How Fish Finders Work - The Basics of Sonar. Knowing the science will catch you more fish.

Sonar is an essential tool for us bass fishermen and fisherwomen. If you understand the technology behind fish finders, transducers, down imaging (down scan), side imaging (side scan), and traditional (2D), then you can become more efficient on the water and catch more bass.

This is the first video in a series where we are going to get in depth with sonar technology. We are going to cover how the system works so you can apply that knowledge on the water.

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The image you see on your sonar screen, whether it is from a Lowrance, Humminbird, Garmin, Raymarine, is simply a 2d representation of the 3D underwater environment. That representation is actually more of an interpretation because even if you see an object on your screen, that doesn't mean that rock, tree, or fish is right below the boat. It could be 30 or 50 feet away for instance.

Sonars work because the transducer pings, or sends, a radio down through the water column. That signal is eventually going to bounce off an object. That signal bouncing, called the echo, returns to the transducer, and based upon the time that signal takes to return, and the intensity of the signals helps the software in your sonar system create the image you see on screen. The time it takes helps determine the depth of the object or lake bed. The intensity, or how much signal is returned to the transducer helps determine how bright images are on screen.

Denser objects such as rocks send a stronger echo, or more of the radio waves, back to the transducer. That is why they tend to show much brighter on our down imaging and side imaging. On traditional sonar, hard bottoms often produce a thinner line but may also have multiple returns below. Understanding, the transitions between soft and hard bottoms can help you target areas fish may be staging.