Getting Good Electronics Images on North Carolina Lakes

[brimster]

This has been on my mind for quite some time. Thought this would be the ideal forum to see if others feel the same way.

I have been consistently disappointed by the images I get on my electronics. I happen to be a HB guy. Seems every time I make an investment in gear, the results fall far below my expectations. And the images NEVER look like the glory shots you see posted on BBC and in YT vids!

So why am I sharing... In NC, many of our reservoirs and even our lakes have very limited water visibility. Oftentimes, a matter of several inches. This is very much unlike where I grew-up in Western New York where you could clearly see bottom in feet of water! So here's my theory... Is is POSSIBLE to get truly great images on our electronics in these waters? Or does the "particulate matter" (aka clay) in the water make this simply impossible?

Would love the hear the opinions of others!

[buddyclub]

Some days it’s harder to get clear images on both my birds and garmin. There are more days than not that I can get good returns, but it does require a lot of adjustment. I can’t just set them and leave them, just like on high rock if I get it set for flat swamp but run up river, it needs adjusting. After storms when there is a lot of river wash it is real hard to get crisp returns.

[Rip Bass]

Modern graphs are so sensitive that they can pick up all particles suspended in dirty water,not just NC water. I can see a big difference in my Garmin LS in dirty water and Gaston water when it’s clear. I think all those great images you see on the advertisements are in very clear water. I fish the rivers down east a lot and about the farthest I can see anything is about fifty feet.

[Flipping6.5]

I have a newer Helix 9 and a Garmin Maps1022 with Livescope on my new boat. My other units were about 10 years old. I have noticed they are MUCH more sensitive. I was getting really frustrated with the Mega Side Imaging. I have concluded I can only get those real crisp images with it if there is little sediment in the water. These newer units definitely seem to need constant adjusting.

[magfluker]

We don't have grass here to keep the water clean like you're used to. Adjust accordingly for water clarity, or just get used to looking through the crap lol

[brimster]

We don't have grass here to keep the water clean like you're used to. Adjust accordingly for water clarity, or just get used to looking through the crap lol

Grass doesn't make the water clean/clear. Clean/clear allows sunlight to penetrate the water and allows grass to grow. Chicken/egg.

[low slung cruiser]

Grass doesn't make the water clean/clear. Clean/clear allows sunlight to penetrate the water and allows grass to grow. Chicken/egg.

gonna aggree to disaggree...
Grass will most certainly filter the water to some degree...clear water, may promote grass to grow deeper...

[brimster]

gonna aggree to disaggree...
Grass will most certainly filter the water to some degree...clear water, may promote grass to grow deeper...

Hmmm...interesting. Aquatic plants definitely filter minerals and some pollutants. But we're talking about sediment here, right? Like...particulate clay. You're saying that aquatic plants will clean that up? Maybe decrease run-off from the banks? Not sure how plants would filter otherwise.

[low slung cruiser]

closest example would be like how your nose hairs trap particles from entering your lungs....

[Rip Bass]

Aquatic plants definitely do trap sediment in the water,that clears the water to some degree and the clearer water allows more weed growth. Some water is naturally clear so the weeds don’t trap much sediment,but next time you find some weeds in dirty water,pull up a handful,shake it in the water and see how much dirt washes off of it.

[brimster]

That's like saying that furniture filters dust from a room because when you run a finger across an end table your finger has dust on it. The furniture isn't filtering dust. The dust is landing on the furniture.

[Rip Bass]

I didn’t say weeds filter sediment,I said weeds trap sediment. Reading comprehension is important.

[brimster]

I didn’t say weeds filter sediment,I said weeds trap sediment. Reading comprehension is important.

Meh...fair point RIP. I guess. But the furniture analogy still holds. Does the end table "trap" dust? Not...really. The dust lands on the end table. The dust sits there until Mrs. RIP comes along with her Pledge on an old pair of Mr. RIP's undershorts. For the most part, the same thing is true with plants. The sediment lands on a plant and there it sits until some other force (current, prop, tail of a fish) causes it to move. I suppose it is reasonable to think that plants "trap" sediment in that a weed line adjacent to a shoreline will "trap" run-off sediment and prevent it from entering the body of water.

Regardless, the thread has evolved (devolved?) into a discussion about whether plants filter sediment. Or - perhaps more specifically - do plants create clear water or does clear water "create" plants. To my knowledge, plants do not "filter" sediment (clean the water) (mussels do!). But clear water allows sunlight to penetrate which creates plants. Would be happy to be proven wrong.

[low slung cruiser]

Meh...fair point RIP. I guess. But the furniture analogy still holds. Does the end table "trap" dust? Not...really. The dust lands on the end table. The dust sits there until Mrs. RIP comes along with her Pledge on an old pair of Mr. RIP's undershorts. For the most part, the same thing is true with plants. The sediment lands on a plant and there it sits until some other force (current, prop, tail of a fish) causes it to move. I suppose it is reasonable to think that plants "trap" sediment in that a weed line adjacent to a shoreline will "trap" run-off sediment and prevent it from entering the body of water.

Regardless, the thread has evolved (devolved?) into a discussion about whether plants filter sediment. Or - perhaps more specifically - do plants create clear water or does clear water "create" plants. To my knowledge, plants do not "filter" sediment (clean the water) (mussels do!). But clear water allows sunlight to penetrate which creates plants. Would be happy to be proven wrong.

nothing wrong with that analogy...a funny read actually as well...

[bass boss]

My M360 and mdown along with Mside all have flawless images. Even in water with less than 1’ of visibility. Going fishing tomorrow. I’ll post some pics. My guess is if your not getting the image’s, it’s a setup error.

[brimster]

My M360 and mdown along with Mside all have flawless images. Even in water with less than 1’ of visibility. Going fishing tomorrow. I’ll post some pics. My guess is if your not getting the image’s, it’s a setup error.

Eric, I'm in tech support hell at the moment. In the past 40 days I have purchased a brand-new Solix G3 12 SI, M360 and MLIVE. ALL have been back to HBIRD once already. I'm in Twilight Zone territory!

That said (written) I just haven't ever felt like I've gotten great images from my gear - starting with the Onix units I originally had on my Ranger.

If you're every in my neighborhood (Jordan, Falls, Shearon Harris) I'd love to take a look at your set-up and results if you're willing!

Good luck tomorrow!

[Rip Bass]

My M360 and mdown along with Mside all have flawless images. Even in water with less than 1’ of visibility. Going fishing tomorrow. I’ll post some pics. My guess is if your not getting the image’s, it’s a setup error.

I get great images on my Lowrance g3 touch,in SI,DI and 2D. But with the Garmin LS not so much,at least not in dirty water. In clear water,it looks great. I have froze the screen several times on a good image and went through all the settings, changing settings to see what looks best. It just doesn’t like dirty water.

[brimster]

I get great images on my Lowrance g3 touch,in SI,DI and 2D. But with the Garmin LS not so much,at least not in dirty water. In clear water,it looks great. I have froze the screen several times on a good image and went through all the settings, changing settings to see what looks best. It just doesn’t like dirty water.

Wow! Interesting!! You so rarely hear anything negative about Garmin in general and LiveScope specifically. Are you using the latest/greatest head unit and transducer?