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Elite Electronics Tips: Horton scans deep water

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Bassmaster Elite Series pro Tim Horton takes us aboard his Nitro to talk about how he sets his Raymarine units for optimum performance.
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Tim Horton takes us aboard his Nitro to talk about how he sets his Raymarine units for optimum performance.
At the console, Horton has Raymarine aSeries and eSeries units. The aSeries is completely touch screen while the eSeries is a hybrid touch system that also has a dial and buttons if needed.
At the console, Horton has Raymarine aSeries and eSeries units. The aSeries is completely touch screen while the eSeries is a hybrid touch system that also has a dial and buttons if needed.
He sports the same setup in the front of his boat while on the trolling motor.
He sports the same setup in the front of his boat while on the trolling motor.
With two units on the front deck, Horton can run four different screens without taking away the visibility or making each panel too small.
With two units on the front deck, Horton can run four different screens without taking away the visibility or making each panel too small.
In the console he has an eSeries unit so that he can run two screens, his
In the console he has an eSeries unit so that he can run two screens, his “running sonar” and SideVision. He calls the dash sonar “running sonar” because the biggest use is when he is driving he can tell the depth as he goes. He doesn’t recommend graphing fish with a through-hull transducer, but rather one added on.
Sonar, SideVision, mapping and DownVision. He says his through-hull sonar will read to depths of 300 feet.
Sonar, SideVision, mapping and DownVision. He says his through-hull sonar will read to depths of 300 feet.
“On my big screen, I want my mapping where I can see it course up. The down vision with chirp sonar is the pinnacle in my opinion. Chirp is a little bit different because it shoots a flat, wide angle instead of a cone shape. It gives me the best separation that I’ve ever seen.”
“On my big screen, I want my mapping where I can see it course up. The down vision with chirp sonar is the pinnacle in my opinion. Chirp is a little bit different because it shoots a flat, wide angle instead of a cone shape. It gives me the best separation that I’ve ever seen.”
Horton prefers four units, two on the front and two on the back, because it gives him a bigger picture for each panel. If someone wants to just have one on the front and back that they can do that as well, but it'll just be a bigger screen. “If someone wants to just buy one unit then you can have all four windows opened. I like being able to see a bigger page, same reason why everyone is getting bigger cell phones.”
Horton prefers four units, two on the front and two on the back, because it gives him a bigger picture for each panel. If someone wants to just have one on the front and back that they can do that as well, but it’ll just be a bigger screen. “If someone wants to just buy one unit then you can have all four windows opened. I like being able to see a bigger page, same reason why everyone is getting bigger cell phones.”
Horton's take on using the aSeries and eSeries together:
Horton’s take on using the aSeries and eSeries together: “The eSeries is a hybrid where you can do all touchscreen or you have a panel on the side that you can adjust it as well. The advantage of the eSeries is if you are in rough water and you are driving. It can be hard to touch a button, whereas on the eSeries you can use a panel to navigate the unit in rough water.”
The aSeries gives the 2006 Angler of the Year more screen because there are no buttons on the side of the unit. It reminds him of a flat screen TV, which is key when he is staring at the SideVision or while idling down contour lines all day.
The aSeries gives the 2006 Angler of the Year more screen because there are no buttons on the side of the unit. It reminds him of a flat screen TV, which is key when he is staring at the SideVision or while idling down contour lines all day.
One feature that Horton uses while on the front deck of his boat is the DownVision. He has his front unit reading the DownVision from the back transducer.
One feature that Horton uses while on the front deck of his boat is the DownVision. He has his front unit reading the DownVision from the back transducer. “On this other screen I have my mapping and the DownVision from the back so that I can tell if I’m 12 feet in the front and 18 in the back that I’m on a drop of some kind.”
An important technique when using your front electronics is vertically fishing with a drop shot. Horton likes his other unit, the aSeries, for the sonar and down vision for that technique specifically. “What we’ve got up front is a split screen as well. I run my sonar so I can see my drop shot when I’m fishing vertically.
