garmin 498

[bluffman2]

i have the combo gps/FF
i ahve read all manuals and paperwork that i can find on it..
i having a little trouble getting gain set at 100-150 feet deep to pick up fish as targets...im picking up wrecks as a blue target but cant seem to mark fish like i think i should....i can hold over a wreck and bring up nice size fish but cant seem to be seeing them on the F?finder?? any suggestions as to what to do to help me mark the fish?

[Southshore Marine Service]

Those must be the very common no seeums. They show up all over the sounder screen when you can't catch a fish then don't show up when you do catch. haha

Seriously though, I usually adjust the gain and sensitivity that I get a very light snow and back off alittle and it should read fine. What transducer are you running and how id it mounted?

[bluffman2]

my ducer is transom mounted on the strbd side ...thats where all the manuals i looked at showed to put it....i followed all guide lines and its not picking up prop wash while idleing

as far as the "Transom mount transducer: 50kHz (45 degree), 200kHz (15 degree)"
i think thats what i have but im no genius when it comes to that stuff!!

hoped that helped you answer my question!

[Southshore Marine Service]

Is it running in 50 or 200 at that depth and how detailed is the bottom when over the wreck? Does it mark fish fine when shallower?

[bluffman2]

if im not mistaken its running 50....it marks fish fine at 50-75 feet.....
the wreck shows the amount of relief it is suppose to but no fish.....
i dove a spot and the barge had about 10 feet off the bottom ..came right back up and the machine showed just about that ....while i dove fish everywhere ...came back up and nothing to be seen..so i dove back down and the fish were still everywhere to be found..??? i dont know??????

[welder]

Stephen , does that unit do split screen with 50 and 200 Mhz at the same time.

Lester

[bluffman2]

no single only ..unless i have missed something

[Capt. Fred]

Wow, I just looked it up and it says that the 498 is a 500 Watt machine. You shouldn't be having any trouble picking stuff up at that depth. Have you tried playing with the gain? You say the wreck shows up blue. On my Raymarine big stuff shows up red. Big fish or real dense schools of bait show up red. Is your transducer clean? Transducer set at proper angle? Double check all your connections? Have you tried it with the motor off or other electronics off to see if you are getting interference? Do you know anybody or a shop with another transducer you can borrow?

[bluffman2]

fred thanks.....yes i have tried all of the above with the exception of knowing someone with a shop or swapping ducers!!!

i have noticed schools of bait showing up as a very light bluish green and hard structure as blue"dark blue"

i thought my machine had enuff power to be reading correctly...if truth be known its probally human error....but i have played with gain until im blue in the face ..matter of fact i have probally spent more time trying to figure it out than i have actually fished.....im gonna try to find someone around here running the same unit and try to get them to go out with me aon a free trip to see if they can help me...for that matter if anyone that dont know anything about a 498 wants to go out on a free trip at all just let me know.im ready to fish!!