When you decide what structure to fish based on conversations with local anglers and bait shop gurus then it s time to hit the water and use the map to get you onto the reef, point, bar, sunken island, weed bed, or drop-off. After you have touched down on the piece of structure you ve chosen the sonar becomes the tool of choice. Use the sonar to look for variations in the structure that hold fish. You should also be looking for schools of forage as well as bigger fish, which show up as hooks on the sonar. If you are chasing a species that is shallow or weed oriented the sonar comes in handy for finding the edge of the vegetation and dips or variations in the bottom.
Most people just push the on-button of their sonar and let it run on the automatic setting.
Try experimenting with some of the functions and you will discover you have a much better ability to focus in on the structure. Try a split screen to get a good picture of the bottom and still be able to spot suspended fish. Adjust the gain to define those bottom contours and separate the fish from the bottom. You not only know where you are on the water with one of these, but you know where the fish are as well. As you move around on the structure you will be drawing a plot line on the screen.