Minimum Depth of Your Fish Finder

[Majesticman]

I have two huminbird matrix sounders. I bought them because you could update them on the web and plug them into the computer. I am sick of them flashing 60 feet or nothing every time I get into 3 foot or less of water. I bought them because of the manufactures website and the company I bought them from. It was a waste of $600.

I had an old eagle 15 years ago that would clearly show 1 and two feet with fish without going wild.

I fish mainly on shallow flats and need the shallow readings. Also I would like to have color but I use my own gps because I use it on the pontoon also to locate places when I am cruising with the family. I also want to have a speed paddle plug in so I can determine the current speed when trolling.

I want to buy one for the center console and one for the bow. I have a aluminum tunnel hull.

Here are the questions.

How good is yours as far as working in shallow water?

How shallow will it read as far as the number on the screen?

How well will it show fish and structure in shallow stained water at shallow depths?

How clear are fish and structure in 15 - 30 foot water?

How slow will the speed show.

I know this is a worn out subject but I need some serious input and not the crap I get from the manufacturers and stores. Please don't tell me yours is the one to get because you are loyal to the brand or want to make the thread a mine is better than yours thread. That is the reason I am starting this thread because all of the others end up doing that and it make me think I am not getting accurate information.

I will be very appreciative for your honest answers. Sorry about the long post. I just want to make sure I do it right this time.

Thanks,
Mark

[Rowdy]

I run Garman 160 and a 240 both will mark down to 1.1 or less,on a trowling motor transducer, the speed is off a little by the GPS
Rowdy

[Majesticman]

Thanks Rowdy. That is the kind of info I need.

[Jerry Blake]

My Matrix 12 and my Lowrance LCX17M will both show depths as shallow as 1.5-feet or so. If your churning up the bottom or a lot of bubbles it will throw your graph off. You might try a lower sensitivity setting and make sure your transducer is pointing straight down. As for seeing fish they would have to be right under your transducer in 3-feet of water or less and I doubt very many fish are gonna stick around with a boat moving right over them at that depth.

[fishdoc]

I've Used A Pinpoint On Front And Back For 5 Yrs And They Have A 5 Ft Screen That Works Very Well In Shallow Water. But Like Jerry Says, Don't Mark Many Fish That Shallow Cause They Won't Hang Around. Have Caught Many Crappie From 2-4 Ft Of Water And Never Mark Them.

[Majesticman]

It wasn't so much as marking the fish as much as seeing the bottom and any structure. Even setting in the slip it won't mark fish in 5 feet of water when the boat next to me as constantly beeping.

I have played with every adjustment it has to get it to work in shallows. The thing about it I have two totally different units with different transducers with same problems. I have changed the transducer angles and moved them constantly. I have screw holes all the way across the back of the boat.

[1weezer]

I had one of the old lowrance x-65 that did the same thing. Get shallower than 6 feet of water and it went nuts. That's why I got rid of it and went to Garmin. I ran a Garmin 240 for several years and was able to read 1 and 2 foot depths with no problem. My new boat came with the Lowrance 332c on the back and a Lowrance 102c on the front. I was real worried about them doing the same thing until I tried them. And they work just fine in shallow water. I can't give any imput about Humminbirds but I can tell you that my Garmins worked great in shallow water and so far my Lowrance 332c and 102c is working good in shallow water.

[fishdoc]

do you leave it in auto? ain't never had one do good in shallow water in auto. go to manual and set sensitivity where you get a secondary echo(just barley) when ya on a fairly hard bottom. and reduce the surface clutter settin to bout 25%. and keep in the shallowest scale that will show ya bottom.

[Wiskers]

I have 2 Humminbird units. A Matrix 87c on the bow & a 585c on the console. I have never experienced the problem you are describing.

[frank lawhead]

I have a matrix ? with side finder in the box in garage--would never work in shallow water which made it useless in fl.
have a garmin 240 and 250 on now and they go right on down to 2 ft or less--
don,t think they would show fish though