How to identify species on fish finder?

[teebert]

How can you differentiate between spotted bass and stripers on a fish finder? I assume a lot it comes with experience there must be some characteristic that clues you into what kind of fish you're looking at. Thanks.

 

[JonathanG2013]

Yes the stripers will be bigger.

 

[teebert]

I see screen shots of fish finders with a bunch of squiggly lines and the guys are like, look at that school of stripers! I then I see other screen shots from someone like LJ's fish finders and it all looks the same to me. I guess that's why they call those gentlemen "Pros."

 

[Coenen]

Sometimes you've just got to send down a line and find out. Most of the time you'll have a pretty good idea based on where you find them, size of marks, number of fish, etc. Stripers will be big hard arches, and usually they're going to be in a tight group.

I've got a couple of pretty decent screenshots that I'll post later that might give you a better idea.

 

[1eyefishing]

No "pro" here, but I believe a lot can be told from seeing how the fish relate to the cover. Crappie are usually above and surrounding, bass are often inside or below the cover, striped bass often in open water, not relating to cover... 2¢

 

[j_seph]

Sultan of Slime has found a way to tell the catfish by adjusting settings. I know usually a Gar will be a long straight line

 

[kennybryan]

FEEE ! Sonar class on October 20 2018 at Advantage Marine in Cumming at 2pm. Bass, Crappie, Stripers and even a jet aircraft on Lowrance Structure Scan technology. All are welcome. www.southernfishing.com

 

[kennybryan]

This a massive school of 13 to 20 pound Stripers on Lowrance 200 kHz Sonar. The bigger the yellow, the bigger the fellow. www.southernfishing.com

 

[kennybryan]

This is a school of 4 pound Spotted Bass. The left screen is Lowrance 200 kHz Sonar. The right side is the same schools of bass on Lowrance DOWN Scan 455 kHz technology. www.southernfishing.com

 

[RamblinWreck]

Are these crappie, you think?

 

[Coenen]

Are these crappie, you think?

Bet I know where that shot came from! I think they're bream or dink bass.

 

[Fullnet2]

Bet I know where that shot came from! I think they're bream or dink bass.

Doesn't look like crappie. I would guess bass.

 

[Coenen]

You have to take into account scaling on the screen as well. A mark in 30ft is displayed differently than a mark in 60ft or 15ft. If you've got your unit turned way up to display every little echo out in the big water, you're going to get some "distortion" when you're up in the shallows.

Here are a couple of schools of stripers. I got these shots in October of last year, see how tight the schools are? Also check out the difference between the open water fish in 60ft in the first shot, and the shallower fish in the second.



Here's a pack of spots that followed the caught fish up off of a brush pile. I think I got this shot in April or May. You can compare the size of the marks to the stripers pictured above in a similar depth.


Hope that sheds some light!

 

[TroyBoy30]

Are these crappie, you think?
View attachment 945076

Bass

 

[RamblinWreck]

 

[littlejon]

TB, how much clearer is the Helix 10 vs the Helix 7 ? I know it runs at a higher frequency

 

[RamblinWreck]

Those were bream by the way. Or at least that's what I caught dropping red wigglers down there. Some fat-dad shellcrackers on UL tackle makes me grin like a Cheshire cat.

Bream so big, 2 whole fried is a heck of a meal.

 

[TroyBoy30]

TB, how much clearer is the Helix 10 vs the Helix 7 ? I know it runs at a higher frequency

gen 1 or gen 2 mega?

 

[littlejon]

Gen 2 mega

 

[howboutthemdawgs]

Gen 2 mega

Considerably. Way more pixels in the 10 than the 7.