March 2, 2010
A Humminbird Fish Finder: Good Choice?
Fish finders have become so advanced and so affordable that every sport fisherman can own one. Using sonar signals, these depth finders give you a view under your boat so that you can locate fish easily, instead of having to guess where they might be. One of the most popular fish locators on the market today is the Humminbird fish finder. It is compact, and the durable design makes it ideal for small boats. In this article, we'll tell you how this great tool takes the guesswork out of finding a great fishing spot.
Humminbird produces ten different lines of electronic fish finders, each having several models within a line. The devices are made from sturdy, durable hard plastic that provides maximum protection from the elements and any possible damage that may occur on the water. Some lines of Hummingbird fish finders have stretch neoprene covers available to protect them from water damage. There are protective cases designed to cover the mounting assembly of the unit as well. The Humminbird finder is small enough to be used on speedboats, canoes and even inflatable boats, as the suction cup transducer will work with any material. This fish finder uses dual beam, fish finder sonar. One beam is a 60 degree beam to find the fish and the other is a 20 degree beam to accurately display the bottom and structure. This allows you to see if fish are hiding among weeds or in a concave on the floor of the water.
Getting your Humminbird fishfinder ready for action is quite an easy process that requires just a few tools. All the hardware that you will need comes with the kit. Start by pre-drilling holes and mounting your Humminbird fish finder. It should be placed in a spot that is easily accessible like near the steering wheel. Next, connect the electrical leads from the unit to the relay box of your boat. You must connect the power to a hot wire and the ground to your ground plate. Alternately, you can connect the leads directly to the battery. Finally, mount the Hummingbird transducer to the bottom of the boat. This is normally done at the rear of the boat in an unobstructed spot. To prevent leakage from the drill holes, seal the transducer with silicone. All you have to do then is route the cable from the transducer to the input of the view screen and screw it into the input jack.
After turning on the fish finder, look at the digital readings that appear on the screen. Depending on the Humminbird fishfinder model you have, these could be depth, water temperature and boat speed readings. These readings are based on the location of the transducer that sends sonar signals from the water to the fish finder. The line across the bottom of the screen is the floor of the lake, river or reservoir. The undulations on the screen mirror the terrain on the bottom. A thick, dark line represents a hard bottom, while a thin, light line indicates a soft bottom. Lines or other objects that extend up from the bottom likely are submerged timber, rocks or vegetation. Arches on the screen represent fish. On some models, you will see fish icons. The icons vary in size depending on the size of the fish. However, the device can sometimes mistake debris for fish.
If you encounter problems operating your Humminbird fish finder, then refer to the manual that comes with the kit. Often, resetting the unit to its default programming will correct issues like continuous beeping, incorrect display and power related problems. You can also check the pins, cable connections, accessories and voltage. However, Humminbird fishfinders are dependable products that you can count on. In just one trip, you'll find that you're catching more fish faster than you ever dreamed.
Kenny Leichester is a foremost expert in the interior design industry specializing in the outdoor or patio settings using outdoor patio heater, patio umbrellas, outdoor cushions, patio lighting and so on to create exquisitely beautiful layout. His articles and work for market umbrellas and so on are widely distributed and is a regular contributor to PatioShoppers.com.
Filed under Fly Fishing Vest by Brian