Versa Electronics
www.marcumtech.com
- 12 -
bottom can be indicated by a “double” or second echo that will show on your
display at approximately twice the water depth. Soft bottom (silt, mud, muck)
will only register one bottom reading. Using your Sonar in conjunction with an
underwater viewing system is a great way to learn how to interpret your sonar
signals.
READING FISH— Fish will generally appear as separate targets from the
bottom. Using the factory default color palette, a fish target can be displayed
as RED, GREEN, or YELLOW, depending on the size of the fish and the loca-
tion within the transmit beam. Larger fish located in the center of the beam
(cone) can appear RED and will be displayed as a wider band on the display.
Smaller fish or fish on the outside of the cone may appear green or even yellow.
Fish moving through the transmit beam may change color as the return signal
strengthens or weakens reflecting their location.
Some fish, like walleyes, are notorious for cruising right on the bottom. The LX-7
has target separation fine enough that it will generally show bottom hugging
fish as a separate signal. However, fish that are right on the bottom can appear
as part of the bottom. The best indication of a fish sitting right on the bottom is
that the leading edge of the bottom return signal is either GREEN or possibly a
dithering or flickering RED segment. It is important that the sensitivity be kept
to a minimum when displaying a strong bottom return. Having your sensitivity
too high will flood out the ability to differentiate targets and clutter the display.
Utilizing the ZOOM feature can give you a magnified look at the bottom when
this is happening, and help you better learn what is going on below you.
Schooling fish, like crappies or white bass, will sometimes group in large
numbers suspended off the bottom. A big school of fish concentrated in one
portion of the water column can show on your sonar as one large “blob”, and it
can be difficult to pick out individual targets. Zooming in on the zone with the
most fish will give you better definition, and switching to the 8 degree cone will
eliminate signals from fish on the periphery of your area, improving your defini-
tion even more.
READING LURES AND JIGS— The LX-7 will pick up and display the smallest
of lures and jigs. When tuning the unit to display your lure, lower the object to
the desired depth and turn up the SENS until you see the lure or bait on the
display. It is important that the SENS be set so it displays the lure or bait as you
raise or lower it. Once you have the SENS set where you want it, you can fine-
tune your signals by using the TARGET ADJUST button.
NOTE: When tuning the unit to display lures or bait, make sure that the objects
are in the center of the hole and therefore in the center of the transmit beam. If
there is current (some lakes and all rivers have underwater current or movement)
and the lure doesn’t weigh much, it may move to the outer edge of the signal or
out of the transmit beam altogether. This will make it difficult or impossible to
pick it up on the display.
The LX-7 has sensitivity that will enable it to display the smallest ice jigs, as well
as sinkers and swivels, at all depths. The target separation of the LX-7 is down
to ½". This means that two objects that more than ½” apart can show as two
