I have an elite 5 dsi that I got for Xmas, and just used this weekend. My question is… What do fish look like on the screen. I know that they are to look like an “arch”. I spent 10 hrs on pool 4 today and seen alot of stuff on the bottom like spots, blobs, and dots. I find it hard to belive after 10 hrs I didnt see any fish arches. Any insight would be great.
unless the fish is directly under your transducer you will not see the “full arch”. Most of the time you will see half archs depending on which side of the boat the fish is on.
The other thing to keep in mind is that you have to have your transducer adjusted properly to get the archs.
I do have that same question. I don’t believe that screen shot is a dsi unit.
On the dsi units/ screens, a fish will look like a white, or lighter colored, spot on the screen. The elite 5 won’t show you the usual arches and blobs.
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On the dsi units/ screens, a fish will look like a white, or lighter colored, spot on the screen. The elite 5 won’t show you the usual arches and blobs.
It will show arcs for fish and baitfish blobs….
Okay I seen lots of stuff like that on the screen. And I think I can fine tune my transducer. I put it level with the bottom of boat when it was on the trailer and not when it was in the water.
Once you learn how to read down scan, you will find it to be much easier to determine a fish from other returns when compared to a 2D unit. There is a learning curve, no doubt. The attached picture with notes is from Dr. Sonar’s (Bruce Samson) website. He verified the fish with a camera, so he knows what they were. His website and facebook page are great resources for learning how to read what you see.
Fish look like white blobs. There are no fish arches on a downscan unit. The easiest way to learn is to look at 2D and DSI side by side so you can compare what you are seeing. Once you learn how to read a DSI, you may never go back to a regular 2D for fishing. The only downfall of a DSI is that you don’t get good readings at high speed because you don’t have a true circular cone like a 2D, you have a narrow, wider “slice” you are seeing so it can’t keep up at high speeds.
okay so I wont give up hopw yet. Ill check out his webpage. Thanks.
So I just bought the Doctor sonar video for the Elite series depth finders. This is by far the BEST 29.99 I have spent. If you are ready to give up on your Elite DSI unit spend the money and buy this DVD. When I went out the other day on the river I was seeing fish all day but didnt know it because they do not show up as “arches”. I think that I will be able to catch more fish now and pick them out of the weeds and timber easier. I dont know what eles to say, just buy the DVD Im positive you will learn about your unit. The video does tons of side by side with DSI and regular 2D and how they differ. 
Doc’s videos are awesome. I bought the side scan one when I first went to the HDS units and it cut my learning curve down a ton. Anyone that says that a DSI unit isn’t showing fish and isn’t as good as a 2D just hasn’t learned how to read it yet, and will do themselves a disservice by giving up on using it.
Dandorn, I like your choice of music!
trying to bring an old thread back to life. I am having a heck of a time understanding what I see on my Elite 5 DSI. I fished all day monday, and can’t figure out when I am seeing fish or not, whether I have it set up right or not, etc. I’m at a loss. All it’s good for right now is telling me depth.
See attached a screen shot. Is that just a bunch of crap in the water? I was trolling plugs and trying to decipher the images, but have no idea what I am seeing…
DSI-pic-1.jpg
An arc, is a fish swimming into and out of your cone. Boat can also pass over a fish and get the same result.
The drooping front and back of an arc is the fish entering and exiting the cone.
The thickness of the arc is an indication of fish size. Length of arc is only an indication of how long a fish was in the cone. However a huge fish can be on the edge of your cone and look like a small fish and a small fish can be on the outside of your cone and barely show up.
Your sonar should have settings for khz. These alter your cone size.
On a humminbird, 83 or 200
83 is the wider cone.
Can’t speak for lowrance but 2d sonar is 2d sonar no matter what unit.
Adjust your sensitivity so some clutter is showing up.
In a dirty river, expect a lot of clutter.
I hope this helps you. It might be best to reset your unit to defaults… As that is typically good enough for seeing fish on most 2d sonar.
