WESMAR introduces its newest trawl sonar, the TCS385, this month.
It is a light-weight, low frequency system designed for trawling operations onboard vessels 100ft or less where captains have the need for a light-weight headrope unit that both profiles for net geometry and fish entry and operates in sounder mode to follow the bottom and the footrope.
WESMAR’s new low frequency system uses a gold plated, high resolution transducer, and with a frequency of just 180kHz in profile and a 110kHz in down sounder, it has the greater range necessary to fully capture the footrope and bottom, in high resolution, on larger nets. It fills a special need between WESMAR’s TCS380 headrope trawl, designed for small nets, and the multiple function long range TCS780 system, which includes a forward scanning sonar in the sled and is typically used by the trawlers over 100ft in length.
With its greater range the new TCS385 system sends high resolution, sharp, clear pictures of the net geometry including the opening and the fish entering the net, back to the wheelhouse. It is easy to install, and for vessels under 100ft the lighter weight system (24 vs 65lbs) is also easier handling for their crew, which generally is a smaller number than on the larger trawlers.
The first 385 installation is on a 95ft mid-water trawler fishing the US. West Coast for hake in Washington and Oregon, and the Alaska Bering Sea for pollock.
