How To Read A Fish Finder (Real Underwater Experiment)
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Fish Finders and Sonar
Most anglers think they know exactly what they’re looking at on their fish finder.
Fish… bait… structure… it all seems pretty clear.
But as Captain Peter Deeks shows in this video… it’s not always that simple.
Because in this case, you’re not just seeing the sonar screen… you’re seeing the exact same objects underwater as they show up on the fish finder in real time.
To see what you’re actually looking at on sonar (with real underwater proof), check out the video below!
Key Takeaways:
- A single fish doesn’t always look like you’d expect on sonar
- Bait schools can appear very similar to other clutter in the water
- Structure (like wood) can look convincing… but behaves differently
- Fish alarms can be helpful, but they’re not something to rely on blindly
- Understanding your environment matters more than trusting the screen
Final Thoughts
After watching this, it’s pretty clear…
Your fish finder isn’t the problem.
It’s how we interpret what we’re seeing.
Captain Peter Deeks does a great job showing that you can’t just rely on the screen to tell you everything. You’ve got to combine what you see with where you are, what fish should be there, and how they behave.
So next time you mark something under your boat…
Are you looking at fish?
Or just something that looks like one?
IMPORTANT REMINDER
The 2 core benefits we promise to Insider Club members is to be able to find and catch fish easier than ever before while saving money on fishing equipment.
So I am including links to the quickest ways to achieve each:
1) Finding Fish System
2) Insider Club’s Group Discounts
Related categories:
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish ever trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Great idea to be able to show the different markings 👍
Great stuff Capt!
That was very cool Peter! Thanks for doing those different displays.
I don’t have much experience with fish finders, but when I have seen them on someone else’s boat, it did seem difficult to differentiate what is what down there. I suppose experience will educate me when I get to that point.
As always, I appreciate Salt Strong’s educational videos!
When seeing fish where are they located? Under boat or which side or front or back?
this is very helpful!
Like to see some information on side scan settings
Thanks for putting together this informative video.
Very cool video, I use the fish ID cheater setting on my Lowance but would love to learn more about how to spot fish without it
Very informative and useful. Keep up the interesting research that most of us cannot do.