I picked up my first sonar unit yesterday. I went with the hummingbird 565. I rigged it for the ice borrowing tubedudes basic idea from his recent post. Took it up to the berry for a few hours this afternoon and tinkered with it--slow fishing, but I managed a couple.
Question for those of you familiar with this unit: whats the secret to being able to see your jig? There were a couple of times I could see my jig but most of the time I could not. I had the sensitivity almost maxed out. One drop I was able to see the jig go all the way to the bottom and could see on the real time window every time I moved it. Then I watched a fish take it -- that was cool! -- but after I landed the fish, I couldn't see the jig when I dropped it back down. Any tips are appreciated.
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I've not worked with the birds before, but my guess is that your ducer was out of alignment. Perhaps the fishy smacked it around and knocked it off kilter. That would be the first thing I would check. If that is all good, I don't know what to tell you.
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Not familiar with humminbird much but would love to tinker with a 987c SI Combo if you pick one up . If the unit has a auto feature turn it off first thing . It will help I bet . I love to play with fish finders . Maybe we could hook up sometime on a weekend . Read the manual and see what it has for features . I can see my jigs with a old Fishing buddy II so I sure you can too .
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I own the H 565 and I have my sensitivity set on 5 of 20 most of the time. Play with the transducer and make sure it is lined up good. I drill a hole right next to mine, play with my jig until I get a good signal, then build up some snow around the pvc pipe and don't touch it. Works awesome.
You shouldn't need to set your sensitivity very high. On 5, with double hook ups I can watch both jigs with ease, see the fishes reaction to both on the real time screen, which one it wants, etc.
The 565 is one awesome unit and I think it's the best of all worlds. You shouldn't have to change the factory default settings much. Also, another tip, set your real time screen to wide (if you haven't already). The strength of the signal goes out to the right and is a huge bonus when trying to locate your jig. I have to turn my senstitivy down to 1 when in shallow water and using big tube jigs! [
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Since I own that unit, holler with any questions. Like any new finder, it will take a bit to learn its ins and outs, etc.
F4F
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Thanks for the quick responses. I'm sure it's to do with the transducer alignment. I'm going back to the berry bright and early tommorow (probably around the marina) and I'll fiddle with it some more. I really like the unit so far. The recommendation of you and others on this site is what prompted me to get this particular unit, so thank you. I'm sure I'll have more questions as time goes on.
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Good luck tomorrow- just for reference, I use setting 5 on sensitivity, real screen wide, auto depth, fish ID on and run it in dual mode (hollow being the wide beam). Most of these are all defaults anyway.
Just align your tranducer first thing with your jig. Keep in mind it will tell you your jig is a fish every now and then, especially with movement. In no time at all, you will see the difference between your jig, the fish, all that. That real time screen is something else huh?
Have fun and again, good luck! [
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F4F
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Scotty, one more thing that F4F didn't mention was the noise filter. I was messing with mine a while ago and if I turned it to high I would loose my jig. I ended up turning it back down to low. I think that is in the advanced screen, so if you leave it in the basic mode it should be fine.
It is pretty dang cool to see a fish come up and grab the jig isn't it!
F4F, we'll have to get together sometime I would like to see how you have your settings and see if there is anything I am missing.
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Elkoholic- Good point on the noise filter. Mine is set on the default from the factory, but it will definitely effect things. Anxious to see how he did today and if he had better luck with the settings.
I'm all for hooking up sometime. Plus, we can talk hunting. I like to ice fish, but elk hunting is still priority #1! If we hunted in the winter, I might not fish! LOL
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Not to cause a ruckus here but I would try turning the fish symbols off. Learn to read your sonar without them. you'll see a lot more without those pesky fish symbols cluttering up your screen. The problem with the fish symbols on is that everything the sonar sees is interpreted as fish. I think most veteran vertical jiggers will agree that the fish symbols are nothing more that a selling point that could hinder your fish catching abilities. [/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Your ability to distinguish your jig, suspended fish and any activity on the bottom are more easily distinguished once you learn to read what "the lines" are telling you.[/size][/black][/font]
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Well, I just got back. It was a slow day as far as the fishing, and COLD! I did figure out what I was doing wrong yesterday. I'm brand new at using a finder, but I figured out that I just need to position the transducer like F4F said untill I can see the jig and then stabalize it so it wont move. The cold did that pretty quick by freezing it in tight. I was able to see my jig and flasher in the real time screen the whole time-- pretty cool. I only caught 2 fish, but one of them appeared on the screen suspended half way up and I reeled up to him and caught him. What a kick in the pants that was! Definetly glad I got the finder and thanks again for your guys help. I did lower the sensitivity down to 5 like you recomended and it still showed my bait on the RT screen.
I think either the marina area is slowing down from all the fishing pressure, or I'm not doing as well cause I'm not moving around as much. Definetly hard on the arms and back to drill more than a couple of holes through the ice with the wally special hand auger. Maybe I just need to work out[
] I didn't measure the ice, but it seemed to be around 18+ inches with a foot or so of snow on top. Time for me to try some different areas.
BTW, someone 'hunted' down a mature bull right by the bottom of Daniels Canyon with their vehicle. Looked to be a 5 or 6 pt. Hard to tell with the damage to the horns. Kind of interesting I thought. I don't see alot of bulls the victim of road kill.
