[TG11] e127/ B744 can't see fish

[Captain Starbucks]

Hi,

I've had this unit installed on my boat for about 4 years. I've never been able to see fish unless they're big and right under the boat (albacore). I can see the bottom just fine, even at speed but after watching countless hours of video's and countless hours of trying to adjust everything, I never seem to have any luck. I've also just left everything on Auto and still no luck. I know there are fish there because my catch rate has been good. Once I adjust the sensitivity up high enough to see the downrigger [censored] (12 lbs at 55 feet) the screen is so cluttered up I wouldn't know a fish if I saw it. I'm expecting to see 5-30 lb salmon.

I operate in saltwater in the Pacific Northwest.

Can you provide any clues as to what is wrong?

Boat is a Shamrock Mackinaw 270 straight shaft. Transducer is mounted upstream of the shaft and has a high speed fairing block.

[Tom - Raymarine - Moderator]

Hello Captain Starbucks,

Since you don't seem to have had any answers to your question, I'll see if I can help (I'm in Australia so don't know the boat/location.)

For a sounder to perform well it needs a good 'signal-to-noise ratio', that is a loud echo signal relative to the background noise level. Poor performance results when the signal is weak or the background noise is strong (loud.)

I've put a lot of background info and some diagnostic test information on this page. I'd suggest having a read through this, taking some diagnostic images as I describe there, and then posting them back here so that I can have a look and see whether you have weak signal, high noise or a combination of the two. Then we'll be able to look at how to tackle the problem.

Tom

[Captain Starbucks]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the reply. I didn't have my notifications turned on so didn't see your response.

Anyway, I discovered the 'factory default' setting and pressed it. Now I can see everything and am actually quite impressed with the sonar. I'm not sure what the previous owner did to it but I'm happy now!

Thanks again.

Rob

[Tom - Raymarine - Moderator]

Good to hear! Happy fishing.

Tom

[BILLFISHER21]

Any chance you could share what setting you changed for the rest of us?

[Tom - Raymarine - Moderator]

Hello BILLFISHER21,

I'm sure the previous poster can confirm, but it sounds to me as if he did a Sounder Reset. The exact menu steps depends on what product you have, but here are examples for recent product software:

LH2: Home > Fishfinder > Menu > Setup > Sounder setup > Sounder reset
LH3: Home > Fishfinder > Menu > Settings (gearbox icon) > Sounder > Reset Sounder

For all recent products I strongly recommend running everything in Auto. I have tried and failed to produce better results in manual sensitivity setup than Auto does. Button-pushing almost always results in worse results rather than better.

There are a couple of exceptions:

• with steep 'cliffs' and drop-offs, in very deep water (for the sounder model) or at high speed when conditions are challenging, Auto Range can sometimes struggle, naturally enough. In these cases using an appropriate manual range can help. Leave everything else in Auto.
• for performance troubleshooting
  

If you do use manual sensitivity, be prepared to be constantly adjusting for changing conditions and boat speed, but do you want to spend your day tuning your fishfinder or in fishing?

If Auto isn't working for you, please read through the Performance troubleshooting guide I linked to above and then post back diagnostic screenshots.

Regards,
Tom

[Captain Starbucks]

I believe there is also a transducer factory reset setting also that is accessed through the sounder. I am now seeing lures, released fish, everything.

Good luck,

Rob