How to Use a Simrad Fish Finder

On this page (9 sections)

1. What should you do before using a Simrad fish finder?
2. Which Simrad sonar view should you use?
3. How do you read the main Simrad display?
4. How should you adjust Simrad sensitivity?
5. How do frequency, range, and ping speed affect the screen?
6. How do you mark a fishing spot on Simrad?
7. How can you protect a Simrad screen?
8. What should you do when the screen looks wrong?
9. What is the simplest way to learn a Simrad fish finder?

To use a Simrad fish finder, select the right sonar view, confirm the transducer and depth reading, then adjust the display while watching the scrolling history. The basic controls become easier once you know what each screen is showing.

Before changing settings, make sure the unit has power and the transducer is submerged correctly. A poor mounting position, air bubbles, or the wrong transducer selection can create a bad image that no sensitivity adjustment can fix.

What should you do before using a Simrad fish finder?

Confirm the installation, transducer source, and depth range before reading fish marks. Your Simrad unit needs a steady signal before its screen can show useful bottom and target information.

Check that the transducer cable is connected and that the unit identifies the expected source. If your boat has more than one transducer, selecting the wrong one can produce an inaccurate or missing view.

Start in open water at a slow, steady speed. Confirm that the depth number changes in a sensible way and that the bottom line stays continuous as the boat moves.

Set the depth range to automatic while learning. Once you understand the water depth, a manual range can keep the screen focused on the area you want to study.

Which Simrad sonar view should you use?

Use traditional 2D sonar for a general view of the water column, DownScan for sharper detail below the boat, and SideScan for structure to either side when your unit supports those modes. The best view depends on what you are trying to find.

Traditional sonar is useful for tracking depth, bottom changes, and fish arches. It gives you a scrolling history, so the right side usually shows the newest return while older information moves across the screen.

DownScan can make objects and bottom shapes easier to separate. Use it to inspect cover, drop-offs, rocks, and other detail directly below the boat.

SideScan helps search wider areas to the port and starboard sides. It works best when the boat moves in a fairly straight line and the range is suited to the depth and target size.

For a broader explanation of screen elements, read how to read a fish finder screen.

How do you read the main Simrad display?

Read the depth scale, bottom line, scrolling direction, and color strength together. A single bright mark is less useful than a pattern that stays consistent across several returns.

The bottom line shows where the sonar signal reaches the lake, river, or sea floor. A thin, sharp line can look different from a wide or strongly colored return, so compare changes as you travel.

Fish may appear as arches in traditional sonar when the boat passes over them. The arch shape depends on boat movement, beam position, depth, and settings.

Structure can appear as vertical shapes, thick marks, or irregular returns rising from the bottom. Use DownScan or SideScan when you need more detail around those shapes.

The bottom can also reveal changes in hardness. If that matters for your fishing plan, see What Is Bottom Hardness on a Fish Finder?.

How should you adjust Simrad sensitivity?

Change sensitivity in small steps until weak targets become visible without filling the screen with clutter. Too little sensitivity can hide returns, while too much can make the display difficult to read.

Automatic sensitivity gives you a useful starting point. It can be helpful when depth and water conditions change often during a trip.

Manual sensitivity is useful when you want a steadier display for a specific area. Increase it if the screen looks empty and lower it if noise or scattered marks cover the water column.

Keep notes about settings that work in familiar water. The useful level can change with depth, bottom type, speed, and the sonar frequency you select.

For a plain explanation of this control, read What Is Sonar Sensitivity on a Fish Finder?.

How do frequency, range, and ping speed affect the screen?

Use a frequency and range that match your depth and search goal. Higher-frequency views can show more detail in suitable conditions, while lower-frequency views can help with deeper water, depending on the transducer and unit.

A narrow depth range uses more of the screen for the area you care about. A wider range gives more context but can make small targets harder to study.

Ping speed controls how often the unit sends and receives sonar pulses. Faster movement may require a suitable ping setting so returns remain useful, but the best option depends on the model and conditions.

Avoid changing frequency, range, sensitivity, and color palette at the same time. Change one setting, watch the screen, and keep the option only if it makes the return easier to understand.

How do you mark a fishing spot on Simrad?

Mark a waypoint only after you confirm the boat's position and the screen return you want to revisit. A waypoint is more useful when you record why you saved it.

