Thread: SIDE IMAGING

I was never satisfied with SI on my HDS 7. Really didn't like the gigantic transducer hanging 7" off the back waiting to get knocked off. So I sold the transducer . My buddy has an HB unit with SI and his transducer looks like a regular one.
However, looking at the live scope and hearing all the talk that would be the way I'd go. Only one problem; actually there are about 4000 problems ($) so that's not happening anytime soon.

No, SI is not a requirement. But it does help search larger areas of water faster. And I have had SI show me a school of crappie when 2D sonar just made the same school look like a cloud of bait. Many get SI and think it will be a silver bullet to find fish. Like anything else, you’ve got to learn it’s limitations and how to interpret what it’s showing you.

Side imaging has made a big difference in the way I fish, I have the HDS 12 gen 3, I have the HDS 7 also up front, really like mine. I caught tons of fish before side imaging,so i can do with out it. But it help s eliminate a lot of areas a hole lot quicker,so I can get on fish quicker . Not near as much time wasted trying to find fish.

David, go to the electronic board and look at Roy's post on side image and live scope. He has the mega image and it really looks good the way he has it set up. Just Saying. I got the HDS 7 structure scan and HB 998c si/di combo they works well finding what I'm looking for. Shop around and ask the question as to how you fish and see what you come up with. CrappieKidd has the Helix 9 mega image maybe shoot him a pm and ask him how his is working out for him. Just remember the bigger the screen the more you'll see what's down there. Good luck!

I have si on my tm and on the back of my toon. I’d say depends on how u fish. When I spider rig I usually just use 360, map and 2d. When I long line I usually use 360, si,di, 2d and map. Don’t really tight line BPs, shoot docks or single pole. SI can find those productive BPs and docks better I’ve heard. If I didn’t have it then it would need to be on my next FF unless it were a live scope. If you are going to buy at least a DI then little extra for SI is a yes from me.

Fisholishopus and Countryboy said it best. It will find areas of fish fast docks and structure. You can longline with a 2d or down and find structure accidently by dragging the jigs and then marking the structure . Me I like the thrill of sideimage finding the fish and the icing on the cake is catching them. I will spend my last hour or two of fishing just scanning. I am learning different ways to catch crappie it is who I am. Love the single pole the best. If you go that route I can help if you like. I did a lot of research to get the side imaging to work. I will help you get the transducer perfectly level and that is the biggest thing you can do to get a good image. The rest is showing you how to interpret the image on the screen. The trick is to know what frequency and get the sensitivity to contrast right so you can interpret structure 150 feet out on each side and how big it is . The 3 frequencies in Gen 2 and 3 have a different application. So to know which Frequency to use depending on what you want to scan is the trick. P.M. me and I will give you my cell number and we can talk.

Example.



I circled the bright Halo that is the tree with limbs. The dark line is the shadow of the tree. The longer the shadow the taller the tree or brush. If I remember correctly this one was 20 feet tall. I had my sensitivity to high back it off and readjust contrast to see halo better.
If you are close this is what a tree looks like. I used a higher frequency to this different tree because I was close.

CK.....I believe I saw that tree.....