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BLM- That's a good point, but have you seen the new Humminbirds with the real time screen? The fish ID isn't like old versions, the lines still appear, the arch, "cloud", greyline, everything a veteran finder user wants to see. The nice thing is the fish ID gives you depth. Yes, you don't need it and can turn on depth lines (which I do), but I like seeing the exact depth really quick on a strong signal. Older finders don't let you see the grey lines and fish ID at the same time. For example, my old Fishin buddy didn't. The new Humminbirds also use greyscale to help show strength of the signal as well. That's very nice. Combining all of these features makes them one deadly unit IMO. People can get caught up in the Fish ID world and I totally agree with you on certain units, but I think in the H565 world it isn't an issue.
Also and just as important, if you want to use the dual beam (which I really like), you have to have Fish ID on to show the fish around you in hollow. These signals don't show lines since it's the secondary beam. I want to see this beam to show me depths of suspended fish. With it off, this option goes away.
Not the best picture, but it gets the point across. Also, I catch all my fish using the real time screen or flasher type mode. The left screen is just "history" and helps me determine what the fish did when I did something and gives me depths. Fish in the real time screen and learn on the rest of it. [crazy] That came out corny but it's true!
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ScottP- Sweet man- even though the fishing was slow, glad to hear it wasn't a serious issue with your finder, just the transducer.
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]The features you are raving about have been standard features on Lowrance finders for years. What does knowing the exact depth do for you? Whether you have a number in front of you or not, you still reel up to suspended fish by watching the jig come up to the fish. When I use sonar to vertical jig, I turn off everything. Depth lines, fish symbols, everything. I don't think you need all that added clutter because there is only two things you want to see. The fish and the jig. Nothing else matters.[/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]I'd like to know how you see an arch on a stationary finder? Also greyscale can be a good thing but it can also clutter the screen when you get more than one fish very close to one another. More times than not, greyscale can give a false reading if there are several fish in close proximity. Again, more data than you need to get the job done.[/size][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]If using all the features your sonar has to offer works for you than that's great but there is another school of thought that believes all those feature are a distraction and detracts from what's really important. Everyone should learn to use their sonar and determine what feature work and do not work best for them. [/size][/font]
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I understand these features have existed for years, but this discussion is about the H565 and it's features. Only trying to point out it's features, uses and that in my opinion the Fish ID doesn't hinder you at all. That's just history and classic LCD stuff.
My point revolves around the use of the real time screen. All I see in that screen is my jig and the fish- nothing else. You have it in wide mode and it's like a flasher with the LCD history right next to you. Why wouldn't you want the "best of both worlds"? I don't use the LCD history to fish, I use the real time screen. I watch my jig, the fish, it's reaction, the old watching the fish come and knowing your going to get hit before he does, etc. Again, nothing is in that screen but what you are describing yourself.
BLM- I respect your opinion and know exactly what you are saying. I was the same way, but think the H565 gives me options I didn't have before. The best of both worlds IMO without cluttering my screen with nosense or things I don't need.
P.S. Look at the pic above on the right side. It's alot wider than that, but that's all I use.
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]I'd like to know how you see an arch on a stationary finder? [/size][/font] [/reply]
See them all the time on my finder. I don't understand why you couldn't? Fish swims by under the transducer is no different than you driving over a stationary one in the boat. Typical arch, weak signal to strong to weak again as it swims by. I prefer the 1/2 arch though... weak, strong, fish on! [
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Again, that's all "history" on the screen and not used to catch fish the way I use my finder.
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Arches, typically seen on fishfinder are a result of a moving boat. the sonar cone hits the fish and as it moves across the fish, it creates the arch as the density of the fish increases and tapers off from the signal. A stationary signal creates a line. The line can increase in width but the "typical" arch associated with sonar never tapers on, increase to full density of the body and tapers off like the classic arches seen on a moving boat.[/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Hey, there's no reason to get pumped up because a different point of view is expressed that differs from yours. You may have a good system that works for you but it doesn't hurt to hear other ways of doing things. A lot of us have been doing what you're doing for a long time too and feel we may have a little info to offer someone who is just learning the ropes. Yes, this discussion does concern your 565 finder but it also discusses best practices in using sonar... all brands. As for this subject, I'm through. I've said 10X more than I originally intended.[/size][/black][/font]
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I'm not pumped up, just good conversation in my book. Yes, I see arches all the time, but that's not for discussion. I'm not trying to argue, just point out that the H565 has the features to let you do alot, see alot and was originally only answering that, in the case of this unit, FishID's, depth lines, all that crap are not in the way like older models. Others might be interested in this unit and I was just trying to clarify those points in regards to this unit.
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Hey Thanks for the tips and your opinion BLM . As always , I fish with fish symbols off . You would be amazed at how many I find fish with it on . "Not to cause a ruckus here" [cool] but have you seen the Humminbird 981C SI and 987C SI Combo . I played with one at Cabela's the other day . Looks pretty cool with bottom revealing topography and structure with picture-like detail . Fishfinders have come a long way . I will have to wait till they come down in price a lot . So I will hang with lowrance till then .
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]You're absolutely right, Randy! A guy in the market for a new finder had better seriously consider the new Hummingbirds. It was a good move when they took over Zercom and their technology. Before that, they produced a lot of junk.[/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Saw you were on Pineview. See any tigers on the screen? Where did you fish?[/size][/font]
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No tigers , just punk perch but a few 9"ers . Found something suspending off the bottom and it was big on the screen . Only had one hard hit and I missed it go figure . Need to get me a camera this week and check it out next time . Might of been a school of crappie but it was about 8' thick on the screen . I was over around the corner of .........[
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