Fish Hawk XD4 readings....

[times two]

So, ran two different depth raiders for last 10-11 years or so....decided to make the move to the 

Fishhawk XD4 after fishing deeper than I ever have any time, this year in WIlson.

 

Get back home to Lake Erie...and finding the down speed is way different that I knew with 

the DR.  

 

Anyone have experience making this switch and what did you find?

 

I'm easily 1.0 mph faster on probe.....

 

John

 

[Gill-T]

PM Jerry Felluca on this site.  He traditionally has run two probes at the same time (subtroll and Fishhawk) and probably has the differential. I have a subtroll and have noticed that my buddies fishhawk shows a faster speed.  When comparing spoon action at the boat, 2.25 mph subtroll seems like 2.7 mph fishhawk.  The difference could be calibration testing between units during fabrication or perhaps the units are not measuring the same thing knots-per-hour vs miles-per-hour?  In the end you fall back on the speed that works for reproducibility so you need to adjust your view to your new view on speed shown on the fishhawk.  

[Dirtyhooker]

Fishhawk averages .5 faster than Depthraider


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Sk8man]

I'll just throw this out there as the actual physical speed may not really be all that important,or at least not as important as some folks may think. First, what is most important with any of these devices is repeatability from the standpoint of if something worked at that particular point or speed on the indicator you desire to return to it hoping for more success. Although calibration may be a consideration between say two different instruments being run at the same time  and it ,may make it easier on your brain to process two things saying the same thing, even having the two instruments in synchronization calibration-wise may not end up with the same physical reading on your display because when turning even slightly in current the probes will often run at slightly different speeds according to the side of the boat they are on.Two boats having their units synchronized may give different readings when run from different boats side by side just because of hull design variations or downrigger wire diameter differences so one persons data may not be relevant to the other boat.. The whole fascination with physical accuracy may be a red herring in this case as it is relative speed on whichever device you have faith in that is the most important variable.Having two devices running at the same time may not be any more advantageous as being able to rely on one device you have faith in.  Returning to that reading is critical regardless of the instrument being used. Surface speed is probably always going to be quite different than that at the probe and the deeper you go the more it may vary as it true also with the degree of underwater current encountered, and it can perhaps vary according to braid on one rigger vs. wire on another and between two different probe designs creating different amounts of resistance in the water or two different rigger weights. Slight differences in the freedom of movement of each impeller on the probe can create a reading difference on the display (e.g. especially if a little grass or debris is on it)  The reason I am saying this stuff is directed at newbies believing that all these "gizmos" are the "cats azz" and are infallible and "bulletproof" answers to success and the concept of "more is better"

Edited June 11, 2019 by Sk8man

[Gill-T]

I have tried trolling with a cat’s asz and the little bugger would hang onto the swim platform for a little while then just give up. I will stick with my discontinued Subtroll. 

[Sk8man]

[times two]

Gill-T:

That was the discussion we had on the boat....that we need to find whatever that "new"

speed is that works.....and then target that.

 

John

[hawkeye625]

John,

I ran the x4 alongside my depthraider and found the x4 to run .5 to .6 faster.  I just calibrated the x4 to match the depthraider..now they run close to the same.  The x4 seems to jump around a bit more, but, they are close now.

Jeff