Decoding Fish Finder Image

My wife bought me a fish finder to add to the yak.  I have never used one and I didn't plan on getting one for a while...Now that I have it, I'm not sure what I am looking at.  Below is a photo showing what I see when it is working.  I basically have a layer of something blocked for the first 8 feet or so.  Is this due to my mounting configuration? Or is this normal since the transducer is mounted in the yak?  I mounted it between the sailing mast post and mirage drive.  Does this matter how close it is to the flippers?  I researched transducer mounting options and decided to go with a wet mount (Transducer hangs inside a water-filled tupperware container which is gooped to the bottom of my yak).  I figured that I could do a full goop mount later if needed. 

You can adjust it for surface clutter and get rid of some of that.

Not sure if it will help but most have the transducer in direct contact with the hull inside a hollowed out piece of foam which is marine gooped to the hull and then filled with water. I don't know if the extra layer, your Tupperware container, is affecting the image or not but it looks like you've got a lot of the screen showing bottom. jim

I agree that you have a lot of junk for the transducer to shoot through; tupperware, goop, hull.
It would be more effective if you did the foam installation so it just shot through the hull.

Check your owners manual and change from auto setting to manual setting.  Bring down the sensitivity.  I have mine set at 70% to get rid of false readings and clutter.  I own a Cuda 350. Play around with the sensitivity settings.

The other possibility is what the other guys mentioned about your transducer improperly mounted.  If you gooped it, may have bubbles.

I guess I didn't mention.  The bottom of the container is cut off.  So, the transducer is hanging approximately 0.5" above the bottom of the yak.  There is some residual goop that flowed into the center of container bottom.  So, this is what I have:

Container top
Transducer
Water (I prefer Avion!)
Thin layer of residual goop
Kayak

I don't think that there are bubbles in the goop, but I haven't looked that close. 

Lets see a pic of your transducer install 

 

  As long as the base of the transducer is fully submerged in water (better if the whole thing is but it'll still work with half submerged) you'll see stuff below the kayak.  There will be litle to no chance of air bubbles interfering with the ultrasonics. 
  That surface clutter is normal,  if sensitivity is too high.  I picture it this way,  with sensitiviity up high the sonar is pinging with high a output, the surface clutter could be reflections from the surface back to the transducer.  If there is a strong alge bloom the surface clutter might be thicker.
  You might have to adjust sensitivity for different bodies of water, or until you become a little more comfortable with it's operation, let the "Auto function" do it's thing. 

  There a a few settings you'll have control over out of auto, Scrolling speed, sensitivity, fish ID on or off. With time and use you'll get to know that machine well.

  As for what you see?  the long lines at the or near the bottom, definetly fish! the darker line is a heavier or larger fish, (More mass to reflect the ultrasonic pulses) The lighter, longer line, might be a few small fish along side each other? 
  The Very faint returns, small fish, or clumps of alge, frog eggs, something below the surface that has enough mass (or air) to reflect the signals.

  Bait balls, will look like a big circular ( A cloud) blotch, clearly defined from the surface and bottom.  Another thing you might see will be the "Thermocline"  This'll appear as a thin solid line at a constant level.  This line defines seperation from warm surface waters with colder deep water.  I don't know temperature differential between warm & cold would be, other than it's enough to cause a line.
  You'll be able to see your lure falling, it'll look like a series of dots angling down.  You don't need to worry about your marige drive interfering with the picture, it won't.  Most of this I've listed is for fresh water.  I have very little experience on the ocean.  (Zero actually)

 

Thx for the help.  I plan to check the sensitivity level next time I am out.  In the meantime, I will get a pic of the transducer install when I bring the yak down next.

Finally took some photos.  Better late than never huh?
Not sure when I will be able to get out again to test different settings to see if that fixes anything.

Any thoughts on this set up though?  Should I ditch the water-style set up for a fully gooped version?



The water level is a bit lower than what I usually put in there but it looks to be fully covered now.


Notice how the goop flowed in to cover the bottom.  You can see where I had to remove some inclusion when it was drying (Dog fur probably)

Should I ditch the water-style set up for a fully gooped version?

I would just goop it and forget about it. I have gooped all of my transducers and never had a problems. Its secure and don't have to worry about water ETC.

The trick to the goop is put it on, let it tack up for a couple of minutes then press the transducer into. This way is doesn't slide around and less likely for air bubbles.

 

  *****************NO*********************   The way the transducer is installed now, there will never be any suspicions weather or not there are any air bubbles under it!
  You just need to remember to check for water or fill it when you want to use it.

The second pic looks like the ducer is sitting a little crooked. I could be wrong though. You need to make sure it is facing straight down.