An important technique when using your front electronics is vertically fishing with a drop shot. Horton likes his other unit, the aSeries, for the sonar and down vision for that technique specifically. “What we’ve got up front is a split screen as well. I run my sonar so I can see my drop shot when I’m fishing vertically.”
In the bottom left corner of each panel the Raymarine units feature the depth. When both units are side by side it makes Horton's system efficient because he can glance to his eSeries unit and see how deep he is in the back of the boat.
In the bottom left corner of each panel the Raymarine units feature the depth. When both units are side by side it makes Horton’s system efficient because he can glance to his eSeries unit and see how deep he is in the back of the boat.
Horton is going to show you the difference in setting your gain to the appropriate setting.
Horton is going to show you the difference in setting your gain to the appropriate setting.
As you can see, 44 percent gives a clear view on the right side of the DownVision. It took away the interference that is now passing through the middle of the screen. With a setting on 44 percent setting it will give you a clear picture, but higher gain settings may give more detail depending on the situation.
As you can see, 44 percent gives a clear view on the right side of the DownVision. It took away the interference that is now passing through the middle of the screen. With a setting on 44 percent setting it will give you a clear picture, but higher gain settings may give more detail depending on the situation.
When he jacks it up to over 75 percent there is more interference, but on deep hard bottom lakes with more rock instead of grass, this can pay dividends.
When he jacks it up to over 75 percent there is more interference, but on deep hard bottom lakes with more rock instead of grass, this can pay dividends.
His happy-medium is in that 60- to 70-percent range where the detail is crisp while limiting the interference.
His happy-medium is in that 60- to 70-percent range where the detail is crisp while limiting the interference.
When Horton's units aren't on the Auto setting, he prefers the
When Horton’s units aren’t on the Auto setting, he prefers the “noise” level to be in the 60- to 70-percent level while changing his “Gain” depending on the bottom hardness and cover.
Horton likes having his boat cursor facing course-up so that he can take less time interpreting his graph and the landmarks in the vicinity.
Horton likes having his boat cursor facing course-up so that he can take less time interpreting his graph and the landmarks in the vicinity.
“As you see we are coming up on a point with two boat docks. What I’ll see on my unit is the same because I like to keep it course-up so what’s ahead on my unit is what is actually ahead in real life. If it was north-up then these docks could be behind me or to the side.”
“As you see we are coming up on a point with two boat docks. What I’ll see on my unit is the same because I like to keep it course-up so what’s ahead on my unit is what is actually ahead in real life. If it was north-up then these docks could be behind me or to the side.”
He also references the hazard buoys that he saw on the last slide and how it is straight in front of the boat. It helps on creating a casting line with a landmark as well as scanning specific contour lines that make twists and turns.
He also references the hazard buoys that he saw on the last slide and how it is straight in front of the boat. It helps on creating a casting line with a landmark as well as scanning specific contour lines that make twists and turns.
This makes graphing much easier for Horton. He is one of the best offshore fishermen on the Bassmaster Elite Series, which explains his success on lakes like Pickwick, Kentucky Lake and others.
This makes graphing much easier for Horton. He is one of the best offshore fishermen on the Bassmaster Elite Series, which explains his success on lakes like Pickwick, Kentucky Lake and others.
Three to four miles per hour is a great speed when scanning and idling offshore structure, but Horton explains that idling at 3 mph allows him to see each strand of grass and the leaves that grow on them. During the year he can tell the difference between good grass and dying grass without even casting because he can see the lively grass on his down vision.
Three to four miles per hour is a great speed when scanning and idling offshore structure, but Horton explains that idling at 3 mph allows him to see each strand of grass and the leaves that grow on them. During the year he can tell the difference between good grass and dying grass without even casting because he can see the lively grass on his down vision.
The eSeries has a knob that you can use to scroll and mark a waypoint as well as other buttons to make navigation and functionality easier. This is often recommended because clicking a button while driving down the lake is much easier than using a touch screen unit solely.
The eSeries has a knob that you can use to scroll and mark a waypoint as well as other buttons to make navigation and functionality easier. This is often recommended because clicking a button while driving down the lake is much easier than using a touch screen unit solely.
With two different screens Horton can create a bigger picture per panel, which can make usage much easier.
