you identify bass from other types of fish, including the ability to see baitfish schools, separation quality (to identify multiple bass) and to even help eliminate fish based on size.
Lowrance’s DownScan Imaging has helped me tremendously in identifying bass in and around baitfish schools. Since bass very seldom stack up on top of each other like perch or crappie, seeing the water column in DownScan, lets you pick apart the image to identify what kinds of fish you are seeing on your graphs based on behavior.
Using DownScan side by side with traditional 2D sonar really expands your electronics’ ability to convey what’s truly beneath the boat. If you can quickly compare fish next to each other on different types of sonar, you become more efficient in reading what is beneath the boat, which helps you gain speed and knowledge as you broaden your experience.
USING LOWRANCE’S HIGH CHIRP SETTINGS
BOAT POSITIONING
After setting up my bow graph to High Chirp, it’s time to focus on the first major drop off near the largest flat. That first major depth change will often hold fish from now through winter; so, location isn’t going to be as imperative as it is in other seasons.
Boat positioning comes into play when video gaming, because if set up properly, a dropshot bait can easily be seen and detected while underneath the trolling motor, from the moment you release the bail on your spinning reel, to the hookset of the fish you are targeting. Just as sight fishing gives you a dedicated target, so does video gaming fish beneath
the bow of the boat if your electronics can monitor your bait from start to finish.
One complication of video gaming is heavy wind storms; they can turn an outstanding day of fishing into a very frustrating day of catching in a matter of minutes.
One tip for anyone video gaming in the wind is to increase your dropshot weight to 3/8-ounce or heavier. This allows you to quickly reach bottom in deeper depths and minimizes line “bow” introduced because of a moving boat and/or heavy winds. A straight line down to your target helps you feel fish strikes due to a taught line and will help you set the
FALL 2017
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