Last Updated on July 27, 2022 by Donnell Henderson
Bass fishing is an exciting, popular sport, and technology is constantly changing to make it better. However, bass fishers sometimes know how tough it gets to bait fish, especially when you don’t have enough awareness of the basics.
The modern era has introduced fish finders and sonar units for their convenience and effective results. But not every fish finder is the same — some are useless, whereas some are a great help. So you not only have to buy a fish finder, you must use the fish finder correctly to correctly spot bass. Here is how you can do that:
Stick to the Basics in the Beginning
The most common mistake bass anglers make when using the fish finder for the first time is that they prefer and get into the advanced settings. It leaves them with complicated results.
It’s better to stick to the basic settings instead of the thousands of complicated options while on a fishing boat. Once you master sport fishing, knowing the structure, locating weed, and understanding depth and the drop-offs, you can proceed to learn more applications and tools on the fish finder.
Changing the Sensitivity
Tuning the sensitivity is essential to catch fish on the fish finder. Some fish finders even spot every small water species on automatic mode. It would be best to change the sensitivity by turning off the automatic mode.
Now increase it to 100%, then adjust accordingly until you get the distinct arch from the fish. When the sensitivity is set correctly, you get all the detailed information at the bottom.
Spot Changes
The best thing typical fish finders can do is track the changes in the bottom. You are doing great if you are using your FHS finder for that purpose. Irregularities like turns, ups and downs, and pointed terrains have higher chances of detecting the presence of bass. Even if it’s not near the shoreline, this irregularity of the terrain allows you to find more bass easily.
Look for Steep Drop-Offs
As we have discussed above, terrain irregularities have more fish. Steep drop-offs are also an exciting location. Once you begin moving away from the shore, look for the depth. If the bottom is sloping down, you may find numerous fish there.
Use the Water Temperature Tool
Most fish finders have water temperature tools, which help anglers find more bass. These cold-blooded sea creatures have higher metabolism rates in warm waters.
During summer, you can find them in 65 to 85 degrees of water, whereas during the cold season, they are found in waters around 50 to 70 degrees. The temperature feature of the fish finder will let you know where to look for bass.
Don’t Forget the Importance of Structure
Structure always comes first when it comes to bass fishing. It is normal not to find fish easily. But it would be best if you did not stop trying. It doesn’t mean you’re in the wrong place if you don’t see any bass, even on the proper structure.
It might be because of the quality issues. Try changing the settings on the split-screen to get efficient results. Forgetting the structure importance just because of the fish finder is never a good idea.
A Powerful Unit and Enough Pixels
The pixels and power of the sonar unit matter a lot when it comes to a good fish finder. Your fish finder should at least have 480*480 for proper imaging. You will not get good imaging and additional information when the fish finder has enough pixels. Also, the unit’s power must be sufficient for accurate and instant results. Otherwise, you will end up with false results.
Lines in Gray and Color
Structure finding is a feature that can help you improve your bass fishing skills. The grey and color lines on the fish finder differentiate the bottom from the fish, letting you focus on the structure properly while getting your hands on bass.
Side Scan
Some of the latest fish finder models have the “side scan” feature. But the tool is pretty helpful for anglers in finding more bass with a fish finder depending on your settings. Lots of fishes hide from a bass angler with no side-scan fish finder. But this game-changing feature helps you scan even underneath the boat.
You will get a chance to scan your sides to catch fish easily. It is one of the most impressive features of a fish finder, especially with modern models.
Telltale Arch
It might be a bass if you spot a telltale arch on the bottom terrain. However, using the down imaging feature will not get a telltale arch. Instead, there will be a blob, indicating a bass.
High-Quality Fish Finder
Don’t fall for those attractive options. There are many more options for fish finders, and every fish finder is manufactured differently. Buying any of them will not help you out. You should only go for a high-quality fish finder if you are a bass angler to catch more fish.
Thousands of features are not necessary, but the quality and accuracy are. Therefore, choose a fish finder with a powerful unit and the required features.
Tricking Bass
What if you don’t find any bass on the display screen of your fish finder? It could still be there. If you are a true bass fisherman, go for other methods to get your hands on bass. They can still be in the area if you have chosen the proper structure for fishing.
Don’t let them go just because there are none of them on the screen. Try to find other ways to trick them while not leaving the place.
Wrapping Up
You may still need some help to find bass on a fish finder, especially if you are a fishing beginner. It’s not always about a fish finder and the structure. A little help from a professional bass angler will show you what to do. Besides that, you are now well aware of some unusual tips and the basics of using a fish finder for effective results. So what are you waiting for? Grab a fish finder and get some bass most impressively.
