Find the Fish – Catch the Fish – Simple

Humminbird 1157c Combo

The Hummingbird depth finder  is a piece modern electronics that of many people who fish today take for granted.

Buy  the humminbird depthfinder you need by clicking on the appropriate link for price and purchasing information. Not sure which one you need yet? Keep reading for more information.

Depth finders, also known as fish finders, are a technological breakthrough for recreational and sport fisherman alike. For the first time, you have the ability to see beyond the surface of the water, straight down to the bottom. Humminbird depth finders were created from the same sonar technology developed for hunting submarines in WWII. Today the technology has advanced so much that now you can track submarines the size of a large mouth bass or blue fin tuna (depending upon where you prefer to fish).

How many times have you looked forward to a relaxing day of fishing only to be frustrated by the fact that not only did you not catch anything, but didn’t even get a nibble. The worst part is that you don’t even know if you were in same part of the lake (or ocean) as the fish. A humminbird depthfinder will help you find exactly where the fish are before you cast your first line.

Very simply, depth finders transmit a high frequency electronic pulse and measures the time it takes for the pulse to hit an object (either the bottom or a fish) convert the time into a distance, and display it as a 2D map. The quality of the depth finder will be in how accurately it detects objects in the water and how quickly it displays the results. The simplest fish finders, such as the Humminbird PiranhaMax 170 use a downward looking sonar that shows only what is under your boat. Although the PiranhaMax’s DualBeam sonar provides greater detail and and accuracy than conventional single beam systems, it is still limited by looking  at only what is directly under your boat. Considering that as recently as the early 1990’s this type of technology was only available to commercial fisherman, for ~$100 you can find fish through even the murkiest of waters. For the recreational fisherman this is a huge leap forward from simply picking a spot that “looks good” and hoping there is something below the surface besides sand.

Heading Out

The basic depth finder capability is also incorporated into higher end fish finders, commonly known as combo units. These systems, such as the Humminbird Matrix 97, have full GPS navigation and chartplotting capability. This allows you to not only find the fish, but mark your location (as a HotSpot) so you can navigate back on your next trip. Another great feature of the Matrix 97 is that it comes with a real time display and fish alarm. So as your cruising out to your favorite location, be sure to keep your fish finder on, because it can accurately detect fish while you’re travelling at speeds of up to 70 mph! So don’t be surprised when your fish alarm goes off as you’re slicing through the waves.

 If you’re already using a depth finder or a combo unit and are looking to upgrade to the latest and greatest, the Humminbird 798c with Side Imaging is what you’ve been waiting for. In addition to the dual beam sonar that shows what is under your boat, the Side Imaging technology provides a full 180 degree coverage to both sides of your boat, up to 480 ft of coverage (240 ft on each side). This means that if you’re cruising in the center of a river that is 480 ft wide you will have a complete picture of everything that is underwater from shore to shore. Additionally, the enhanced 3D imaging provides highly detailed images of what is below the surface. No longer will you be confused by a signal, not knowing whether it is a school of bait fish, a sunken object, or a geological formation. The 3D images can be directly compared with the locations of previously marked 2D signals in order to determine exactly what you thought you saw.

Since WWII, the science of sonar has advanced tremendously from its original peacetime application of creating the first map of the ocean floor. Since then, the improved sonar technology available in today’s depth finders has turned what used to be a day of waiting and hoping, into a real day of fishing, full of hooking and reeling in. So whether you’re passion is large mouth bass or blue fin tuna, make sure you have plenty of ice on board because next time the odds are definitely in your favor. 

Watch a demonstration of how Side Imaging works with this promo video about the Humminbird 997c.

Discalimer: Affiliate