With two different screens Horton can create a bigger picture per panel, which can make usage much easier.
Here, Horton sets his
Here, Horton sets his “Gain” to Auto and will show the sweet-spot setting, depending on your personal preference.
The Alabama pro sets his Gain to 71 percent out of 100 and he can clearly see the individual strands of grass growing on the bottom.
The Alabama pro sets his Gain to 71 percent out of 100 and he can clearly see the individual strands of grass growing on the bottom.
He comes through an area with more subsurface debris so he will adjust it so he doesn't pick up the unwanted stuff in the water.
He comes through an area with more subsurface debris so he will adjust it so he doesn’t pick up the unwanted stuff in the water.
He lowers it to 65 percent so the interference begins to go away.
He lowers it to 65 percent so the interference begins to go away.
Raymarine features a mapping system with contour highlights. Here the blue is everything shallower than 20 feet of water. He changes it to 12 to show accurate contour detail in the back of this cove.
Raymarine features a mapping system with contour highlights. Here the blue is everything shallower than 20 feet of water. He changes it to 12 to show accurate contour detail in the back of this cove.
Now he can see the evident transitions as the white now invades the back of the creek and shows everything 12 feet and shallower in blue. This can help when duplicating a pattern where a depth change is crucial to the pattern.
Now he can see the evident transitions as the white now invades the back of the creek and shows everything 12 feet and shallower in blue. This can help when duplicating a pattern where a depth change is crucial to the pattern.
Horton points to a dock that is on the edge of the deep water break. He suggests that this would be a good transition place from the summer months to the fall feeding area.
Horton points to a dock that is on the edge of the deep water break. He suggests that this would be a good transition place from the summer months to the fall feeding area.
Horton points out a ball of bait in between two points that you can clearly see on his down vision screen. He can almost count the individual bait fish in the group.
Horton points out a ball of bait in between two points that you can clearly see on his down vision screen. He can almost count the individual bait fish in the group.
He looks over at his sonar and can see the bait ball clearly.
He looks over at his sonar and can see the bait ball clearly.
Just a few feet later, Horton sees another pod of bait fish and with his chirp he can tell how big and how many bait fish are in the group. This goes for schools of bass as well and he did so during BASSfest at Kentucky Lake. “I went over a spot and saw three fish, one being twice the size of the others. I had nothing but 4 1/2 pounders, but that 6 1/2 helped me.
Just a few feet later, Horton sees another pod of bait fish and with his chirp he can tell how big and how many bait fish are in the group. This goes for schools of bass as well and he did so during BASSfest at Kentucky Lake. “I went over a spot and saw three fish, one being twice the size of the others. I had nothing but 4 1/2 pounders, but that 6 1/2 helped me.
He can use his sonar to see how accurate his down vision reading is and vice-versa.
He can use his sonar to see how accurate his down vision reading is and vice-versa.
Horton uses a special transducer on his trolling motor so it never makes contact with rock, wood or any other structure while on the water.
Horton uses a special transducer on his trolling motor so it never makes contact with rock, wood or any other structure while on the water.
This allows him to get a perfect reading while never worrying about damaging his transducer.
This allows him to get a perfect reading while never worrying about damaging his transducer.
He has his DownVision transducer mounted on the right rear of his Nitro at the perfect angle so he doesn't get any interference.
He has his DownVision transducer mounted on the right rear of his Nitro at the perfect angle so he doesn’t get any interference.
Horton shows off his Raymarine SideVision transducer, one that is adjustable.
Horton shows off his Raymarine SideVision transducer, one that is adjustable.
He can keep the two wands close together for a taller scanning area for deeper water like the northern smallmouth lakes. If Horton fishes in Florida or other very shallow bodies of water, he can adjust the two wands and spread them apart so the side vision shoots more horizontally than vertically like in the deeper water scenarios.
He can keep the two wands close together for a taller scanning area for deeper water like the northern smallmouth lakes. If Horton fishes in Florida or other very shallow bodies of water, he can adjust the two wands and spread them apart so the side vision shoots more horizontally than vertically like in the deeper water scenarios.

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