Depth Finders Tell You A Lot More Than Depth
Michael Russell
June 29, 2010
Let's face it. The best part about fishing is when you get that tug on your line and you are reeling them in. Unfortunately there are days when that doesn"t happen and all you have to show for the time you spent in the boat is a severe sunburn and internal organs that are marinated in beer. That can change if you start enlisting the aid of depth finders.
These gadgets have another name... Fish finders. They display on screen images of what is in the water for up to 100 feet deep. Sure, they can help you prevent getting your boat damaged in unexpected shallow water. They can also tell you where to stop and drop your lines, and the proper depth to have your lure. It's an exaggeration to call it shooting fish in a barrel, but not by much.
They use technology known as SONAR (sound navigation and ranging.) It was originally developed before World War II for tracking down submarines. After working so well in the War, it quickly was extended for fishing purposes. Only large commercial vessels could afford it since it was extremely expensive. It was quite bulky too. In a few decades, in the 1980s, they became more suitable for individual consumption, and in the years since then, they have become even smaller and more affordable than ever.
Depth finders work by using sound waves that are projected into the water in the shape of a cone, that gets wider and it goes along. When any part of the sound wave hits an object underwater -- a sunken car, a fish, the bottom, weeds, etc., -- it is reflected back to the depth finder.
The shape of the wave is what provides the images on the screen. The time it takes for the signal to bounce back is how the depth is determined for you.
Some fish finder models are GPS devices as well. GPS = Global Position Satellite. This allows you to mark areas where you find a lot of fish, so you go back another day and see if it is still a favorite spot for the fish to hang out at. It can also be a real life saver, should your boat ever become disabled, you can provide the exact coordinates to rescue personnel.
If you are an avid fisherman or fisherwoman, depth finders can easily pay for itself many times over, in the value of free fresh fish. They start at less than $100. Even the more expensive models at the thousand dollar range can pay for themselves, over time.
These gadgets have another name... Fish finders. They display on screen images of what is in the water for up to 100 feet deep. Sure, they can help you prevent getting your boat damaged in unexpected shallow water. They can also tell you where to stop and drop your lines, and the proper depth to have your lure. It's an exaggeration to call it shooting fish in a barrel, but not by much.
They use technology known as SONAR (sound navigation and ranging.) It was originally developed before World War II for tracking down submarines. After working so well in the War, it quickly was extended for fishing purposes. Only large commercial vessels could afford it since it was extremely expensive. It was quite bulky too. In a few decades, in the 1980s, they became more suitable for individual consumption, and in the years since then, they have become even smaller and more affordable than ever.
Depth finders work by using sound waves that are projected into the water in the shape of a cone, that gets wider and it goes along. When any part of the sound wave hits an object underwater -- a sunken car, a fish, the bottom, weeds, etc., -- it is reflected back to the depth finder.
The shape of the wave is what provides the images on the screen. The time it takes for the signal to bounce back is how the depth is determined for you.
Some fish finder models are GPS devices as well. GPS = Global Position Satellite. This allows you to mark areas where you find a lot of fish, so you go back another day and see if it is still a favorite spot for the fish to hang out at. It can also be a real life saver, should your boat ever become disabled, you can provide the exact coordinates to rescue personnel.
If you are an avid fisherman or fisherwoman, depth finders can easily pay for itself many times over, in the value of free fresh fish. They start at less than $100. Even the more expensive models at the thousand dollar range can pay for themselves, over time.
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