Check my Transducer location

[jigstick]

Can you guys critique my transducer location for my Garmin Chirp DI/SS ducer? 

 

Im getting fantastic marks in shallow water. 60ft and less.  Out deeper it’s hit or miss. Either I’m not driving over fish or the angle is off on the ducer. We killed salmon the other day but had very few marks. Even with the riggers firing. My balls aren’t showing up either. 

 

This is all on Chirp. I plan on going to 50hz next time out to see if I get better marks. But with chirp I should be marking more I think. 

[sennap1]

Think it’s too high - I like to mount with the bottom surface of the ducer just below the hull and it could be tilted rear up a little too. 50 hz would give you the best cone angle to see riggers & more fish


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[Todd in NY]

The right half of your ducer should be slightly below the bottom edge of the transom. That would put the left half of your ducer slightly above the bottom edge of the hull.

 

It looks like you have enough room on your metal bracket to lower the ducer a little bit.

[jigstick]

Ok I think I can do that with the bracket where it is. If not, I’ll move the bracket down on my stern saver. 

 

Should the ducer be placed parallel to the keel?  I held a framing square on the bottom of the hull and leveled the bottom of the ducer onto it. Should I angle it up or down to focus the beam forward or aft?

[sennap1]

Angle it slightly so the cone of sound aims aft to see the rigger weights. But not so much to distort your depth reading too much


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[Todd in NY]

Some people angle it backwards, or forward... I angle mine straight down, horizontal as the boat sits in the water. I use a fish finder to mark fish, bait and structure. It's personal preference, so no right or wrong way as long as you "see" what you want your fish finder to show you.

 

A properly adjusted transducer can show some fantastic fish arches and bait, like this...

 

 

Edited June 13, 2019 by Todd in NY

[Netbender]

+1 lower a bit and angle rear down about 5 degrees, (mounted when on trailer) so level when trolling at 2.5mph, is what I have found to work. 

 

Dave

Edited June 13, 2019 by superhawk18

[sherman brown]

I put mine just low enough that its just at the bottom of the boat. I angle it up in the front so it doesn't get turbulence under the transducer. I don't care where my riggers balls are. thats why they put counters on the riggers. I use 13# pancake weights so I don't get a lot of blowback.

[Rookie Fisherman]

Another note. If having trouble seeing fish/marks in deeper water turn up the Gain, don't be afraid to get the screen a little dirty you will see more marks on it.

[jigstick]

That's another question I have for you guys.  ive seen pictured posted of peoples screens showing incredible marks.  My transducer is a high wide CHIRP with a frequency range of 150-240khz.  I can run it in CHIRP mode which sweeps this range...or I can run it on 200khz.  I get fantastic marks in shallow water on lake erie...ie 65ft and shallower.

 

When I get much deeper I seem to mark a lot less.  I mark very little when im on Ontario I never mark fish that are deep...say 90-120ft down. 

 

I really wish my transducer would do lower chirp frequencys.  or at minimum 50 or 80khz standard sonar.  but it doesn't.  The Garmin website states my sonar has a range of 1500ft in fresh water.  Should I be using a different transducer?  I have the gains and power turned up as high as it will go.  I think its a 300watt CHIRP transducer.

[Andre wallyandre]

From Lowrance:

[Andre wallyandre]

I use a Airmar TM-150 and I'm very satisfy.

As Chirp continues to redefine recreational fishing, AIRMAR has expanded the lineup of broadband transducers to satisfy the growing demand for this game changing technology. New to the market are the B150M and TM150M, economical Chirp transducers designed for offshore fishing and freshwater anglers. Operating at a frequency range of 95-155 kHz, these transducers reveal fish in shallow, murky waters at medium depths (up to 2,500 feet*) along with ultra-clear target resolution.

This is a Transom Mount model in the Chirp product line. The TM150 is an excellent choice for freshwater anglers and Chirps across the following bandwidth:

95-155 khz

[sherman brown]

20 minutes ago, wallyandre said:

From Lowrance:

that bottom is just the way I have mine mounted.

