How to Use a Lowrance Fishfinder
Lowrance's LCD fishfinders provide anglers information about the depth of the water, the contour and composition of the bottom, the water temperature and the presence of fish. Like all sonar units, Lowrance fishfinders, when properly used, give anglers information that can help in the pursuit of fish, but they alone do not result in fishing success.
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Instructions
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How to Use a Lowrance Fishfinder
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Mount the Lowrance fishfinder on the boat, using the mounting kit that came with the unit. The three most common places to mount fishfinders are on the bow, stern or near the steering wheel, if there is one.
Mount the unit at the spot where you will have the best view when you are fishing. The device that actually sends a sonar signal into the water and relays information to the fishfinder is the transducer. Some units come with transducers; others require a separate purchase. Mount the transducer on the back of the boat so it is underwater. Connect the transducer wire to the fishfinder. -
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On most Lowrance fishfinders, the "on/off" button is on the right side of the unit's face.
Press the "menu" button, also located on the right side of the unit's face, and use the down arrow to scroll through the menu until you can choose either "manual" or "automatic" as the mode of operation. If the unit is already set on automatic, leave it there. If not, use the right arrow to highlight automatic and press the menu button again.
When you are finished in the menu, press the "exit" button on the right side of the fishfinder. -
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Check to make certain digital readings can be seen on LCD screen once you have exited the menu. These readings are the numbers in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. The largest (in size) reading is the depth of the water, as measured in feet.
Depending on the model, some units also will show the water temperature as well as the speed of the boat (in miles per hour). These readings will be smaller numbers underneath the depth reading. -
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Find the line that extends across the screen. This is the representation of the bottom of the body of water. In most instances, the line will be in the bottom half of the screen. A thick, dark line represents a hard bottom, perhaps rock or gravel. A thin or, perhaps, disconnected line indicates a soft bottom, perhaps mud or muck.
On Lowrance fishfinders, a flat line corresponds with a flat bottom. If the line slopes downward, the water is getting deeper. Conversely, if the line angles upward, the water is getting shallower. -
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Look at anything that is connected to, or just above, the line that represents the bottom. Lines that extend straight up are likely trees or timber. Occasionally, such lines might represent vegetation. However, vegetation tends to show up on Lowrance fishfinders as thick, dense masses that jut off the bottom.
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Search for icons that represent fish. These either will be in the shape of fish or in the shape of a boomerang, depending on your fishfinder.
While larger icons generally represent larger fish, that is not always the case. A large fish that swims through the sonar field quickly will show up as a small fish, while a small fish that stays in the sonar field for a few seconds will show up as a large fish.
These fish icons, in addition to alerting anglers to the presence of fish, also can give anglers some clues about how to catch them. If all of the fish are 10 feet off the bottom, for example, it will not do much good to fish right along the bottom.
Flashers and digital gauges
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Choose a digital gauge or flasher from Lowrance if you do not want an LCD fishfinder. The flasher is a portable fishfinder that is especially useful for ice fishing. Digital gauges offer water depth and temperature information, but they do not show fish or give any visual rendering of the bottom.
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Mount a digital gauge near the motor at the stern of the boat, or at the bow, if you have a bow-mount trolling motor. Some anglers who use boats with steering wheels mount the digital gauge near them.
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Once turned on, a flasher indicates the bottom with a red line and the water's depth with a digital reading located in the center of the screen. A thick red line indicates a hard bottom; a thin line indicates a soft bottom. Flashers show fish as yellow lines.
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Tips & Warnings
While Lowrance fishfinders can be operated in manual mode, most anglers, especially beginners, find the automatic mode serves their needs well. Even some experienced anglers seldom use the manual setting. If your unit is making too much noise, press the "alarm" button on the front of the unit. This will turn off the noise the fishfinder makes when the boat passes over a fish.
