This article will focus on dual transducer technology. Having dual transducers it like having two depth finders built into one. Some units have the capability to switch frequencies from a standard 200 KHZ degree cone beam over to a wide 50 KHZ degree cone beam using the same transducer. But you have to choose one or the other. Imagine being able to use both at the same time and see the information on the same screen. It is possible with the LCD-507 Edge2 from Vexilar. The Edge uses both a narrow 400 KHZ 10 degree cone beam and a wide 107 KHZ 38 degree beam cone at the same time. The unit uses two transducers which are mounted inches from each other on either your transom or bow mount trolling motor.

The advantage of having dual transducer technology allows you to pinpoint targets and structure. Many standard 200 KHZ sonars can create what is called a dead zone. This is where the cone beam hits the highest peak of the target for example the edge of a rock pile and then bounces back to the display. When this happens any fish or structure below that first point of signal contact will be hidden and not show on the display. Using both a 400 KHZ 10 degree beam and a 107 KHZ wide angle 38 degree beam , you are able to see some targets that might have been overlooked with many standard 200 KHZ sonars . But by comparing the two different beam angles at the same time, you can clearly understand the meaning of a "Dead Zone" people talk about with sonar. A Dead Zone is kind of like a shadow that is cast by an object like a rock or steep dropping bottom. When an object is inside the cone area of your sonar, it can hide objects and fish. The more you can reduce the Dead Zone, with a narrow beam diameter, the easier it is to spot fish holding tight to the bottom, but you sacrifice the ability to see high fish suspended off to the side of your boat, since the narrow beam is focused straight down more or less. By having both perspectives at your fingertips at the same time, you can get a more complete picture of what is actually around you while fishing. This is just one of the great benefits of a dual transducer , dual display sonar system.

The Edge2 has three different modes you can pre-program and you can toggle through these programs with a touch of a button. Using any sonar effectively requires you to make adjustments for the conditions your fishing. Screen display speed, gain, greyline, range, ping speed just to name a few can be adjusted to get the maximum benefit from the unit. Most units today have auto-mode that will make all these adjustments for you. But the unit doesn?t know what lake your on, the species your targeting, or what modifications need to be made to better suit your situations. The three modes I use with my Vexilar Edge2 are; fast scanning, positive fish ID and bottom content ID. You can set up and fine tune your three modes for your personal preference. Let?s go into detail on how I use and find these three modes to be effective.

Mode 1 Fast Scanning - It use to be that an angler had to putt around slow in order for his electronics to pick up a decent reading of fish and bottom. Not with today?s locators. With an adjustable display speed called Sweep Speed, the Edge2 gives you the ability to keep up with the bottom passing below you while the boat is moving along structure at a safe speed. You can set the Sweep Speed from a slow crawl to a super fast speed depending on how fast the boat is moving. I have mode #1 on my Edge2 programmed for fast scanning. I can get on the water and start with mode #1 and cruise along at speeds up to 25 mph and get an excellent reading of bottom and fish targets. I have the mode set up to use just the narrow 400 KHZ beam and the gain set higher. The narrow beam when used with a higher gain setting allows the unit to channel more amplification into your signal at higher speeds and get excellent results. This mode cuts down on wasted time seaching for fish at slower speeds. Once I see good fish targets its time to switch to mode 2.

Mode 2 Positive Fish ID. - With just a touch of a button on the Edge2 display panel, I go into mode 2 which I have pre-set to positively mark potential fish targets at slower speeds. So for example, I?m cruising a mud flat on lake Mille lacs at speeds around 20-25 mph, I?m running up and down the edge of the flat and also searching the top of the flat. I see something that I like and slow the boat down to a troll and hit mode 2. I have my mode 2 programmed to use both the wide and narrow beam at the same time on split screen with the Sweep Speed set on slow and the gain on auto. This allows me even more detail with the wide beam and with the narrow beam I can pinpoint exactly where the fish are and know that they are directly under my boat. I can see fish on mud flat or rock edges that most standard beams can miss. Now its time to set an icon on my GPS unit.

Mode 3 Bottom Content - I have mode 3 pre-programmed for scanning of structure. With the push of a button I can use mode 3 to find changes in bottom transition, identify bottom content and searching along weed lines. I have mode 3 set up again to use both beams at the same time, the gain in auto and the range set to allow the unit to display triple echoes. I use mode three to find transition areas where sand meets gravel, mud meets clay or rock meets marl. When going from a soft to hard bottom or vise versa, the Edge2 will display double and triple echoes depending on how soft or hard the bottom is. These are excellent areas to find feeding walleyes for example. I also use mode 3 for weed line fishing. The wide beam gives me a big picture of the weed flat while the narrow bean shows critical fine detail such as exactly where the weed line starts and ends, pockets in the weed bed and fish hanging in the weeds. As you get more experience with using mode 3 , the detail is so incredible I have even learned to identify different weed types and the real true thickness of the weed beds. The Vexilar Edge2 also displays water temp and boat speed. The over all owner's manual is more like a booklet and you can master the unit in just a few short outings. The Edge is backed by a two year warranty and has a backlit screen for night use. The unit retails for $699.00, kind of expensive for a black and white display sonar, but when you take into account it is actually two sonar units in one housing and the clarity of the black and white display in all light conditions, it is a great value for fishermen serious about their sonar. To learn more about the Edge2 you can visit Vexilar.com or to purchase a unit go to www.jollyannsales.com Start seeing what you have been missing. The Edge2 can help you be more effective and dual transducer technology can give you the leading edge over other anglers.

Derek Johnston
In-DepthAngling.com Pro Staff - Mille Lacs Forum
Mille Lacs Guide Service
(651) 271-5459
www.millelacsguideservice.com