Once you put your boat into the water, what do you do next? Many times I go to the dark shaded area of the shoreline. Or I hit the marsh area of the lake in anticipation of the tug on my fishing pole, and hoping to catch the big one. Yet it can take me all day strolling the lake, river or ocean to find the right spot. I pull my boat out of the water at the end of the day, once more discouraged in my catches. I just could not find the fish, that one big fish.

My quest for the big fish went on for years until one day I went out with a friend, and on his boat he had this device that looked like a little TV set. I questioned him on what it was and he told me it was a fishfinder. He shared with me that this was an electronic device that could look beneath the the boat and by sonar could detect the underwater terrain, and the depth of the water under the boat. It could also show schools of fish that were swimming around below the boat. I got very excited and wanted one now.

As soon as I hit land, I went to my computer and looked up fishfinder, and reviewed the many brands available. There was one brand that caught my eye. I found the many styles of fishfinders ranging from single frequency combos, to units that had a GPS mapping ability for coastal and inland navigation. I really liked the idea of the concept of advanced sonar technology with the abilities to display detail and definition. Knowing that underwater viewing varied from 600 to 1000 feet, and the advantages of viewing at different angles. Actually it was like watching TV. There were ice fishfinders also. I am getting very excited.

While further investigation into fishfinders the Lowrance GPS Fishfinder was the choice of mine, I was amazed at the different options of cost and the selection. When you purchase a fishfinder, be it a Lowrance or another manufacturer, be assured that when you lower your boat into the water with one of these tools on your boat, your quest for the Big One will be found. I bought a Lowrance GPS fishfinder that met my needs and my pocket book, and as soon as I put my boat into the water with my new fishfinder I reeled in a lot of fish and YES the Big One was finally mine. It was this BIGGGGGG.

If you have never had the experience with a fishfinder, know that it is one of those fishing tools that is worth every penny. I will never leave shore with out one.

All About Fishfinder Transducers Mounting and Performance
By Susan Polk

Sound waves are shot into the water by a sensor, also known as a transducer. Fish, depth and underwater terrain can be detected by the fisherman on the boat. Transducers are attached to your boat in several different ways.

1. Transom mount transducers are attached by bolting onto the outside of the transom, this is below the bottom line of the boat. Ideal for small boats with out board motors, or any trailer boat.

2. Thru-Hull mount transducers are bolted through the hull of the boat forward of the prop. Ideal for the larger boats, especially for the in-board motors.

3. In-Hull mount transducers are glued inside the bottom of the boat where it actually shoots sound waves through the hull into the water. Ideal for solid fiberglass hulls.

With basic hand tools and some construction knowledge most people can install the transducers themselves.

All fishfinder products, when purchased at a fishfinder store, come with the proper manuals, and you should always mount your transducer while your boat is out of the water. If unsure of your skills, refer to a qualified boat mechanic.

There are some fishfinders that come with dual beam transducers, such as the Garmin Dual Beam 440c.

The Furuno offers the only Tri-ducer on the market that is a transom mount fishfinder. The Interphase iScan fishfinder offers a product that has 2 transducers that are mounted on each side of the keel. This product gives you 180 degree horizontal scanning ability. Whatever your choice is in Fishfinders, keep in mind what performance you are looking for and the type of mounting you will want on your boat.

HOW DOES A PORTABLE FISHFINDER WORK?

I really wish I had known more about the portable fishfinder when I would do my fishing off the shore of the lake or off the Santa Cruz pier. These inventive products use the same theory as the boat attached transducers, yet you can take these anywhere you want to fish. Where as the boat attached fishfinders can only operate in one place, and that is in the boat they are attached to. The unique advantages to the portables are they can be hand held, attached to your fishing pole, or taken onto a boat with the use a portable transducer that is thrown into the water, or place down onto the side of the boat with the fishfinder attached by a clamp which attaches to the boat. While investigating the different brands I came upon the Norcross Models. There are only 2 that I was able to find, and to tell you the truth, they offer alot for just a small unit.

The Norcross DF2200PX Portable Sonar System is featherweight, and is incredibly easy and very effective in reading fish. It is one of the most versatile hand held depth sounder ever produced. It can give you instant depth reading, from 2.5 to 199 ft. and at the press of a button the display will give real temperatures of the water and air. Use it in the winter to shoot through ice before cutting your hole. Use it in the summer as a range finder and temperature meter while diving. Use it as a backup depth sounder on your pleasure boat or scan for channels in your dingy. Scan under weeds, lily pads, or even docks for lurking fish before making a cast. The presences of fish are clearly readable, and the hand held unit weighs 1.2 lbs. It is powered by 4 AA batteries.

The Norcross FF3355P - Portable FishFinder with WeekIT is easy to use, simply turn the power on, toss the unique floating sonar sensor from the shoreline, bridge, or boat. Instant depth, fish, weed, and bottom contour readings are now in the palm of your hand. It reads depth, fish, and bottom structure from 1.5 to 99.9 Feet (.5 to 30.4 Meters) It has dozens of features, including the WeedIDTM which identifies weed height under the water. Other operations are the mountable and side scanable sonar sensors, and headphone type sensor plug. Light weight of 1.7 lbs makes this so easy to use. It is powered by 4 AA batteries.

With the use of these fishfinding products, your'e guaranteed to produce many a bigger fish stories and walk away with the confidence that these portables bring in tracking and catching fish. One of these may become my new toy.

Find your portable fishfinder at this Store : http://FishfindersPro.com

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