Using sonar on steep drop off

[MichaelAngelo]

Last weekend I was fishing a drop off and found it impossible to  visualize my lure on the bottom.  My guess is that the width of the cone marked the shallower bottom at the edge of the cone overtop of my lure on the bottom in the middle of the cone...

Anybody else have this problem?  Is there any way around it?

[mr tip up]

you can use a narrower cone a 9 degree would be good for that a 19 or 20 degree cones will give you a blind spot  that's way you are getting a weird reading

[blacktrap]

Dropoffs are always a problem when you are directly over them.  Might not even help going to a narrow angle transducer, I have a 9 and it still gives it issues on dropoffs

[350 Mag]

I was fishing over HUGE boulder in 22  fow last week   could not see my lure until 3 ft off bottom.   Not sure if maybe an LCD would have read better...I  was using  troller 2.0.   And yes it was frustrating so I moved...but I caught 2 very nice Lakers, even though I was fishing blind.

[Eaglecrg]

What if your finder has a zoom on it.  Would it help by zooming in on the bottom?  I just bought an LX5 this year and haven't had a chance to use it much, so am wondering.

[bigmike7272]

Here you guys go, this video explains what's going on with drop offs and other structure with your flasher.

http://www.idofishing.com/videos/viewvid.php/Number/942311/ice-fishing-101-the-dual-beam-advantage

[Eaglecrg]

good vid BigMike.  After watching the video, I'm guessing that the zoom would still leave that dead zone.

[MadSledder]

Yes, the zoom will typically still leave the dead zone on the screen. Zoom only stretches out the bottom portion of the screen. Any time you are dropping your jig, and see it reach the bottom on the screen, while you don't feel it hit the lake bottom, there is a dead zone showing on the screen. Of course, a narrower angle shows less dead zone, but also gives you less coverage to spot fish.

[350 Mag]

So....do LCDs suffer from this same blind spot?

[mdrobny]

So....do LCDs suffer from this same blind spot?

all do!! I need a tri-ducer ,experienced it this year lot in some stumps I found.