Fish ID Question

[Stump bumper]

I have a Hummingbird on the front of the boat and an Eagle combo on the dash and I like to keep the fish ID turned on and turned down on both. It seems to really bug people who fish with me to the point if I see fish moving on a shad ball I will keep my mouth shut because I don't want a lecture on the fish ID.

I don't like searching the screen to tell if its a series of squares or an arch, I figure someone put together those symbols to come up with the fish ID.

So why do so many people not like the fish ID and why should I turn it off?

[BassBUFF]

Here is my $.02 worth. Fish ID relies on the electronics to decipher what it "thinks" might be a fish. So an algorithm is trying to figure out if that ball of vegetation floating around is a fish or not. What I've seen is it usually isn't. You also lose some sensitivity as the electronics filters out bottom composition to help it figure out if that "stuff" is a fish or not.

I'm not a big fan of Hummingbird's sonar picture except for their Side Imaging technology. The resolution just doesn't seem that defined in my opinion. But it is a user's preference just like any brand, think motorguide and minnkota.

The screen size and pixel count will also play a factor. A lower end unit won't have the ability to accurately show the details so the fish ID might be a better choice. As you move up scale in abilities of the unit you will find that it will show you fish in the vegetation, if you're not using the fish ID.

Hope this helps explain it a little better. Once again, it's a personal preference.