaw river walleyes next weekend. Report on it use then. BAYDOG

[ifish4eyes]

My suggestion is to get real fimilar with your graph, Learn it inside and out. This will take almost all the mystery out of it. So the question is would you go fishing with out a graph. Make it your best friend and it will aid you in catching fish wether in 15ft. or 150ft.