An arc, is a fish swimming into and out of your cone. Boat can also pass over a fish and get the same result.
The drooping front and back of an arc is the fish entering and exiting the cone.
The thickness of the arc is an indication of fish size. Length of arc is only an indication of how long a fish was in the cone. However a huge fish can be on the edge of your cone and look like a small fish and a small fish can be on the outside of your cone and barely show up.
Your sonar should have settings for khz. These alter your cone size.
On a humminbird, 83 or 200
83 is the wider cone.
Can’t speak for lowrance but 2d sonar is 2d sonar no matter what unit.Adjust your sensitivity so some clutter is showing up.
In a dirty river, expect a lot of clutter.
I hope this helps you. It might be best to reset your unit to defaults… As that is typically good enough for seeing fish on most 2d sonar.
I could be wrong, but I believe the Elite 5 DSI that @drewbop runs is DSI only, so no traditional 2d sonar here at all. I have a Mark 5 DSI, which I believe is very similar to the Elite 5 but without the GPS/ map. Usually what you’d expect to look like an arc on a 2d sonar comes out looking more like an oblong blob on my DSI.
Yes, the Elite 5 DSI is DSI only. Hence the troubles I am having. I think I can read sonar alright, and “upgraded” to the DSI unit, but having lots of trouble having any sort of confidence reading it.
I am debating of buying a cheaper sonar unit (Lowrance or Humminbird?) to pair up with it just so I have something to compare to…
Yes, the Elite 5 DSI is DSI only. Hence the troubles I am having. I think I can read sonar alright, and “upgraded” to the DSI unit, but having lots of trouble having any sort of confidence reading it.
I am debating of buying a cheaper sonar unit (Lowrance or Humminbird?) to pair up with it just so I have something to compare to…
If you’ve used traditional 2d sonar for years and you convert to a DSI-only unit I do think it’s a challenge to adjust. Ideally you would get your toes wet by running a side-by-side unit so you can definitively see how the two different images look in real time. My DSI was the first sonar I’ve ever used, so it’s kind of natural for me.
I don’t think a lot of people run a DSI-only unit. I feel like I get a great sense of the structure and whether or not fish are present, in general. I use it more of a scouting tool than a fishing tool. Once I determine an area I’m going to fish, if I have a good solid grasp of the depth changes in my area I’ll turn the unit off completely. That’s just me.
. I think I can read sonar alright
Generally in life when I hear people say “I think” means they dont. Watch some vids on what sonar is and how to adjust.
“Bunch of crap” in the water says you just need to learn more about it. We’ve all been there. Good luck
trying to bring an old thread back to life. I am having a heck of a time understanding what I see on my Elite 5 DSI. I fished all day monday, and can’t figure out when I am seeing fish or not, whether I have it set up right or not, etc. I’m at a loss. All it’s good for right now is telling me depth.
See attached a screen shot. Is that just a bunch of crap in the water? I was trolling plugs and trying to decipher the images, but have no idea what I am seeing…
Drew,
Looking at your screen shot …… do you have and have you tried a different KHZ? Also looks like your sensitivity needs to be turned up a little. I see “0” fish on your screen shot. Where do you live? Maybe you can jump into someone else’s boat or them in yours to get you on track. I live in N Central MN and you are welcome to hop in my boat!
Thanks for the invite Mocha – I am in Duluth so it would be a bit of a drive. My brother in-law used to run a DSI unit, so I’ve had a little exposure as to what I should look for and see, but haven’t ever seen any fish on my own unit. We trolled for a few hours and I never once saw what I would have thought was a fish on the DSI – so maybe I have to fine tune my settings.
While up on LOTW with a buddy, we were running a new garmin w/ DSI and sonar side by side. The sonar gives you an arch, which could be a fish, or bait fish, or something in the water, but with the DSI you can really pin down to tell what it is.
So perhaps that needs to be my path – get a solid sonar unit to pair up with the DSI and get out on the water (or with someone who knows what they are doing!)
Thanks for the replies and ideas-
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