Reading My Flasher

[bulldawger]

Ok....I was in around 9' of water today and I was wondering when my jig got to the "red" bottom I still had another two or three feet before it actually was on the bottom. Hows come? I do know it 's a soft sandy bottom with a few weeds, but what's going on for 2 or 3 feet?

[esox_magnum]

What brand?? Both  mine will be off a little but only about 6-8" at most and depending on bottom...One is a bit better than the other to...

[Bullelk34]

Could have been several things. If it was a slope, the flasher only sees to where the cone first hits botton- leaving a dead spot. If the weeds were really thick that could have been a false bottom reading.

In most cases it is a slope that creates that dead zone.

[stripernut]

I have had thick schools of fish light it red for a number of feet, but it does not last!!!

[Kevin23]

Sharp drop, brush, weeds, pod of fish. All can confuse a sonar into thinking bottom is higher than it really is.

[Lrains]

Weeds will cause a false reading most of the time

[osiris]

my vote is a drop off or a large rock sticking up if you have a dual cone switch to the tighter cone and see if "bottom" changes or drill a hole a few feet either side and see if theres a diffrence in depth to confirm the drop off

[coverup]

turn your gain down your most likely seeing weeds

[chumster]

Brushpile with big limbs sticking up. Saw this yesterday while using my flasher and my micro vu camera in the same hole at the same time. Was pretty cool to see too.

[Knoodles]

If it is a vex one thing to try is turning to normal mode, turning gain all the way, click back to zoom and turn gain down.  Not sure why this works but it does.  When I owned a vex I would do this when the bottom read funny in zoom. 

[Bull Giller]

turn your gain down your most likely seeing weeds

x2

[hnd]

probably fishing on a slope if its showing solid red.

[hamms]

If it is a vex one thing to try is turning to normal mode, turning gain all the way, click back to zoom and turn gain down.  Not sure why this works but it does.  When I owned a vex I would do this when the bottom read funny in zoom.

This tells the unit the top of the brush is the bottom. So then you are fishing just above it.

[bulldawger]

Thanks i'll try that. Definatly had fish under me and also some weeds, but it was a pretty flat bottom I was on. However I was catching fish in that bottom 2 or 3 feet.

[hamms]

What unit are you running? Single, dual beam? Will explain alot on how to dial it in better.

[Oldbear]

I have a fl-18 and if I have it on normal it looks like the jig is on the bottom then if I put the auto zoom on it looks like it might be a ft. higher so I lower it some more.  I do like the AZ.

[Kevin23]

I have that problem sometimes. I usually just put on a bigger plastic and turn the gain down. If I still cant see I'll drop down into the red and then slowly lift it up hoping one will chase it. Then I work them up above the brush where I can see what I'm doing.

[Bullelk34]

I have that problem sometimes. I usually just put on a bigger plastic and turn the gain down. If I still cant see I'll drop down into the red and then slowly lift it up hoping one will chase it. Then I work them up above the brush where I can see what I'm doing.

Good advice right there- we do the same thing. Letting your jig bounce on the bottom helps too, that can trigger them to chase it a little higher and hit it.

[bulldawger]

What unit are you running? Single, dual beam? Will explain alot on how to dial it in better.

vex fl-22 with a 12 deg. ducer.

[Knoodles]

You do have a vex..........try my advice above and see if it works.  I truly think the bottom just reads funny on occasion.  There were times it was reading fine and I would switch to my dead stick hole and the bottom would read funny.  I would do the gain up trick and it would level out most ever time.  My buddies who still run vex have to do this on occasion as well. 

Let us know if it works. 

[Bull Giller]

turn your gain down your most likely seeing weeds

x2

[bulldawger]

If it is a vex one thing to try is turning to normal mode, turning gain all the way, click back to zoom and turn gain down.  Not sure why this works but it does.  When I owned a vex I would do this when the bottom read funny in zoom.

I tried this and it worked. Thanks.

[Knoodles]

Cool and glad to hear it.  It is odd but we figured this out years ago.