Sonar, down and side imaging, forward-facing sonar and GPS mapping: how fish finders work, how to read them and how to choose one.
A detailed contour map shows you points, humps and channels before you ever turn on the sonar. Here is how the main chart options compare and how to map a lake yourself.
You do not need a bass boat to use sonar. Here is how portable kits, kayak setups and castable sonar compare, what each one shows and where each one falls short.
Live sonar lets anglers watch fish react to a lure in real time. Here is how it works, what the three main systems offer, what a setup really costs and why it divides the bass world.
All three brands make capable fish finders. The real differences are in their imaging, live sonar, maps and trolling-motor ecosystems, and in which pieces work together.
A trolling motor that is too weak or too short makes every windy day a fight. Here is how to size thrust, voltage and shaft length, pick a mount and decide whether GPS anchoring is worth it.
A sonar screen is a scrolling history of echoes, not a photograph. Once you know what each shape and color means, the display becomes a map of where fish are holding.
The right battery keeps your fish finder running all day without weighing down the kayak. Here is the simple math, the lithium vs lead-acid trade-offs and the safety basics.
CHIRP is on almost every new fish finder, but the label covers several different things. Here is how a frequency sweep works, what it improves on screen and where its limits are.
Both views turn sonar into photo-like pictures, but they look in different directions. Here is what each does well, where each falls short and how to use them together.
Fish finders range from palm-size units to networked displays with live sonar. Here is how to match the sonar, screen, maps and transducer to the way you actually fish.
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