[jigstick]

I understand the frequency ranges.  What Im asking is if people using CHIRP ducers with a range similar to mine are having good results in deeper water.  Garmin said I should have no problem marking throughout the water column out to 600fow with my current Chartplotter and transducer.  Maybe my transducer location is holding me back....or a setting I have wrong.

[Andre wallyandre]

Screen capture with the TM 150 on a fix freq over 300ft of water

 

[jigstick]

The lowest I can go is 200khz traditional sonar or use my chirp which sweets 150-240khz. 

[Chas0218]

1 hour ago, jigstick said:

I understand the frequency ranges.  What Im asking is if people using CHIRP ducers with a range similar to mine are having good results in deeper water.  Garmin said I should have no problem marking throughout the water column out to 600fow with my current Chartplotter and transducer.  Maybe my transducer location is holding me back....or a setting I have wrong.

What do you consider deeper? I was fishing over 212 fow and had nice defined marks at 120' down. I couldn't pick up my rigger balls at that depth but could see fish marks. Had about 6 wraps of 150' of rigger line left on the spools so I would imagine they had to be close to 120' with the 16lbs. balls. The thermocline was showing at 80' and we were picking up fish well below it.

 

OP I would go lower by about 1" or close to where the transducer top is almost level with the bottom of the boat. If you go too low you will rooster tail, too high like you have it won't read bottom when running.

Edited June 13, 2019 by Chas0218

[jigstick]

What frequency were you on?  I think my transducer isn’t the proper frequency or something. 

 

I lnow 50-77khz is plenty long enough wavelengths to penetrate any water depth on the Great Lakes. And show good marks. Detail and target separation won’t be as good as the higher frequencies....but we aren’t fishing for bass here. 

 

My chirp transducer won’t ping at frequencies below 150khz. Garmin is telling me that even with a high wide angle chirp transducer pinging between 150-240khz at 300 watts that I should have no problems marking at any depth in Lake Ontario. But I’m not able to do so. So I’m trying to figure out the problem. 

[Traveling Circus]

1 hour ago, jigstick said:

What Im asking is if people using CHIRP ducers with a range similar to mine are having good results in deeper water. 

Yes. 

I'm running the same transducer to a Garmin Echomap Plus 93SV, in CHIRP, and marking fish from the bottom to the top in 130 FOW........... last weekend.

There were plenty of lakers on the bottom where I was last weekend.........

[jigstick]

10 minutes ago, Traveling Circus said:

Yes. 

I'm running the same transducer to a Garmin Echomap Plus 93SV, in CHIRP, and marking fish from the bottom to the top in 130 FOW........... last weekend.

There were plenty of lakers on the bottom where I was last weekend.........

 

Youre running the Garmin GT52HW TM transducer to a Garmin Echomap 93SV?  That’s the same setup I have. 

[Chas0218]

6 minutes ago, jigstick said:

 

Youre running the Garmin GT52HW TM transducer to a Garmin Echomap 93SV?  That’s the same setup I have. 

With the new units you have to change the settings when fishing elements change. So when I'm fishing in shallower water 50 fow or less I have to turn down the gain and other settings where if I'm fishing deeper water I turn up the gain and make a few other changes. I also run split screen downvision and digital sonar. I like the digital sonar for the details but the downvision is nice with structure around.

[Traveling Circus]

13 minutes ago, jigstick said:

Youre running the Garmin GT52HW TM transducer to a Garmin Echomap 93SV?

Yes..... On Erie for eyes/perch and LO for salmon/trout......  

[jigstick]

When on Lake O in 400fow can you mark fish 120ft down?  Are using Chirp at that depth or straight 200khz?

 

wonder what setting I don’t have correct. I must be doing something wrong. I’ll deop my ducer another 1in and add some cant to it but I’m not sure that’s going to correct my issue. 

[Traveling Circus]

Always on CHIRP. 

I don't recall ever "not believing" the machine. I think it's marking fish where it should when it should.....

[jigstick]

I was on Lake O last weekend and murdered mature kings all morning and only marked maybe 3 fish. And my riggers were firing all day long. I think I should have marked more than I was?