Use the unit's waypoint or mark control when you are over the target area. Name the spot with a simple note such as “hard bottom,” “brush,” or “fish near drop.”

Check the map position before leaving. GPS accuracy, boat movement, and the selected chart can affect where the waypoint appears.

Do not treat a waypoint as proof that fish will remain there. Fish move, water conditions change, and the same structure can produce different returns at different times.

If you want a more focused walkthrough, read how to read a Simrad fish finder. A flasher display works differently, so how to read a flasher fish finder is the better guide for that style of sonar.

How can you protect a Simrad screen?

Clean the display before applying a protector, match the protector to the exact screen, and remove dust before alignment. A protector cannot correct a poor fit or dirt trapped underneath.

The Vivelancia Screen Protector Tempered Glass 2-Pack Compatible is made for Garmin EchoMAP Ultra 122sv, 125sv, and 126sv, plus Garmin EchoMAP Ultra 2 122sv, with a 12 in screen. It uses tempered glass with 9H hardness, anti-glare treatment, an oleophobic coating, and a 2-count package.

Choose it only when your display matches the listed Garmin models and 12 in size. Its fit does not make it suitable for a Simrad screen with different dimensions.

The Karltys Screen Protector for Humminbird Helix is made for Humminbird Helix 7 GPS G2, G2N, G3, G3N, G4, and G4N 7 in touchscreens. It is a 1-count tempered-glass protector with 9H hardness, anti-glare, anti-fingerprint, and scratch-resistant features.

This option suits a compatible Humminbird Helix 7 owner, not a Simrad user. Confirm the exact Helix generation before installation.

The INNOSURE [2-PACK] Tempered Glass Screen Protector is made for Garmin EchoMAP Ultra and Ultra 2 102sv, 105sv, and 106sv models with 10 in screens. It includes 2 glass protectors and installation kits, with HD clear glass, 9H+ hardness, anti-fingerprint treatment, and anti-smudge features.

Use it when your Garmin model and 10 in screen match the listed compatibility. The 2-pack can suit owners who want a spare, but it is not a universal fish finder protector.

Clean the screen with an appropriate soft cloth before installation. For routine care after installation, follow how to clean a fish finder screen.

What should you do when the screen looks wrong?

Check the transducer, cable, depth range, and sensitivity before assuming the fish finder has failed. Many poor images come from installation, bubbles, excessive clutter, or an unsuitable range.

If the bottom disappears, slow the boat and check the transducer position. If the screen is full of noise, reduce sensitivity gradually and inspect nearby electrical equipment if the problem continues.

If the unit behaves differently after software changes, check the manufacturer instructions for your exact model. Software procedures vary by brand, so a Humminbird fish finder software update guide is not a Simrad update guide.

You can also review Do Fish Finders Really Work? What to Know for a practical explanation of what sonar can and cannot show.

What is the simplest way to learn a Simrad fish finder?

Start with automatic settings, learn the traditional sonar screen, then adjust one control at a time. Once you can identify the depth, bottom, structure, and likely fish marks, add DownScan or SideScan for more detail.

Pick the correct sonar source first. Use a protector only when its brand, model, and screen size match your display.

For the smoothest learning curve, spend one trip watching how the screen changes over known depth and structure. That makes later sensitivity and range adjustments easier to judge.

Frequently asked questions

How do you use a Simrad fish finder for the first time?

Start with the correct transducer selected, confirm the depth reading, and choose a sonar view such as traditional 2D, DownScan, or SideScan if your unit supports it. Set a sensible depth range, watch the scrolling history, and make small sensitivity changes instead of changing several controls at once.

What settings should you change on a Simrad fish finder?

Begin with depth range, sensitivity, color palette, surface clarity, and ping speed. Automatic settings are a useful starting point, but manual adjustments can make fish arches, bottom changes, and structure easier to separate as water depth, boat speed, and conditions change.

How do you read fish on a Simrad fish finder?

Fish often appear as arches in a traditional sonar view when the boat moves over them, while a stationary fish may appear as a line or partial mark. Check the depth scale, bottom line, color strength, and nearby structure together instead of treating one bright mark as proof of fish.

Should you use automatic sensitivity on a Simrad fish finder?

Automatic sensitivity is a good starting point because it adjusts the display as conditions change. Use it while learning the unit, then make small manual changes when weak targets disappear, clutter fills the screen, or you need a clearer view of bottom detail.