Side-imaging sonar reviews

[eyebjim]

I believe the 798si has a slightly wider screen and 3 presets that the 797si didn't have if that is what the one for $700 is. I have the 797 and would really like the presets.

[delmuts]

Cabelas has them online during " a sale" for $699.99. This is a 798ci SI HD side imaging entural atena gps combo.

[Kyhl]

All of the discussions that I see on SI are in reference to flats and smooth bottom areas. Would this be as helpful on a like like Vermilion with it's rocky bottom?

[Larson15]

I think the greatest advantage of SI is finding rock. So yes, it would be extremely helpful.

[eyebjim]

I find it very useful in identifying rock piles or rocky areas. It is much more difficult to detect fish in rocks with the SI however you can detect the rocks and changes in bottom that hold the fish. If I find rock piles with SI I usually catch fish there. Especially when the rock pile is in otherwise non rocky bottom.

[Nick Kuhn]

There aren't too many lakes with good rock piles in my area, which is why you don't hear me mention them much. They show up really nice when I find them, it's just I'm rarely on such a lake.

[Kyhl]

Point taken.

I've found most of my fishing spots by accident. Noting a pile on the graph by cruising through a familiar spot but 20 feet off my normal path.

Does the SI work at cruising speed? It is not uncommon for me to run the same path for 10 miles multiple times a day to get to and from a hot spot (morning bite, return for lunch, then evening bite).

That is how I've accidentally stumbled on spots, buzzing over them then making a mental note to swing by on my way back to see what the graph shows when moving slower. Would the SI show a steep blip off to the side when flying by a rock pile at 40+?

[reddog]

Heres a high speed image. You need to pay attention if your going to see a rock bar as rock, There will be a color difference between hard bottom and neutral or soft bottom.

Rock bar. note color differences:

[delmuts]

Next Question!!

My plan was to save up and get a Hum. 798 S.I.( color,gps with a 5 in. screen) this spring. I missed out on the leftovers and the new ones are about $1049. I mainly fish on small waters( and the Miss. some)with little structure other than man made, humps, and few drop offs, and little weeds. I target mainly panfish, bass, and am getting into muskie fishing.

My question is? for the same money i can buy a 800 series that has a 7" X 5" screen,gps, and color, but doesn't have the S.I. Your thought!

[JohnMickish]

For a couple hundred more you can get the 898SI. If you are interested in SI you will really want as big a screen as you can get. Once you start to split the screen up the sections start to get pretty small.

Here is what I have figured out.

1, once you start using SI technology you will wonder how you ever got along without it, and at the same time hope your friends don't get one. It will let you see the lake in a whole different way.

2, you will wish you had a bigger screen.

[MN Mike]

Have they even released the HD 798's yet? I still see the regular 798's on the shelves at some retailers.

NO WAY I would give up sideimaging to go back to 2D with a larger screen.

I would do some more shopping around and try to find a 798 if thats what fits your budget and you want to get into sideimaging.

Mike

[Nick Kuhn]

Have they even released the HD 798's yet? I still see the regular 798's on the shelves at some retailers.

NO WAY I would give up sideimaging to go back to 2D with a larger screen.

I would do some more shopping around and try to find a 798 if thats what fits your budget and you want to get into sideimaging.

Mike

As far as I can tell the difference between an HD 798ci and a regular 798ci is just a brighter screen, different processor, and built in maps. Both are 640x640 so the resolution is the same on both those models. If you wait until the Sportmans Show in March, you can probably snag one for a couple hundred off. Same goes for the 800 series, though with the new HD model coming out I suspect the "non-HD" 798 units will see a pretty good discounts. There 898's are not getting an updated model so there won't be as high of a discount on those.

[Carpenter]

In my boat I run an 2D 8" screen at the helm and a 5" up in the bow. I'm wanting to upgrade to SI. I've been thinking along the lines of delmuts, but a little differently. I don't typically fish in the bow, so what do you guys think about getting the 8" SI for the helm and maybe the 7" 2D in the bow without SI? As delmuts said it's about the same price. Plus I don't know how well you'd see the SI with a 5" screen while fishing in the bow without laying on the floor Thoughts?

[harvey lee]

I have the 1197SI at the counsel and the 797si I believe at the bow. The 5" for the combo is small but it does ok for the little I use it.

