How to Use a Fishfinder to Catch Bass

A fishfinder can give you the edge you need to catch bass. Bass like to hide near brush piles and other underwater debris, and a fishfinder can help you locate these spots. A fishfinder uses an echo-sounding system to locate the bottom of the lake and objects, including fish such as bass. Echoes are returned to the fishfinder when they strike the lake bottom and bounce back. Echoes are also returned from fish and brush piles. To use a fishfinder, you have to learn to spot the difference between a brush pile at the bottom of a lake and a fish.

Things You'll Need

• Boat
• Fishing Pole
• Fishing Tackle
• Bait

Instructions

1. Read your fishfinder's instruction manual. Although the principles for using a fishfinder are the same for most models, they can vary somewhat.

2. Take your fishfinder out in your boat onto a lake. Determine the depth of the lake floor. This is usually given as a number that the fishfinder will display. This helps you determine how much line to feed out from your pole.

3. Turn off the automatic mode of identifying fish. In automatic mode, the fishfinder display shows a small fish symbol along with a depth. The automatic mode, however, won't show you the brush piles.

4. Learn to identify brush piles. Bass like to feed near brush piles, which are often hiding spots for smaller fish. A brush pile will appear as a pattern resting on the lake bottom on your fishfinder display. Consider stopping the boat near these echoes.

5. Learn how to identify bass on your fishfinder. Bass echoes appear as short curved lines in between the display's representation of the lake floor, which is a jagged line near the bottom of your display, and the representation of the lake surface, which is a static-filled horizontal line at the top of your fishfinder display.

6. Adjust the fishfinder controls to enhance the echoes. There is usually a sensitivity control, which should be increased if the echoes are faint. There is also a noise filter, which should be adjusted if there is random static in your display.

7. Remember what the fishfinder display was indicating when you catch a bass. This helps you to learn the subtleties of your specific fishfinder display. Next time you'll know what to look for.

Tips & Warnings

• Try fishing at different times of the day, especially early and late in the day. Keep track of your success so that you can get a feel for when the bass are biting.

• Be careful when handling fishing hooks which can cut through skin.

Resources

• Fishing Regulations