A lot of people think that buying a forward-facing sonar makes you an instant fishing genius. It’s important to recognize that forward-facing sonar is a tool and has its time and place like any other piece of electronics in the boat. As Scott Merwin explains, forward-facing sonar is a PRECISION TOOL for dialing in small areas. For example, you can use it to check for fish along or above weeds and you can identify fish along breaks to cast to.
Before you break out the forward-facing sonar, however, you need to dial in your general locations by first looking at your map and considering the time of year, the wind, etc. For Merwin, that means the first thing he does when he heads out on the water is to check those locations and find fish with side-imaging. Once you get a handle on where the fish are positioned, then Merwin explains it’s time go over to them with forward facing sonar. You can then determine if you want to target the fish based on their size or try to catch one quickly to see what they are. Then, you can use forward-facing sonar to dial in the bite. You’ll be able to see exactly how the fish react, specifically if they are interested in or spooked by your presentation. This is where forward-facing sonar shines – it’s not for all around fishing no matter what you’re doing.
