I am getting my boat out for the first time next weekend. My fish finder isnt great, it is a hummingbird 170. what am i looking for? if anyone has any thoughts or pics that you could share i would appreciate it. Im planning on going to gvine.
BTW i did look at the graph thread, only one 170 on there and looks like open water pic.

You want to look for these

But I have no idea how to find them if they aren't hanging out in a boat slip, near a bridge or a tree stump.

Don't know anything about your HB but, assuming it is 2D only, look for brushpiles for starters. Don't know about bridges, haven't fished one lately. Depending on the lake you may want to look at any standing timber in decent depth.
Good luck and congrats on your new boat!

I would look for some water, needs to be deep enough to float the boat. Ather you find that anything goes.

The way we started, before we got our SI & DI, when we only had sonar. It required some time of searching and time on water.

We looked for areas that we would have put out brush piles, if we would have been putting them out. Once we decided on an area, we would run a grid, up and down the bank. Started in 10' of water and went to 25' of water. So we set up our unit to show the TRIAL you are running. Start in 10' of water and run the bank staying at 10', then move out to 14', and run back. Just use this back and forth action and move out 4'-6' in water depth until you get out to 22'-25' foot of water. When you have done this, you have found any Brush Piles, or know that there is nothing in that area.

We did this on 1 lake and worked over several banks that we thought was good areas for BP's. Then we would fish after we found a few, fish would quit biting, and we wound work out another bank or two before going home. We were able to find many BP's this way. Then we started saving for SI and DI. This technique worked for us, took longer, but was effective. Just an idea.


Keith

Thanks Keith i will be on the vine next weekend, weather permitting, doing this. I had a pm about a secluded place to launch because this will be my first time to ever launch a boat that i could carry to the water.i dont want to hold up the ones out there that know what they are doing .

Good luck Ash58. Watch the other boats and see how and where there fishing. Make a mental note of the spot and check it out when they're gone.

thanks i will, I have a gps way point marker that i will be using.

Great advice, learn to potlick...On your first trip out...

so if i see someone catching in a spot, if i go back to that spot sometime that is pot licking? so are people supposed to wear blinders when they out?

No but dont just be a follower. Do some searching and find some on you own also. I find new structure everytime I get on the water. If you find it without someone sitting on it than you should not feel guilty about fishing it. Be careful who you show it to though once you show it to one person the cat is out of the bag and they may just tell everyone in the phone book about it. Sometimes the best story is unspoken.

dont know what your screen looks like but these are brush piles in 12 to 13 deep water .....fairly big ones i might add

how many times you gonna freeze/thaw that same fish?

thank you, thank you, thank you. that is exactly what i was asking for. I really appreciate it.