March 3, 2010
Who Needs A Humminbird Fish Finder
For anyone who enjoys sport fishing, a fish finder is a gift from the heavens. The technology of these hand held devices is always progressing and many anglers are utilizing these devices as fishing guides. These fish locators survey the water to help you find prime fishing spots. Among the most popular choices on the market is the Humminbird fish finder. This sturdy, lightweight piece of equipment can help you hook the greatest catch of your life. In this article, we'll review this great fishing apparatus and help you decide if it's the right fish finder for you.
Humminbird produces ten different lines of electronic fish finders, each having several models within a line. The devices are made from sturdy, durable hard plastic that provides maximum protection from the elements and any possible damage that may occur on the water. Some lines of Hummingbird fish finders have stretch neoprene covers available to protect them from water damage. There are protective cases designed to cover the mounting assembly of the unit as well. The Humminbird finder is small enough to be used on speedboats, canoes and even inflatable boats, as the suction cup transducer will work with any material. This fish finder uses dual beam, fish finder sonar. One beam is a 60 degree beam to find the fish and the other is a 20 degree beam to accurately display the bottom and structure. This allows you to see if fish are hiding among weeds or in a concave on the floor of the water.
Mounting a Humminbird fish finder can be easily done with a few hand tools. It's best to do this with a friend so that you have an extra pair of hands available for holding the parts in place. Pre-drill the holes to prevent damage to the boat. Mount the unit in the desired location, using the hardware that came with it. Normally, the installation kit features 4 Phillips head screws. Next, connect the electrical leads from the unit to the relay box of your boat, connecting the power to a hot wire and the ground to your ground plate. If you don't have a relay box, then the leads from the Humminbird can be connected directly to the battery. Match the negative to negative and the positive to positive. Finally, mount the Hummingbird transducer to the bottom of the boat. This is normally done at the rear of the boat. Put silicone around the transducer to prevent any water from penetrating where the holes were made. Route the cable from the transducer to the input of the Humminbird fishfinder view screen and screw it into the input jack. It's quite a simple process but make sure to read the manual carefully.
After turning on the fish finder, look at the digital readings that appear on the screen. Depending on the Humminbird fishfinder model you have, these could be depth, water temperature and boat speed readings. These readings are based on the location of the transducer that sends sonar signals from the water to the fish finder. The line across the bottom of the screen is the floor of the lake, river or reservoir. The undulations on the screen mirror the terrain on the bottom. A thick, dark line represents a hard bottom, while a thin, light line indicates a soft bottom. Lines or other objects that extend up from the bottom likely are submerged timber, rocks or vegetation. Arches on the screen represent fish. On some models, you will see fish icons. The icons vary in size depending on the size of the fish. However, the device can sometimes mistake debris for fish.
The Humminbird fish finder has proved itself to be a reliable tool that every angler should have onboard. It's easy to use, durable and affordable. Before you make a purchase, compare the Humminbird fishfinder to other brands, such as Garmin or Lowrance fishfinders. However, you'll find that the Humminbird brand soars above the competition.
Kenny Leichester is a foremost expert in the interior design industry specializing in the outdoor or patio settings using outdoor heaters, patio umbrellas, outdoor cushions, patio lighting and so on to create exquisitely beautiful layout. His work on patio umbrellas are widely distributed and is a regular contributor to PatioShoppers.com.
Filed under Fishing Rod Building by Mick