#Hummingbird depth finder how to
#Hummingbird depth finder install
#Hummingbird depth finder software

Tips and Tricks to Make the Most Out of Your Humminbird Fishfinder On most units, a yellow arch indicates a bigger fish. The colors your fishfinder uses will depend on what palette you have it set on. Many Humminbird fishfinders these days have color screens that will also color-code the fish arches for you to help make the difference more visible. If you want to target the biggest fish (obviously, you do), what you should look out for is the thickest arch. So, if the fish doesn’t swim all the way through your beam, you will also have partial and half arches. Remember that the screen shows you time, so a long arch simply means that the fish was in your beam for longer.Ī shorter arch represents a more quickly moving fish. Many people make the mistake of thinking long arches equal big fish. When a fish swims underneath your boat through your transducer’s beam, an arch will appear on your screen. In fact, many keen anglers will have this function available but never use it. Though, you can actually learn a lot more by reading fish arches instead. Fishĭepending on the model you have, you may or may not have fish ID technology that shows you a fish icon where the device thinks a fish might be. Right above this bottom line, you will see objects or lines that extend upwards from the bottom.Īctivity on your screen that seems to be attached to the bottom is usually a good indicator of underwater structure.Īs you know, identifying structures like this is excellent for finding fish that like to hang around in vegetation, sunken trees, or anything else that might be down there. The bottom substrate can also give you tips on what kinds of lures to use there. Later in the spring, you can find them hunting bluegill in mucky, soft bottoms. Knowing the difference between the two can help you track certain species of fish attracted to different bottoms depending on the season.įor example, you’ll find bass warming up and hunting crayfish around rocks during the pre-spawn early on in the season. Now take a look at the water’s bottom, or rather, the line that represents the water’s bottom on the screen.Ī fishfinder uses the strength of the return signal to tell you whether the bottom is hard or soft.Ī thick, dark line indicates a hard bottom, and a thinner, lighter-colored line represents a softer, muddy bottom. Still, a fishfinder tells you much more than just how far away the bottom is. If you’re on the lookout for a drop-off to fish at, you can simply troll around the lake watching the depth change. Simply having a depth finder aboard your boat is also an excellent help for finding drop-offs and honey holes. Knowing what depth your fish like to hang out in and what temperature water they like can also be a great help.

#Hummingbird depth finder how to

Knowing how to read a Humminbird fish finder screen to identify fish is one thing, but you’ll catch a lot more fish if you combine this information with knowledge. These numbers help you estimate the depth of a particular object or fish. You will have your current water depth in one corner, and the water temperature (usually) right below it.ĭown one side of the screen, you will also see ascending numbers from top to bottom. The first things you should familiarize yourself with on your Humminbird fish finder screen are the digital readings. Therefore, if you have a transom-mounted transducer, your reading will be from the back of the boat. Remember that what you are seeing is what the transducer sees. Then, it will slowly move off to the left as it is replaced by fresher updates. The transducer is constantly pinging information back and forth, and the newest information will always appear on the right-hand side of the screen. That way, the screen won’t change as much when you are looking at it, and your depth will be fixed. Learning how to read Humminbird fish finders is much easier if you are stationary in your boat.

How to Read a Humminbird Fish Finder Screen Most fishfinders will tell you the water depth and temperature and where underwater objects and fish are.

#Hummingbird depth finder software

It houses software with which to decode these signals. The head unit, which contains your display, is basically like a mini-computer.

The transducer sends and receives these sound signals and converts the sound into electronic signals.Īfter that, it sends these signals to the head unit.

#Hummingbird depth finder install

Your fishfinder will have a transducer that you install below the water line and a head unit that will most likely sit next to where you fish or troll from. Then, using the speed and strength of the return signals, it can intelligently decipher what’s down there. Sonar technology works by transmitting sound waves out into the water. Fishfinders can show you exactly what’s below your boat by using sonar technology.