Question to you guys with the X135

[just cats]

Just got mine yesterday, going to mount it tonight after work. Last night I spent the evening going over the manual and I'm gonna take it to work and read it again on my lunch and breaks. Read everything on the BOC about it that I could find and downloaded Lowrances simulator. Just wondered if any of you have any tips on things you may have learned with yours that might help me out. I'm going to the river Saturday and start my education. Thanks guys, oh , btw, I picked this model due to what I have read right here , so thanks for that too.

[onlyriverfish]

Jack,
Tommy posted an off site link you prob. read, but might check as its a "must read". Link is: http://www.hightechfishing.com/lowrancetutorial.html

Its real easy for me to get hung up on "only looking for arches" and not paying attention to the bottom composition. I constantly remind myself to take note of what grey line is telling me ie: is it a soft, hard, mixed hard/soft bottom mix (saw-tooth shape) and structure. Associate that bottom type with bait observed and whats seen at shore and with the surface current there. Is it thick mud? Blues dont typ be holding there to feed and better to find hard bottoms in open water......Is it hard bottom rollie pollie, then wheres the head of this thing.....(gotta be fast water or it wouldnt be a hard bottom)....etc..

Its a fact for me that all bigger blues ever caught were from "open areas" that were of a hard bottom content with current breaks that cannot be seen from casual look from surface but had obvious ones close and they were relating to the "un-obvious ones". Not to say "dont fish the obvious" just that sonaring the "whole area" shows where the best dinner table is within the whole area.
The bigger picture is that the fish was relating to the "area" created by the combination of all the structural elements there. Getting off topic I know.

Become familiar with using the "double bounce routine" where you (in manual mode-not auto) double the depth range and take note of the second signal returned for missing objects that would be fish on bottom. Esp this time of year (early spring) when looking hard for a bite. Check doc and DH's posts re this-well covered.

Anyother thought is to hang around bass and other fish sites where the guys have some very insightful info using thier sonars.
Just dont tell em your a member of the "bass for bait club" ha ha :lol: