Anyone use side imaging?

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wasilvers

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So ignoring the fact that it would cost more than my whole boat, I'm seriously considering the upgrade to side imaging/down imaging. Does anyone here use it yet? Has it really added to your fishing experience?

My goals in adding it are -
1) Get on fish much faster - learn a few new lakes - use it locate bass and bass holding structure below the surface/or in stained water.
2) Locate decent crappie schools without spooking them too much and being able to catch some.
3) Locate walleye's for a new catching experience (never caught one)
3) Add GPS to the boat so I don't feel so lost on lakes where I can't see the ramp any more.

Will it fit the bill here? Or will I spend so much time tinkering with it, I'll actually get less fishing done? I'm computer/electronic proficient anyway.

If so humminbird seems the cheapest, should I go with a 700 series or do my best to get a used 900 series? I might be able to swing the 900 series if I sell some toys to the cash, but I'd hate to spend so much on something that might be obsolete in 2 years. I'm pretty sure the 1100 series is out of the price range.

Any ideas?
Will
 
i really have nothing to say mainly because i dont understand the view its giving... i really never used a fish finder much so i can barely understand a regular one! im assuming a regular FF just shows a view of whats directly under the boat and the side view shoots out sideways on either side of the boat?

... after saying all that, i will say that the pictures in the magazines and catalogs look cool and effective using the side imaging!
 
It'd be cool, as long as you' get really good at using it. I love how its second nature to the pros, and they all know where every bass-holding-stump is within a 2000 acre reservoir..
 
I would LOVE to get my hands on one of these, but holy smokes: $1000 for the cheapest SI that Humminbird has to offer? That's crazy...
 
Crazy for sure. But I must be crazy. I've been reading everything I could find on them and I think it will help me for sure. Last night I listed one of my guns for sale to raise the $ for it (yeah, it will really hurt to see her go :cry: ) If it sellsfor asking price, I can get the 900 series if I add some cash. But I'd be happy with the 700 series. For my size boat, that's all I'd need. I read the manuals for both machines and I've seen some pictures of the screen and what it shows. I truly hope it is lives up to the hoopla.

Just wish it was about $500 cheaper.
 
trust me - get the biggest unit you can afford... the images will be much easier to see (and you should be able to tell exactly what you are looking at)

If I had side imaging, it would be hard for me to get off the "down imaging" screen.... I would rather know what is directly beneath me than out to the side
 
wasilvers said:
Crazy for sure. But I must be crazy. I've been reading everything I could find on them and I think it will help me for sure. Last night I listed one of my guns for sale to raise the $ for it (yeah, it will really hurt to see her go :cry: ) If it sellsfor asking price, I can get the 900 series if I add some cash. But I'd be happy with the 700 series. For my size boat, that's all I'd need. I read the manuals for both machines and I've seen some pictures of the screen and what it shows. I truly hope it is lives up to the hoopla.

Just wish it was about $500 cheaper.

No doubt: since being made aware of these things earlier this year, I think to myself how utterly cool it would be to be able to see what a side imager would show me on some of these lakes I have been trying to fish every time I am out there... I might actually start actively fishing Walleye again if I had one of these!
 
Would love to have one, but like you said it cost more than my entire boat. My brother has a Lowrance HDS10 and HDS7 on his boat (networked together) and recently added the side imaging module to it. He spent a day or so on the lake tweaking it. That thing is awesome. It's like having x-ray vision or something. We were just puttering along and you could see rock piles, stumps, etc... and you could tell what it was.

Maybe one day in the future.
 
My son bought a HB 798c SI last year. The thing is awesome! He got a free upgrade for the down image on-line from HB. The HB is worth the price, but the new Lowrance blows HB out of the water. Hopefully they will come down in price or offer more affordable models.
 
I would definitely get the Humminbird over the Lowrance, and lets just say, if I had the cash, I certainly would have a 997. Lotsa folks here on 'Toona have them, as to fish this lake in the summer and winter, you are pretty much relying on your electronics. They are definitely the cats meow for any sort of deepwater fishing.
 
russ010 said:
If I had side imaging, it would be hard for me to get off the "down imaging" screen.... I would rather know what is directly beneath me than out to the side

Down imaging is now standard on all the HB side scan units, and is a downloadable upgrade on preexisting ones. Having been with a few guys that know these units left and right, I'm here to tell you, using both in conjunction with each other gives you an excellent understanding of the lake bottom.
 
I fished jaKe leg tournaments with a freind a while back who had one of the early side finders,it was pretty cool and definitly would help catch bass on the banks or in standing timber.My problem is I find myself paying more attention to the fish finder than fishing!LOL.On my own boat I still use a flasher,the newer graphs and things are really good tools,but I still like the real time readout of a flasher.Read a article recently (cant remember where) that said that at 70mph like a lot of new boats can run you might move 200ft before a normal digital would update.If I were really getting into the tournament deal,I would buy one for sure.they really do help to find fish,but only at trolling motor or near idling speed in my opinion.One place they do shine,is pre -fishing a tournament you can locate fish in cover and back out without spooking them, if you only have a limited time to check out a new lake.
 
No plans on dumping big time cash on a side imager in the near future. If I was too though, it'd be on a humminbird for sure. I've head of too many people having issues with Lowrance's service work lately.
 
Juuuust about have the gun sold. Now I find myself waivering on the smaller unit and cash in hand or larger unit. :D
 
gregk9 said:
No plans on dumping big time cash on a side imager in the near future. If I was too though, it'd be on a humminbird for sure. I've head of too many people having issues with Lowrance's service work lately.

Anyone know what happened in the lawsuit between humminbird and lowrance? If humminbird won, there would be no more updates for lowrance units, so there's no way I'd be buying one.
 
Just to complete the story. I sold the gun for asking price withing 28 hours of listing it. I negotiated with a few people selling used units, but most were fixed on price. Best deal I had in hand was $1420 shipping a 997 (last year's model) with a ram mount - or a 798 with lots of accessories for $850 - but then he backed out of the sale.

I ended up buying the smaller 798ci SI for $899 (new). I'm also working on getting 2010 navionics premium card for the north new for $130 - so about $1050 all told with great maps.

From what I researched:
The NVB mapping that comes preloaded with the higher priced unit was ok but is 2006 maps. The Navionics card has updated info, which includes additional definition on two of the lakes I fish that the NVB package lacked - and it was only $130-150 for the card vs $170-$200 upgrade to have it built into the unit. Lakemaster maps only included 1 of the 3 lakes I fish and only had 2-3 in my county.

The 798 is large enough for me. I have good eyes and I played with it at Gander for a while. The larger screens would be nice, but from what I read, it can be hard to see on sunny days. The 798 screen is notoriosly bright and easy to see. Sunny days is when I will us it most because on overcast days, I'm usually fishing shallow anyway.

BBGMARINE.com had some of the best prices anywhere for new equipment - even rivals amazon.

Now to get fishing!
 
I WANT ONE! I WANT ONE!!! =D> =D> =D>


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