I like the larger unit at the helm and the smaller one at the bow as I troll alot with the larger motor.

[delmuts]

That was going to be my next question when i got that far. I currently have a little eagle cuda on my trolling motor. I was planning on placing the new S.I. unit on the consol. Then once i found the area/spot, i would be on the trolling motor to fish. I seldom troll, but use the main motor to search, and thought it would be a good location for me.

My WONDERFULL wife brought tears to my eyes this morning as i opened Christmas gifts! She knows i'm saving for a locator. In the package of new hancerchives(sp?) were four $100 bills! Then she told me to get which ever locator i wanted. Right now, my feelings are if i'm going to spend $950 for the 798 s i, i might as well spend the extra and step up to the 800 s i series for $1250 with a bigger screen. I'm still having a problem with spending that kind of money!

[Esox_Magnum]

Del I have HDS on my boat but not the SI yet, will be adding that hopefully in the upcoming year, I'll be down in April if you want to play with it.

[Nick Kuhn]

If you have good eyes a 5" screen isn't too bad. I can see the 3 way screen on my 798ci from several feet away and can still tell you what is happening on the screen.

[harvey lee]

That was going to be my next question when i got that far. I currently have a little eagle cuda on my trolling motor. I was planning on placing the new S.I. unit on the consol. Then once i found the area/spot, i would be on the trolling motor to fish. I seldom troll, but use the main motor to search, and thought it would be a good location for me.

My WONDERFULL wife brought tears to my eyes this morning as i opened Christmas gifts! She knows i'm saving for a locator. In the package of new hancerchives(sp?) were four $100 bills! Then she told me to get which ever locator i wanted. Right now, my feelings are if i'm going to spend $950 for the 798 s i, i might as well spend the extra and step up to the 800 s i series for $1250 with a bigger screen. I'm still having a problem with spending that kind of money!

Yes Del, these new flasher-gps combo's are not cheap.

Know onw thing, if you do go with a Bird,they are a well built unit and and if for some rason you have a unit with an issue, they will adress it.

I guess I would look at it this way, get what you can afford. I would like a nicer boat also but $40-50 grand isn't in the cards.

Good luck on the search and have fun.

[delmuts]

Well after more reading; It's looking like it will be the 798 HD SI unit for me! The bigger screen of the 800 series would have been nice, but was reading that it comes with a different map sys. Went on line and the reviews are not impressive for the maps that come with the 800's , where the map sys. with the 798 has a couple of lakes near me, so no extra cost there.

My plan is to get one some time after the first of the year, then get either a small batt. or a converter( don't know which would be a better way. Don't neeed a batt. for anything) so i can play and learn how to use it this winter.( since i'm really limmitted to what i can do now!)

[MN Mike]

Del,

Are you looking at the NVB models with the preloaded maps? I opted not to buy one of those when I got my 798, I already had a Navionics chip that worked in there that covered everything I needed.

You can save yourself a $100 or more by getting a straight up 798 ( without preloaded maps ) and put that towards a Navionics or Lakemaster chip and get better detail for what you need......just a thought.

I ordered a spare power cable for my 798 when I got it too, they were about $10 - $15 or so, like you send, gives you time to play with it before you hit the lake.

Mike

[harvey lee]

I had the maps preloaded on one of my units and for the money, I would rather have purchased a LakeMaster map with more detail. I like the Lakemaster map I purchased much better as the detail was better.

I ended up purchasing Lakemaster maps for both units.

[reddog]

The Uni Maps should be exactly the same.

I will guarantee you one thing, the only time you will regret buying a larger screen is when you give the vendor your credit card. The only time you will think about it again, is when you wish you wouldve bought the 998

[Nick Kuhn]

The 798HD has the newer Contour maps or whatever they call them, not the Unimaps. The unimaps are pretty worthless. I use a Navionics card as it covers more lakes in Wisconsin than the Lakemaster WI chip.

[JohnMickish]

If your worried about lake maps in Minnesota, you are probably going to want to run the Lakemaster anyways. I have both a Lakemaster and a Navionics chips, and when I'm in MN, 99% of the time is the Lakemaster chip.

[harvey lee]

I agree Mnfishing. I went with the Lakemaster chips and have both the Mn and the LOW-Rainy Lake chips in both units.I also have 4 Nav chips and next to never do I use them.