Sounder Advice Please?
Hi Ppls
With all the posts about sounders happening at the moment, it's got me thinking about my old man's set up. He has an old black and white GME cheapy about 8 or 9 years old which he bought when he got the boat (not sure what model). The boat is a 5.3m Trailcraft runabout with the transducer mounted at the transom to the right of the motor.
The boat is parked in Dawesville and if we're lucky, we will get out wide from the Cut maybe half a dozen times a year. We have struggled to find any decent ground out there over the last 12 years and although we don't get out that much, I put a lot of it down to his sounder. We can only read the sounder at very low speeds and even then, the pictures aren't that great which obviously makes it very slow going when trying to sound out new ground.
Since joining this forum, I get the feeling that a decent sounder (and knowing how to read it) plays a very important part in being able to find some good fishing grounds especially out from Dawesville. That's why I want to do something about it.
So, I guess what I am after is some advice as to what you would do? Would it be worth moving the transducer? And if so, where to? Would a new sounder (ie the 585) and transducer read easier at higher speeds? Etc etc? Trying to convince the old man of any changes might prove difficult. What ever I/we end up doing would have to be a great improvement to justify any cost because he doesn't like spending money unless he really has to. I can just picture him shaking his head at me for spending money when his sounder works perfectly well??? Any help is appreciated.
Cheers
I fish for the future - Cause I can't bloody catch anything!
MattMiller
Posts: 4171
Date Joined: 15/06/09
Put it this way Wazzabat
when that first 10kg+ Dhuie comes over the side at a lump or school of fish you've never seen before the money you've spent seems irrelevent.
Save some coin, get a Furuno and you wont look back.
wazzbat
Posts: 977
Date Joined: 19/01/10
I'm hearing ya. Just gotta
I'm hearing ya. Just gotta convince the old man. Will we get a decent reading at higher speeds with a newer/better setup or is that just because of the way the tranduser is mounted at the moment? ie.) Are we getting no signal at speeds at the moment because it's a cheaper sounder/transducer or is purely the positioning of the transducer. ATM we have to slow down to about 8 knots to get a picture???
I fish for the future - Cause I can't bloody catch anything!
MattMiller
Posts: 4171
Date Joined: 15/06/09
Sounds to me
like all of the above. If the Transducer is in the 'correct' position you should get a decent reading up to @20 knts regardless of how 'good' the sounder is.
You could go for the cheaper FCV620 Furuno @ $1000? Basically a smaller FCV585 but can only run a 600kw tranny. Should be more than sufficient for what your after.
Have a quick look here -
http://fishwrecked.com/forum/furuno-fcv-620-fcv-585-back-stock-oceanside-tackle-marine
wazzbat
Posts: 977
Date Joined: 19/01/10
I'm guessing a 600W would be
I'm guessing a 600W would be fine because we only fish up to 45m at the deepest but the majority beeing anything between 20m and 35m.
I fish for the future - Cause I can't bloody catch anything!
hlokk
Posts: 4293
Date Joined: 04/04/08
The transducer power can
The transducer power can affect the reading at speed, but it will mostly be the transducer position. What will happen is that when you get on the plane the sounder wont be sitting in the water in the idea position, or it could have bubbles and turbulence over it. Have a look when you're moving and see if you can figure it out. Mine worked better by going lower.
The best way to convince him for a new sounder is to go out on a boat with someone with a 585 who knows where to find fish, then point out how good it is ;) A good colour sounder will be a massive improvement over a B&W sounder for looking at ground and figuring out whether its good or not. Of course, you still need to find the rises.
wazzbat
Posts: 977
Date Joined: 19/01/10
Thanks for your comments
Thanks for your comments guys. I might email this page to him
.
I just recieved an email from him now in reply to me saying we need a new sounder.
"If you want to find fish in Mandurah get yourself a GPS for your car so that you can find your way to a fish shop. "There are no fish in Mandurah"
I fish for the future - Cause I can't bloody catch anything!
fishy fingers
Posts: 1719
Date Joined: 28/04/07
I think your pissing into the wind
the older they get the more set in thier ways they get.
Lamby
Posts: 3145
Date Joined: 04/08/09
Yes pearl of wisdom from ff,
Yes pearl of wisdom from ff, stubborn old bastards at that. Wazzbat cowboy up & put a furuno 620 on that puppy & tell him he will be offloading his future dhuie fillets to you until he has paid off your kind gesture!
wazzbat
Posts: 977
Date Joined: 19/01/10
Ha ha. I like it.
Ha ha. I like it.
I fish for the future - Cause I can't bloody catch anything!
JohnF
Posts: 2841
Date Joined: 07/07/10
Mate, a 600 W 620 will be
Mate, a 600 W 620 will be finefor more than just shallow stuff. Me and another on this site only have 600 kW trannies (620 and A70), and fish in over 100m and can see fish quite clearly in those depths. Can hold bottom at 20 knots in 50m water.
Contender 25T - good hezza boat
Simon C
Posts: 801
Date Joined: 01/05/07
Just buy it yourself mate, if
Just buy it yourself mate, if your old man is supplying the boat etc, least you can do is shout a sounder then you can both enjoy it. FCV 620 will be more than adequate and are not hard to install yourself. Understand if funds are limited it is a lot of coin but there are some pretty good bargains out there both in aus and overseas. Pretty sure if you caught more fish you would get out a lot more than 6 times a year.