Cannon Optimum downrigger Bottom tracking - Myth and Reality

[Gator]

I don't fish when I might encounter wind, or waves, or turns lol...

[Frogger]

4 hours ago, Gator said:

I don't fish when I might encounter wind, or waves, or turns lol...

😜

[outback kennels 2]

On 3/10/2021 at 11:06 AM, arni said:

Hello folks, I would like to share with you information I discovered (this is some sort of hidden by Cannon) regarding the Bottom Tracking feature. A few Cannon-sponsored videos on YouTube is just like video manuals provide no real value.

The guys shows how it works on anchored boats,   the most important cavity is the fact that it is not automatic. This info hidden by Cannon and cannon's advertisers in purpose to mislead people on functionality. Ironically no one in cannon support know much about bottom tracking except how to turn this future on and set it up. a. Let me disclose Cannon Bottom tracking feature Myth and Reality. let's start from cannon nicely wrapped Myth about convenience of Bottom Tracking. I am sure that everyone watched nice animation on Cannon site about how the bottom fishing works. Looks very promising and simple - you install Cannon transducer (or use Humminbird Helix instead off), turn ON bottom tracking on downrigger, set distance from the bottom, set Offset Distance value and vuala - you done. Isn't sounds simple ? Yes.

 

 Not sure if you know this already but Offset Distance means your weight blowback factor (push back while your boat in motion caused by hydrodynamic resistance of water column to the weight you're dragging through the water). Therefore you need manually to calculate this value using provided blowback chart table. Because of blowback value heavily depends on your trolling speed, underwater flows, and wind you will endup with 30-35 percent error in your calculation. This error is sufficient to either keep your weight too high, above desired distance for the bottom (best case scenario), or too low - cause your weight drop on the bottom. When its on the bottom, it will stuck instantly in junks or rocks. If you are lucky, you will take back your line and hook up one more weight before you will lose it again; if you are not lucky you will damage your downrigger boom and some other parts. Be aware that Cannon sonar will not track you weight position, including blowback and automatically adjust it to selected distance from the bottom.  It wood be too nice to have it. Probably Cannon left this to the next release to force us to spend another couple of thousands on a new toy.

I run my cannon for bottom tracking and the run flawlessly been running them for years