Topic: First Shots

[chuck41]

Went out yesterday to familiarize myself with my new 798ci.  Recorded about 3 - 4 hours of recordings and last night I went back to view some of it.  Picked up four images that show some possible "honey holes" for later use. 

My boat is a pontoon barge and the transducer is mounted on the end of the left pontoon.  The only place I can put it for now.  It is directly in line with the lower unit of the engine and with the location it is amazing to me it gets any image on the right side at all.  On the si images you can see the white line that is the transducer location and then the returns from the engine 3' to the right and the right pontoon three feet further over looking like three furrows in a plowed field.  I am having the boat modified to add a third pontoon in a couple weeks and will try to give a clearer path but for now am stuck with what I've got. 

I found many more interesting spots upon viewing in humviewer later than I saw on the lake.  Have a lot of learning to do as far as settings for best views.  Now my max speed is 5mph to get a side view on the right.  Beyond that the entire right side is obscured with interference from the stuff in line with the transducer.

[sonar2000]

Good pictures chuck41.......The depth is optimum for the displays. You should find some honey holes to fish later.  10 to 25 feet always show the best returns..
By the way,  picture #2....was this taken in a toilet bowl. don't know how you got your transducer in there looking upwards.     

chuck (sonar2000)

[slabbacks]

Sonar he should nickname that sweet spot the toilet hole    Don't see why a fish or two couldn't be pulled in from that last spot.

thx for the shots

[chuck41]

Good pictures chuck41.......The depth is optimum for the displays. You should find some honey holes to fish later.  10 to 25 feet always show the best returns..
By the way,  picture #2....was this taken in a toilet bowl. don't know how you got your transducer in there looking upwards.     

chuck (sonar2000)

Actually the si display on the fourth image is the one that got more comments from guys around here. I guess you see what you want to see in sonar pics.
 

[FlyFisher SLC]

Are you sure these aren't from a "Rorschach Test"   Too funny.

Interesting that we are both getting started with 798, and I too have that exact interference on the right side of my SI (interference on left SI is from fins).  Transducer was mounted on right side of pontoon.  I'll move it to left side and see what that does.  Any other thoughts?

[chuck41]

In my case the right side is almost totally obscured by the lower unit of the motor. It is amazing that I get anything at all. At speeds below 5mph my right view is not bad, all considered. Above 5mph the right becomes totally wiped out.

Flyfisher, what are "fins".  I scuba dive and understand swim fins but never heard of a pontoon boat with them. Does that get good gas milage?

Does the stuff on the right side clear up when you reduce the sensitivity a bit?

[FlyFisher SLC]

Below is my special pontoon.  You can "fin" it or put on a trolling motor and steer it with fins -- either way you have both hands free for fly fishing a lake.  On my first outing I went to a lake you must hike to (bare pontoon only weights 14 lbs.) and where motors of any kind are prohibited .  These are my favorite type of lakes in the Wasatch and Uinta mountain ranges, so this system works well for that purpose.

On first trip, transducer was in front of oar but next time it will be at the very back.

I wasn't seeing the interference as much on the display so didn't make any sensitivity adjustments, but after looking at it on HumViewer, I'll play with that setting.  Still, I'm amazed at the resolution and image quality that I'm sure will get better as I learn how to maximize settings for particular water conditions.