07-18-2004, 01:31 AM
[#0000ff]Hey Leaky, I suggest you spend a little time with the manual and the "demo mode" on the Cuda. It is not an exact science, but you develop a feel for what you are seeing, and how it relates to the fishing you are doing.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I use the fish icons too, rather than the other marks. I think there are 4 different size fishies. The absolute smallest are bait, and usually appear as several together. The next biggest ones are usually small fish up to about five or six inches. The middle size ones are usually at least 8 to 10 inchers and the largest are typically at least 12 to 14 inches. The system makes no distinction between a 12" smallie and a 12 pound carp.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The single greatest benefit I get from sonar is finding the depth of the water that is most productive, and at what level the fish are holding. Find that out and work it and you will stay in the fishy zone.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Sometimes you will find a pattern where the fish are holding right on the edge of a dropoff...say from where the water goes quickly from 10 feet down to 15 feet or more. That is usually associated with a temperature change and/or water chemistry changes. But, if that is where the fish are comfortable, you will do better fishing where they are.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]On the battery charge, most testers are designed to show only that the battery is putting out at least 12 volts. With the SLA batteries, they are fully charged at about 14 volts. If they drop below 12 volts...towards 11...you have probably used too much of the juice and may harm the battery. So, a testor that shows a battery in the "good" range may not be the best way to test it. As long as you put it on the charger as soon as you get home, and give it a little boost before you go again, to keep it in the high range, you should never have the battery go dead on you.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We will have to keep our eyes open for a suitable design for the Sparkster. I would be willing to bet that he would quickly take to being towed in a small one man life raft. Then comes the tackle selection.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I use the fish icons too, rather than the other marks. I think there are 4 different size fishies. The absolute smallest are bait, and usually appear as several together. The next biggest ones are usually small fish up to about five or six inches. The middle size ones are usually at least 8 to 10 inchers and the largest are typically at least 12 to 14 inches. The system makes no distinction between a 12" smallie and a 12 pound carp.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The single greatest benefit I get from sonar is finding the depth of the water that is most productive, and at what level the fish are holding. Find that out and work it and you will stay in the fishy zone.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Sometimes you will find a pattern where the fish are holding right on the edge of a dropoff...say from where the water goes quickly from 10 feet down to 15 feet or more. That is usually associated with a temperature change and/or water chemistry changes. But, if that is where the fish are comfortable, you will do better fishing where they are.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]On the battery charge, most testers are designed to show only that the battery is putting out at least 12 volts. With the SLA batteries, they are fully charged at about 14 volts. If they drop below 12 volts...towards 11...you have probably used too much of the juice and may harm the battery. So, a testor that shows a battery in the "good" range may not be the best way to test it. As long as you put it on the charger as soon as you get home, and give it a little boost before you go again, to keep it in the high range, you should never have the battery go dead on you.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We will have to keep our eyes open for a suitable design for the Sparkster. I would be willing to bet that he would quickly take to being towed in a small one man life raft. Then comes the tackle selection.[/#0000ff]
[signature]