Fish or Not ?

Hello
Are these fish swimming down from my boat on my fish finder, the darker lines angled down to the bottom ?
I think the blob suspended on the middle right with the red and yellow is just muck because of the color, if a fish, it should be a black color should it not ?
Anyone have a link that explains the basics of fish finders for thoose of us who are not very tech capable?
Thanks in advance

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I can’t tell how fast the boat is moving. If moving slowly, the lines at a 45 degree angle are likely bubbles from release of gases from what seems to be a muck bottom. The boat movement is what distorts the otherwise vertical movement of the bubble stream. The suspended horizontal ‘blob’ looks like a fish to me.

Go to YouTube and search “Humminbird Helix” and you will have more then enough content to keep you busy at work for the day……..

17ft aluminum bass boat with 80 lb 24v Ulterra set at 1.5 was the boat speed at the time of picture.
FYI
Thanks All

Sonar is a cone.
Narrowest at the transducer and widest on the lake bottom.

I’ll explain the classic fish ‘arc’ first.

As a fish passes into the edge of sonar it is furthest from the transducer. As that fish nears the center of the cone it is nearest the transducer. As it leaves and finally exits the cone it is again the furthest. What the graph shows as a result is an ‘arc’. It is simple measuring the distance over time of a passing by object.
Thickness of arc at the center of arc when directly below sonar is the best indicator of fish size. However not everything passes directly through the center of your cone. Some only visit the edge. Two fish of same size one through center of cone one on outer edge will have different Thickness on the graph and the one further will appear lower on the graph.

So that’s how sonar works.
A fish can pass by a stationary boat. A boat can pass a stationary fish. A fish can swim alongside with you for a period of time and a fish can quickly swim through as well. Length of return is generally immaterial information. It tells you how long something was within your sonar cone. It tells you nothing more. Not size of fish…nuttin. A fish swimming under your boat at your speed will show a line continuing across the screen. That don’t mean it is a long fish.

OK so why don’t you have an ‘arc’.

It is likely that your sonar is angled forward or aft. Level it and you’ll see those angled lines flatten out. But I do see some flat returns.
In reality at 10′ your cone is very small. I like to turn up sensitivity so there is a little clutter on the screen.

May be a bunch of the same sizes fish. May be some variety of size. There’s no magic interpretation given a screenshot of a graph. Bubbles too, sure why not.

You might find it useful to spend some time learning the sonar technology. Google humminbird image interpretation from BBC boards and read on. Wealth of info.

I know it’s been said before but almost every time you post something I feel people should be paying for it. Your a wealth of knowledge man. Even though I already understood what you explained I feel I understand it better after reading your post.

Thanks for the input.
The Helix is attached to the Ulterra factory installed transducer, so I will have to check out the shaft to see if it is level when deployed in the water.
That being said, depending on number of people and their location in the boat, that is almost constantly changing, but I understand “levelness” if you will, now.
Thanks

Monkeymaster – Fishblood and River Mud gives a great explanation.
He also lists where to look.
I spend at least a couple hours a week on my boat playing with the electronics.
I go over things I know are there or in places I know what it looks like and try to learn what each shows up as when I fiddle with my controls. Can always go back to factory reset and start over.
I think this is something you learn over time and acquire as you use it and play with it more.
Went to a seminar and purchased the 3 laminated ( both sides) sheets which help me manage my screens from a beginner viewpoint to more technical use. Keep those in the boat.
Have an underwater camera and learned ALOT about what my Vexilar is showing me but also about what the bottom looks like in places I fish in the summer AND winter. ( some are mud bottoms, some I know are hard with rocks or sand…)
If you PM me from the site I can connect with you and share the “notes” I have acquired from Humminbird sites and others like Fishblood. Pictures of graphs, of screen shots and short videos that walk you through what you are seeing. Lots of good info.
I am not an expert by any means but always trying to learn more.

PM sent to Umy
Thanks to Umy and Everyone that replied it is appreciated.