It's a great tool to find offshore structure and temp zones. But I still say once you find em TURN IT OFF!!! If you don't think the fish can hear/feel the pings, get in the water around one. If you can hear it, and I guarantee you can, multiply that by 10 or more on what the fish is hearing/feeling. Studies have shown especially the bigger, smarter fish will move off when one is pinging. Does it shut them all off...no but if it locks the jaw on that one, educated 12 pounder in your area you have missed a stellar opportunity.

I've not heard this, but once I'm on a spot I usually turn the unit off just to save the battery. If I'm catching fish no need to have it running.

When you read about fishing and techniques you always see the author mention cover and structure and once you realize the differences sonar becomes invaluable. All fish intimately relate to these phenomenon that is only visually available to us through the medium of sonar thus making it the most powerful tool in the fishing arsenal. If you are satisfied to beat the bank and catch what you can you can stop reading, if you want to catch more fish and learn techniques to better yourself as an angler read on.

Fishing cover, first my definition of cover is that which can be used as camouflage or hiding depending upon whether you are the predator or the prey. Common aquatic cover is vegetation, brush piles and lay downs all non permanent entities that could be used by fish fall under this category. Fishing weed edges and brush piles are tried and true methods, punching grass mats for big bass, top water frogs over matted vegetation, crappie jigs and rigs used around and over brush piles...the list is endless for the methods used to harvest fish from cover.

Fishing structure, again my definition of structure is largely immovable object and contour changes that fish use for ambushing or herding prey or as the prey a hiding spot. Common structures are humps, drop offs/ledges, creek/river channels, standing timber, boulders, chunk rock...basically anything that creates enough of a change to be uses as an ambush spot or hiding spot depending on the predator prey relationship again. Here we use crankbaits, drag jigs or soft plastics, drop shots again the presentations go on.

So without sonar we can not consistently target the high percentage areas with regularity and without pairing sonar and gps it makes the search more difficult and time consuming. The idea of the fishfinder is to maximize time on the water so that you can move through a progression of areas with rapidity to find what your targeted species is doing. Reading the information given by these has taken me years to learn but with a bit of instruction only takes a few trips.

The major functions only improve with technology for example the difference between color and monochrome 2D sonar units allows you to see density in the objects displayed on your fishfinder the closer to red the more dense the object with most factory specs. This is easier to read vs the grey to black interchange on the monochrome units. Then you compare 2D to 3D most want to do a Ford/Chevy comparison with this technology when that is more of a brand preference like Humminbird vs Lowrance when it should be a performance comparison in the nature of Smartcar vs Ferrari to keep with car analogies. So with each addition of function you increase accuracy and performance which translates to increasing productivity once you get comfortable and competent with your fish finder.
One person here asks about maps so I will address this the same as color vs monochrome, most stock maps have 5ft contour lines and HD maps give you 1ft contour lines. You spend 3 hours fishing a spot to figure out the pattern you zoom out on your map to find similar cover/structure in the lake and with the standard map drop offs or steep banks aren't as obvious as they would be with the HD maps so it takes you longer to identify similar spots on the lake.

I recommend spending time looking at YouTube videos that address reading sonar and fish finders, there are tons of articles, blogs and posts about it. A few hours of research would not hurt, but if you have the opportunity to be mentored by someone on the reading of sonar even if you think you have it mastered spend the time. Even a novice might teach me something I have not learned about if I ask what they think they are seeing or about a setting they have adjusted. Do not be afraid to set it up in demo mode and play with things you will learn menus and functions better this way and will learn how to use maps to your advantage.

Information and time will be the only two things to progress your abilities but I will recommend getting the maximum features you can afford with your budget because each feature has a use and adds to productive time on the water.

You know, I have one away in my storage. Never mounted or used...lol. I've done pretty well without it. I just really work the conditions and outside environment (Birds). Look for top water disturbances, understand the low and high tides and fish running patterns.... I don't know, when I stop catching fish I'll put one on

But, I'll be honest...fresh water I could see being a different story. Can't really speak for that style of fishing since I lack the experience.

I'm on my second ff and I don't think either has helped my game. One of these days I'll learn how to use the damn thing - then those fish better look out!!

I couldn't agree more.

Second related question: once you find the structure, are you guys anchoring down in order to fish it properly? Seems when I've found something decent I want to fish, by the time I get out my anchor and get settled, I'm to far from it!

Depends on a lot of things, but I anchor a lot.

marker buoys are your friend. have one ready! or do what i do with my hdi and search for underwater structure then mark them. as soon as i get my new yak the first thing Im going to do is go out to some of my favorite locations and find and mark structure then. then I can always come back to it when ever I want and fish it

I don't have one yet. Went fishing with a guy that did and he was telling me where the fish were, the water temperature, and the depth. Seems like a tool that will help anyone increase their abilities.

I am headed out tomorrow morning for the first time in many years without a FF. I had intended to rig one up on the yak I am taking out tomorrow and go fishing Thursday, but then the weather forecast changed and I am forced to do the unthinkable. I am going naked.

I did that once, hated it.

A great way to learn more about how to use your FF.
On a lot of the Humminbird units (I'm not sure about Lowrance and some of the others) you can put a SD card in
your SD card slot and record your time on the water.(1G will get aprox 1 Hr of record time) The good thing about this is it's raw data and when you get home you can take your unit in the house to your recliner in front of the fireplace with an adult beverage and replay your trip. Since this is raw data you can use your unit just like you're on the water. You can adjust the play back speed, change all your settings to see the effects, save way points to use next time your on that water body etc. You will see a lot of things you didn't notice while you were on the water.

Going without a fish finder is bad enough! I'm thinking you might get a little cold without clothing!

Not if you have a beard jerry!