Help reading a sonar screen

[Mace]

Hi, hope you are all well...

I was wondering if some one could help me. I have a question on the actual reading of the screen information.

I have attached example photos and wondered what you would think the bottom is like?

I'm not sure if I'm over thinking this and it is what it is but what are sections marked in the colours? I'm trying to see a difference between silt and gravel in a lake I fish.

The blue has a dark return then the section below which is a weaker, and then a stronger larger section.

What would you read from this? Should I be looking a specific section?

Really sorry if this is a dumb question.

Mace

[Mace]

Hi, hope you are all well...

I was wondering if some one could help me. I have a question on the actual reading of the screen information.

I have attached example photos and wondered what you would think the bottom is like?

I'm not sure if I'm over thinking this and it is what it is but what are sections marked in the colours? I'm trying to see a difference between silt and gravel in a lake I fish.

The blue has a dark return then the section below which is a weaker, and then a stronger larger section.

What would you read from this? Should I be looking a specific section?

Really sorry if this is a dumb question.

Mace

How do you attach a picture?

[Mace]

[Dispy]

The softer the bottom, the more the sonar penetrates before returning signal.

[seamonkey84]

When I started using a sonar, I found some videos on YouTube that really helped interpreting the screen and how to play with settings. I can't remember most of the specific videos, but flukemaster has one that was simple and useful.

[Mace]

Sorry, so how would you read that picture, the first part (blue) is that what you mean? Or is it red?

Im trying to understand why there is a bar between red and blue. And trying to understand what it all means.

Really appreciate your help.

[Bowmandan]

What kind of a sonar is this?

[Bowmandan]

What kind of a sonar is this?

[Mace]

It's WaveRunner WFF1 or rebadged A yachting Fc500/520

[Mace]

No one?

Which bit should be thicker or thinner depending on the hardness of softness of the bottom?

[Ice Dawg]

Hard bottom should have a wider return or gray line because it returns more of your sonar pulse. Soft bottom absorbs more of the signal and gives a thinner bottom reading

[Mace]

Thanks Ice Dawg, but which part? could you highlight to me which colour bit represents the true bottom?

[Mac Attack]

Hard bottom should have a wider return or gray line because it returns more of your sonar pulse. Soft bottom absorbs more of the signal and gives a thinner bottom reading

This is correct - I was reverse of this and I was wrong.
(brain fart)
I deleted my earlier post to avoid any future confusion.

Here's a link to an article with some basics in it.
Tons of stuff out there on line.
Especially Youtube.

http://www.bassmaster.com/tips/fishing-electronics-part-1-basic-sonar


Good luck.
Mac

[Ice Dawg]

Thanks Ice Dawg, but which part? could you highlight to me which colour bit represents the true bottom?

The dark gray line is the actual bottom. The light gray line below below it is the gray line which you should be able to adjust to make it wider or thinner. On my color sonar I  would probably have it show up as red. Anything above the dark grsy line or separate from it isn't the actual bottom. Bait fish, weeds, fish, rocks etc. will be above the bottom. Experience is your best teacher.

[Mace]

Thanks again.

The dark grey is the bottom,
So the wider it is the more of an echo (harder bottom) , the slimer means less?

The part below can be ignored?