This screen shot from a Raymarine unit is of schools varying fish sizes spread across a rather featureless bottom. I like this view of the transitional sonar over Chirp Downvision, because it really helps define what we normally see with the elongated images from standard sonar.
Not sure when or where this shot was taken, but you can typically see this type of behavior during the fall in the bottom of some of the larger creeks where threadfin or gizzard shad are present. Most of your larger fish (where the waypoint was dropped) are grouped lower in the water column and the smaller marks are somewhat suspended above the bottom. You can see that the larger fish shown in the Downvision screen have a whiter brighter center, which shows more density. On the standard sonar some visible “red” fish marks tight to the bottom.
By looking at this I would say the fish by the waypoint are largemouth bass and some of the other marks scattered about are either white bass or maybe crappie. Based on the tighter grouping patterns of these fish there is definitely some feeding happening on these much smaller bait marks. At the top of the screen is some surface disturbance from where the outboard has circled back over a time of two to graph it again, get a better look and line up on the fish.
How to fish it:
Judging by water temperature and fish position I would say this is a late fall early winter scenario. I would try a Strike King Dream Shot soft plastic on a drop shot rig with lighter 7lb Gamma Touch fluorocarbon. I have found that the lighter line tends to get bit better in colder water temperatures. On a 7′ M/H St. Croix rod I would slowly reel and bottom bounce a Strike King Swim-N-Shiner on their 1/4 to 3/8oz Squadron jighead to show a larger profile to the fish as well. Tight lines James Niggemeyer
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