07-05-2009, 04:13 PM
[cool][#0000ff]The first sonar I ever used on a float tube was an old Humminbird flasher. It was heavy and bulky and I "mounted it" by simply balancing it on the front of my old round tube...hoping it would not take a dive into the water in a moment of piscatorial passion. It never did, but it definitely contributed to my fishing skills and convinced me that I should never go afloat without electronic eyes again.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Since that early milestone, I have owned or used a variety of different sonar systems...some on boats and others on tubes or toons. While I do not pretend to know everything there is to know about the finer points of "sonarology", I do know what features and benefits are meaningful to me...and whether or not I am willing to pay good bucks for needless bells and whistles. NOT.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Most sonar newbies approach buying a unit much like they do when buying their first float tubes. They do as much research as they can, before getting a headache, and then trust to a combination of budget, recommendations and personal study to make a decision. You would think that it would be better to spend more to get more, but the intimidation of the unknown tends to keep first sonar purchases on the "low end" side. And, that is not all bad. Once you learn the basics of sonar and how to use it, you can better appreciate what it will do for you and you can make a better informed decision when you "upgrade". [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]After a couple of decades of testing low end units suitable for tubing, I decided that I owed myself a better sonar system. But, I did not want to follow the boaters axiom "Nothing under $500 is worth buying". [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]For some time I had been following reports and reviews on the "midrange" Humminbird systems. Their 500 series has had a lot of good reviews, and when the 565 went on sale at Cabelas for $20 off the regular price of $199, I jumped on one. That made it only about $10 more than I spent on my still functioning Eagle Cuda 168EX...but with almost 3 times the power and with dual beam cones. It would seem to provide more accuracy and more fish ID capabilities. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The installation almost destroyed my enthusiasm. Setting up the detachable base, with all the wires and pin connectors, is very difficult...especially if you try to follow the vague instructions in the installation guide. It helped when I switched from the French version to English. It is one of those things that is terrifying if you have not done it, but so simple once you have done it once.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]One of my personal criteria for a good sonar system is the "default" settings. Will it work first time out of the box without a lot of tweaking? The answer for the 565 is YES. But, there are a few simple menu driven minor adjustments that most anglers will want to fine tune for their own preferences.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]At this point, I have used the 565 on four trips, on four different waters. Utah Lake was never more than 10 feet deep, and the unit did a good job of displaying bottom conditions and fish...without all of the false readings I was used to with the Eagle. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]On Willard Bay Reservoir, I fished from 11' to 20' and also was pleased with the readings. It did a great job of showing fish on the bottom, and also the weed growth in water less than 12 feet deep. It also defined some balls of shad and the larger fish lurking around the edges.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I was prepared for problems on Yuba Reservoir. That lake is so full of carp, at all depths, I thought I would have trouble defining species and fishing for the perch and walleyes. I was right, in that I saw a lot of fish suspended at all depths, as well as the fish on the bottom. But, I could easily guess them to be non-targeted carpkind. Fishing was off for everybody, but the 565 did show me some targets on the bottom that produced my only perch of the day. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Starvation Reservoir was where the 565 came into its own. The lake is high and there is a lot of new weed growth on the bottom in many areas. The 565 helped me locate dropoffs and weed lines, and actually showed fish down inside the weed beds. On several occasions, I was able to drop my lure down to fish holding on the bottom and generate a quick strike. And, when making a presentation to a couple of fish at middepth, I hooked one and was surprised that it was a perch suspending at middepth and not the anticipated chub.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Two features I am learning to love. One is the dual beam transducer. The 20 degree cone shows detailed bottom conditions and the wider 60 degree cone helps show fish around you that are not close enough to be within the 20 degree cone. Fish inside the 20 degree cone are displayed as solid dark fish icons. Those outside the 20 degree cone, but inside the 60 degree cone show as outlines of fish and not the dark ones. Much better when trying to get a feel for where the fish are cruising in water shallower than 15 to 20 feet.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The other "biggie" is the RTS...Real Time Sonar. It is a narrow strip along the right side of the display that acts like a flasher...displaying a line as a fish moves through and disappearing when the fish is gone. This is great for vertical jigging and ultimately could be a winner for ice fishing. