Locating structure / fish

[Slowboat]

Hello fellow fishing enthusiasts!
As you can tell I'm newbie to the forum although i have read many posts.
I am really impressed with the helpfulness and friendliness of this site and am looking for a little guidance.
I recently acquired a boat this last year and also a HB Sonar/DI. I fish manly El Dorado reservoir Ks and would like to start targeting crappie year round.
One issue is my boat is a very old 14 ft semi V with a 4hp johnson. Main problem is speed. Can't cover alot of lake.
I've read alot and looked over several maps and found lots of structure but it looks like from the Kansas posts for El Dorado that they are catching in 15-20 FOW above brush piles. I thought this forum would be more appropriate than the Kansas forum? not sure..

I would like to get some brush piles marked but not sure the best way to go about it.
Would focusing along points and up partially in coves be best? Or sticking along river or creek channel ledges?
I did mark one pile in the boat ramp cove on my recent outing but did not see any fish.
When i do mark a pile and don't see fish should i still try to fish it? I would like to use a marker buoy and then anchor and use a slip bobber at the depth just over the pile.
I'm not looking for specific spots or answers just opinions from people that have already done this.
I know it takes many hours,days,years to gather lake info and i'm not looking for a easy button and would rather learn on my own but a nudge in the right direction seems like it might give me a jump start.
I plan on spending alot of time on the lake this year so I should have many opportunities to scout. And with the info i already have read here i think i'll learn alot.

TIA for any comments and opinions
Dev

[CrappiePappy]

I'd mark any cover, regardless of whether I saw fish on it or not. They may not be there today, or right then, but that's not to say they won't be on it at another time. And even if there is NEVER any fish on it, if you ever get around to using any of the various trolling methods, knowing where that cover is will help you avoid dragging your baits into it.

First thing to learn & become quick at doing, is to learn the buttons to push to get the waypoint marked. Whether you stop & fish it is up to you & how much time you have to devote to "checking it out". You can always go back and delete a waypoint over cover that is no longer there.

Check your Fish/Wildlife or DNR websites to see if they have placed cover in the lake & posted the GPS coordinates of those spots. They can be manually entered into your unit, then checked out when on the lake. Just be aware of the fact that these coordinates may not be pinpoint accurate, but within 10-20ft of the coordinates given. Commercial GPS accuracy isn't allowed to be as accurate as Gov/Military GPS. And also be aware of the fact that the coordinates are measured from your antenna, not your tranducer ... as well as the fact that DI images can come from any part of the fan shaped span of your sonar ping, and may not be directly under the boat or transducer, but to either side.

... cp

[vic n]

Welcome to the forum! If you don't have one, get yourself a paper topo map of Eldorado so you can study depth changes in areas you are able to fish.....creeks and coves will be your main areas. The map will also show you old roads leading down to the lake. You can launch a small boat in places like that so you don't have to be out on the main lake. If you can afford it, and your sonar can display it, a map card is really great when out on the water. Look for cover on creek ledges and where there are a lot of contour lines bunched together on the maps. This indicates a steep drop/rise. Dropping a buoy at a brushpile and then tightlining a jig or minnow is a lot of fun, and you will enjoy it as much as casting for crappies in springtime. Good luck!

[NIMROD]

Pay attention to areas folks concentrate their fishing efforts and use map to find similar areas and look for cover . Depth , location (points , channels , humps , coves , ect ) and type of cover holding fish can change with water levels , temps , and seasons . Nothing beats time on the water . Once you find cover holding fish repeat the spot by sinking your own if and where it is legal .

[fishervet]

I'd mark any cover, regardless of whether I saw fish on it or not. They may not be there today, or right then, but that's not to say they won't be on it at another time. And even if there is NEVER any fish on it, if you ever get around to using any of the various trolling methods, knowing where that cover is will help you avoid dragging your baits into it.

First thing to learn & become quick at doing, is to learn the buttons to push to get the waypoint marked. Whether you stop & fish it is up to you & how much time you have to devote to "checking it out". You can always go back and delete a waypoint over cover that is no longer there.

Check your Fish/Wildlife or DNR websites to see if they have placed cover in the lake & posted the GPS coordinates of those spots. They can be manually entered into your unit, then checked out when on the lake. Just be aware of the fact that these coordinates may not be pinpoint accurate, but within 10-20ft of the coordinates given. Commercial GPS accuracy isn't allowed to be as accurate as Gov/Military GPS. And also be aware of the fact that the coordinates are measured from your antenna, not your tranducer ... as well as the fact that DI images can come from any part of the fan shaped span of your sonar ping, and may not be directly under the boat or transducer, but to either side.

... cp

Can the 2d sonar images come from any part of the fan shaped span as well? i.e. one side or the other?

[Slow Retrieve]

... as well as the fact that DI images can come from any part of the fan shaped span of your sonar ping, and may not be directly under the boat or transducer, but to either side.

... cp

If you used your cursor to mark what you see and wish to be the way point wouldn't this avoid this being an issue, or am I understanding that wrong?

[Slowboat]

CP, VIC N and NIMROD,
Thanks alot for your advise! This gives some needed confidence on making the most of my time on the water.

Just FYI, my sonar does not have gps so i use my phone which has most all the same capabilities but not near as convenient.
I have looked at navionics web app alot for contours and topo map to see alot of structure. The topo app will track me and helps keep me close to the channel. I have marked a few humps, flooded ponds, old rr tracks etc. I am considering purchasing the navionics so i can navigate contours real time.
I plan to get a lake map just haven't taken time to order.

CP, I understand what you mean about the sonar beams. I have read alot trying to understand the whole sonar technology. The DI is wide but very thin so the structure could be on either side of boat 10ft or so.
I frequent the KDWPT website and have the kml files they offer and am using them on the lake(phone). So far i have looked for 2 of them and found 1 i think.
Are there any other sources for structure locations?

Thanks to all for the great insight. I just wish my fishing buddy was as obsessed as i am

[Slowboat]

Can the 2d sonar images come from any part of the fan shaped span as well? i.e. one side or the other?

I believe the 2d beam is cone shaped and not as wide as the DI. The strong returns in the 2d beam would be more centered in the beam and weaker returns would be more to the edge. You just don't know which edge. Front.back,left or right.
The DI beam is wider but very thin so the returns can be strong throughout the beam but again you cannot tell if it is centered or left or right.
It seems like changing to a higher frequencies would narrow the beams so most returns would be closer to the boat.
Also the depth will change how wide the beam is covering the bottom. 10fow not much coverage, 30fow 3 times more coverage. According to my HB manual a 83khz 60 degree beam coverage is equal to your depth.

[Slowboat]

Thought I would see if I could post a pic.
I have to actually take a pic of my screen if I want a screenshot.
Am I missing anything other than a brush pile on a slight bottom slope?

[Dollfly]

That pic looks good. I would mark it and drop a jig around that. That's what you want to see in the water but with fish of course.