How a Classic Champion Uses Lowrance StructureScan

There is no doubt that technology has changed the way anglers locate and catch bass. The powerful marine electronics have sped up the process of finding fish consistently and it is hard to imagine how anglers even caught fish offshore before the advent of StructureScan, DownScan, GPS, detailed mapping and everything else bass anglers have at their fingertips.

One angler who has fished his entire professional career with these tools is back-to-back Bassmaster Classic champion, Jordan Lee.

While on a recent trip to Lake Guntersville in Alabama, Lee put on a clinic for using these his Lowrance Electronics to find offshore bass.

The following is a recap of how he finds fish quickly as well as some observations from the author.

Split Screens

The ability to split the screen and see multiple technologies at once allows Lee and other pros to see multiple perspectives. Lee runs an HDS Carbon 16 this year instead of two 12-inch units like he has in the past.

“The screen is so big that you can just use one unit and split it four ways. You can still easily see everything,” he shared.

He divides it so that the mapping, StructureScan, 2D Sonar and DownScan are all visible at once. Using the settings he makes the mapping and StructureScan larger as he relies on these tools more while searching for fish at idle speed.

When searching for bass, Lee relies on both StructureScan and DownScan.

READ RELATED: StructureScan, DownScan and StructureScan 3D with Brandon Card

Schools vs. Individual Fish

“I like StructureScan when I am looking for schools of fish because I can scan quickly as I am idling down the river channel,” says Lee. “If I am looking for individual fish, I like to use DownScan.”

DownScan is a tool that he uses to pick out individual bass under the boat. He has this screen placed right above standard 2D sonar on his screen so he makes sure he gets two different views of what is right below the boat and can compare the two for things he may have missed.

During this trip, Lee pointed out individual bass on his DownScan and could, for the most part, tell if they were bass or not and also a general size. The bigger the “white specks” the bigger the fish.

Also, offshore largemouth bass tend to hold much tighter to the bottom than other species. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, but this helps Lee locate the desired species faster.

Settings

Generally, Lee keeps it simple with the settings adjustments and runs the Lowrance StructureScan 3D transducer to get the best picture. “The new units are so good you can run them right out of the box. I do adjust the sensitivity sometimes, but that is about it,” he says.

When idling Lee typically sets the range to 50-feet to both the right and left. This allows him to see a good distance and still easily pick out fish that are tight to the bottom.

READ RELATED: Lowrance Screenshot Interpretation | Learning to Read Lines | Old Trees | Baitfish Vs. Bass

Idling and Looking

Lee has a library of waypoints for his home lake and would scan around each of them and quickly know whether or not the spot was worth a cast. If no fish were visible on his Lowrance screens it was on to the next spot. This approach leads to high percentage fishing and nearly as much time idling as with a rod in hand.

When asked if he could fathom fishing this was without electronics, Lee said it would be nearly impossible and definitely not as productive. Years ago, paper maps, landmarks on shore and triangulation were the only ways to go back to spots but even then there was no guarantee the fish would be there. Now, anyone with a Lowrance unit with StructureScan can speed up the process of finding fish.

Even without numerous waypoints, Lee uses the same method to search for bass. Using the detailed mapping available to today’s anglers, he scans likely spots in search of offshore bass. From there he is able to quickly tell if fish are present and if he should stop and fish or continue his search.

Observations

Even though the term “ledge fishing” may seem to only apply to Tennessee River lakes, the methods Lee uses to search for bass will apply to anywhere that bass get away from the bank and relate to cover offshore.

Watching one of the best bass anglers in the world scan and pick apart a lake with his electronics was a sight to see and it was all possible thanks to the great technology in modern marine electronics. Like all things in bass fishing, it takes time on the water to perfect it, but the learning curve is definitely shorter with technological advancements