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I am attaching some pictures of my installation. I am also including a picture of the screen, from the Humminbird website. Also including the PDF file manual. That makes a good read for anybody who wants to know more about basic sonarology, as well as the specifics of the 565.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Since that early milestone, I have owned or used a variety of different sonar systems...some on boats and others on tubes or toons. While I do not pretend to know everything there is to know about the finer points of "sonarology", I do know what features and benefits are meaningful to me...and whether or not I am willing to pay good bucks for needless bells and whistles. NOT.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Most sonar newbies approach buying a unit much like they do when buying their first float tubes. They do as much research as they can, before getting a headache, and then trust to a combination of budget, recommendations and personal study to make a decision. You would think that it would be better to spend more to get more, but the intimidation of the unknown tends to keep first sonar purchases on the "low end" side. And, that is not all bad. Once you learn the basics of sonar and how to use it, you can better appreciate what it will do for you and you can make a better informed decision when you "upgrade". [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]After a couple of decades of testing low end units suitable for tubing, I decided that I owed myself a better sonar system. But, I did not want to follow the boaters axiom "Nothing under $500 is worth buying". [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]For some time I had been following reports and reviews on the "midrange" Humminbird systems. Their 500 series has had a lot of good reviews, and when the 565 went on sale at Cabelas for $20 off the regular price of $199, I jumped on one. That made it only about $10 more than I spent on my still functioning Eagle Cuda 168EX...but with almost 3 times the power and with dual beam cones. It would seem to provide more accuracy and more fish ID capabilities. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The installation almost destroyed my enthusiasm. Setting up the detachable base, with all the wires and pin connectors, is very difficult...especially if you try to follow the vague instructions in the installation guide. It helped when I switched from the French version to English. It is one of those things that is terrifying if you have not done it, but so simple once you have done it once.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]One of my personal criteria for a good sonar system is the "default" settings. Will it work first time out of the box without a lot of tweaking? The answer for the 565 is YES. But, there are a few simple menu driven minor adjustments that most anglers will want to fine tune for their own preferences.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]At this point, I have used the 565 on four trips, on four different waters. Utah Lake was never more than 10 feet deep, and the unit did a good job of displaying bottom conditions and fish...without all of the false readings I was used to with the Eagle. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]On Willard Bay Reservoir, I fished from 11' to 20' and also was pleased with the readings. It did a great job of showing fish on the bottom, and also the weed growth in water less than 12 feet deep. It also defined some balls of shad and the larger fish lurking around the edges.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I was prepared for problems on Yuba Reservoir. That lake is so full of carp, at all depths, I thought I would have trouble defining species and fishing for the perch and walleyes. I was right, in that I saw a lot of fish suspended at all depths, as well as the fish on the bottom. But, I could easily guess them to be non-targeted carpkind. Fishing was off for everybody, but the 565 did show me some targets on the bottom that produced my only perch of the day. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Starvation Reservoir was where the 565 came into its own. The lake is high and there is a lot of new weed growth on the bottom in many areas. The 565 helped me locate dropoffs and weed lines, and actually showed fish down inside the weed beds. On several occasions, I was able to drop my lure down to fish holding on the bottom and generate a quick strike. And, when making a presentation to a couple of fish at middepth, I hooked one and was surprised that it was a perch suspending at middepth and not the anticipated chub.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Two features I am learning to love. One is the dual beam transducer. The 20 degree cone shows detailed bottom conditions and the wider 60 degree cone helps show fish around you that are not close enough to be within the 20 degree cone. Fish inside the 20 degree cone are displayed as solid dark fish icons. Those outside the 20 degree cone, but inside the 60 degree cone show as outlines of fish and not the dark ones. Much better when trying to get a feel for where the fish are cruising in water shallower than 15 to 20 feet.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The other "biggie" is the RTS...Real Time Sonar. It is a narrow strip along the right side of the display that acts like a flasher...displaying a line as a fish moves through and disappearing when the fish is gone. This is great for vertical jigging and ultimately could be a winner for ice fishing. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I am attaching some pictures of my installation. I am also including a picture of the screen, from the Humminbird website. Also including the PDF file manual. That makes a good read for anybody who wants to know more about basic sonarology, as well as the specifics of the 565.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
]) guy.