But locating those strike zones has traditionally been challenging, given that conventional depth sounders operate on a solely vertical plane. It’s vitally important that you can get your lure right into the strike zone, whether it’s a snag on the river bank, a pylon in the bay, or a pinnacle on the deep sea floor. When you’re lure fishing, accuracy is everything. This makes them perfect for lure fishing. Side scan depth sounders are relatively recent, and they provide some of the most accurate displays available. Depth sounders for lure fishingĭespite so much technological advancement in the world of depth sounders, one feature stands above all else: side scan technology. With that technology, marine navigation is easier than it’s ever been. They are also able to offer depth-sounder GPS combinations, which display both aerial maps and depth imaging on single or split displays. Today, depth sounders are GPS compatible, which allows them to calculate speed accurately using GPS technology. But that system was rudimentary and prone to inaccuracy, especially in debris-filled waters or at higher speeds. Take speed, for example-early models of depth sounders used small water wheels to gauge speed the wheel would spin as the boat moved through the water, and the rate of its revolutions would be used to calculate speed. Not only do new depth sounders come with high resolution displays, but they also offer improved features and greater accuracy. Needless to say, those models weren’t so easy to use, which is why the technology was updated. The end result looked a bit like a heart monitor, or a seismometer that you would see in the movies.

The pin would map out the shape of the ocean floor onto the paper, which would roll out as the boat moved. The roll of paper was much like a roll of receipt paper in an eftpos machine, while the ink pin was like the arm on a record play. Instead, they had a roll of paper and an ink pin. Not so long ago, depth sounders didn’t have screens at all.

These days, depth sounders include large high definition displays, rapid pulse rates, and images so clear they could be mistaken for an MRI reading. For a fisherman, it can almost feel like cheating! The old technology And because fish are solid objects, depth sounders pick them up as they swim below your boat. The time taken for the echo to return to the transducer allows the sounder to calculate your depth. It’s often described as an echo, with the transducer acting as a microphone that both emits and picks up the sound as it bounces off the ocean floor. The transducer transmits a sonar pulse down to the ocean floor, which rebounds off solid objects and returns to the transducer. Although the screens may look like the most expensive component, the most costly part is the transducer, which sits inconspicuously below the water line. As a result, depth sounders are often referred to as “fish finders.” How do depth sounders work?ĭepth sounders have a literal name: they “sound out” the seafloor using sonar pulses, similar to the way a dolphin or whale. Like people, fish congregate around structures and when you can see the depth changing constantly on your screen, it’s easy to locate structures in the water, and therefore, much easier to find fish.

Of course, it didn’t take long for fisherman to work out that this is a massive advantage when you’re looking for fish. First and foremost, your depth sounder is a navigation tool, and it will ensure that you don’t find yourself stranded in shallow waters.Īs the name suggests, depth sounders display the depth of water you’re currently in, on the screen at the helm of your boat. But that’s not why depth sounders were invented. What are depth sounders for?īefore we go any further, what are depth sounders actually for? There’s a common misconception that they’re a fishing tool, which is true in many ways. But with this simple guide, you can easily choose the right depth sounder for your needs. So how are you meant to choose one?ĭepth sounders are expensive and high tech, so the choice can be daunting. If you’ve just got a new boat, or are thinking about accessorising your old one, chances are you’ve already seen the array of depth sounders on offer. Among those screens is one of the most important boating accessories available: the depth sounder.ĭepth sounders are a must-have for practical and safety reasons, but they’re also a fisherman’s best friend.

If you look at the front end of any boat-from a little tinny to a big prawn trawler-you’ll likely see a bunch of screens showing all sorts of unusual images. Boats are packed with screens these days.

Boat depth gauge