Thread: Discussion on Lowrance Elite 5 DSI/Chartplotter ....

Thanks fellas! Always get answers to all my questions.

Originally Posted by Knot2Bad

Anyone tried the Insight Genesis, Lake Insight HD East v15? I saw this on the Lowrance site and it goes for $159. BUT Covers the eastern half of the USA. Just don't know if it give good details/contours. I does show a lot of the lake I would be interested in fishing on its list in many states. The Navionics HotMaps Premium East is similarly priced but only cover part of the south east and stops at Tn but doesn't cover AL, Miss, GA, Fla., TX, La. etc. I don't mind spending the money if its worth the cost but cant see doing it and then being disappointed.

I tried to do a search but too much was from several years ago and was hoping I could get current knowledge from other Elite 5 dsi users.

Knot2 ... I don't know as I'd purchase that card. The Insight Store website does not list the Elite 5DSI as one of the compatible units for this card. The Elite 5DSI is a discontinued model, and no longer supported by Lowrance, so I'd be suspicious that any new versions of map cards would work with this unit's programming. I think I'd call the map card business or Lowrance, and ask them if the card would work in a Elite 5DSI, before forking over that much jack.

And if I'm reading it right ... the card has WAAAAY more Gigabytes of info than what a Elite 5DSI can handle. The largest micro/SD card the Elite 5DSI can hold is a 2GB card.

... cp

Pappy Thanks
All good points. I got the info from their site. Lowrance Elite-5 DSI DownScan Imaging Fishfinder / Chartplotter - LOWRANCE | Marine Electronics Under mapping options.
Then this site
Article Details
show it on their mapping options table.

I will check it out before I purchase anything. I know special Elites came with the gold card but I didn't get one of those. THX again...

Anyone other their using a card that they like which covers TN area?

Here is a compatibility chart I found for Navionics cards for the various GPS chartplotters FYI

http://www.navionics.com/sites/www.n...ilityguide.pdf

It even has the Elite 5 DSI listed. The Navionics Plus card is kind of cool because its downloadable and allows you to pick your lake regardless of what state its in rather than have a region with lots of lakes you might not even be interested in.

Another useful like for your computer that allows you to look at lakes and rivers at home before you go out is Navionics Webapp Some may already be aware of these so Sorry if I am duplication info.

Maybe someone can help me here.. I have the elite 5 DSI, just updated it to the 3.6 today... I do a bunch of cat fishing as well as crappie fishing. I have the hardest time catching shad with this unit. I tried it on a bridge one day, and it does not show anything on the screen until I get about 15 ft away from the bridge going slow. I never seem to be able to time the throw with a 6' net to catch any shad. VERY FRUSTRATING.. anyone know how to speed up the scroll speed so I could get a better idea of where the schools actually are?

Originally Posted by mattbowen61990

Maybe someone can help me here.. I have the elite 5 DSI, just updated it to the 3.6 today... I do a bunch of cat fishing as well as crappie fishing. I have the hardest time catching shad with this unit. I tried it on a bridge one day, and it does not show anything on the screen until I get about 15 ft away from the bridge going slow. I never seem to be able to time the throw with a 6' net to catch any shad. VERY FRUSTRATING.. anyone know how to speed up the scroll speed so I could get a better idea of where the schools actually are?

Matt ... the E5DSI is a down imaging unit only, and therefore only puts out a fan shaped sonar ping that is a few degrees thick by 45-75deg wide (depending on which kHz setting being used). It has no scroll speed setting. And it also does not tell you on which side of the transducer the screen image is coming from .... only a SI unit will do that.

I use a cast net with a 6' diameter, to catch Shad ... but, being that small of a net, it's only useful if the Shad are on or very close to the surface. If you are trying to catch Shad that are several feet deep, you might need a larger diameter net.

Only other suggestion I can give is to move across the Shad school a little faster, mark a waypoint as soon as you see the bait ball coming on the screen, move on off several boat lengths past them & turn around, then change the unit over to the map screen or a horizontal split screen (map/DI) and zoom the map down as far as it will go, then head towards the waypoint and cast your net when you get within throwing distance of the spot. But .... mind you .... this will only work if the Shad school isn't moving. And it still may not work if the Shad are very deep, because they'll have plenty of time to dodge the falling net.

The smaller the mesh on your net, the slower it will fall. I use the 1/4" mesh for small Shad, and have a 3/8" mesh for the larger Shad. The only thing I know of to do, to make them sink faster, would be to add a bunch of 1/4oz split shot sinkers around the perimeter of the net ... making sure to put them equally spaced all around, so that you won't have a heavy spot that would keep the net from mushrooming out and falling correctly/evenly. Or you could lace on a nylon cord with 1oz or 1.5oz barrel sinkers on it ... spacing them out evenly around the perimeter of the net. Of course, depending on the cost of these sinkers ... it might be cheaper to buy a larger net

... cp

Thoughts on
Lowrance Elite 4

Originally Posted by Charlie J

Thoughts on
Lowrance Elite 4

Which Elite 4 exactly ?? There are several models.

... cp