798ci si, or 788ci?

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Got a great deal on both units and need to decide between them. I know the 798 is a small screen for a side imaging unit, but there is no way I could get a bigger one. Thinking a side imaging unit would be awesome, but ive heard some say not to bother with si unless you get a bigger screen.

Is it worth keeping the 798 with side imaging, or is the screen just going to be to small to make it effective? The 788ci was my unit of choice until I found the other on sale too.

Both units are non-current models, so they are not the HD series.

[Nick Kuhn]

Use the SI. Not sure who these people are who can't see anything but they may want to visit an optometrist.

[Esox_Magnum]

The difference in SI from a 5 to 8" screen is huge. I won't add SI untill I get something in the 8" range, hard enough seeing the gps on my 5" screen now... And I just got new glasses....

[Nick Kuhn]

It's still really obvious where the weedline is, whether or not there are fish cribs down there, where a big rock is, if there's fish or sticks along the bottom. I can see those things from several feet away (I turn it around on the console and view it from the front casting platform). And my vision is probably about 20/25.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

With either unit, I plan to get another mount so ican move it to the bow area when fishing. I have a Minn Kota with the transducer inside.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

If you can afford it keep the side imaging. Ive got the 798 and while it would be nice to have a larger screen the 5" still shows plenty of detail. Like Nick said, You're still gonna see plenty with it, suspended fish, hard soft bottom transitions, rock, weed beds, and who knows what else.

[TruthWalleyes]

Definitely SI!

[JeffB]

I would go with the 798 you can still use the side imaging feature you may just find yourself toggling between screens instead of using the split screen feature more often.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Yeah, I find myself doing toggling quite often. On the larger screens you can split screen gps and side imaging and get the same size (or larger) as you get with side imaging alone on the 798 but with the screen preset buttons you can make things work. You also just need to run your side scan a little less than larger units I usually keep mine around 80' to either side.

[kerryd15]

Buy what you can afford. I wish I could have gotten a bigger screen also, but after using it for a year it would be hard to fish without it. I use the screen toggle button alot not a split screen. i have a garmin for the car that has a SD slot. I use the garmin with lakemaster chip and the 798 for sonar. One good tip is to keep the width to 70 or so feet to the side- makes things appear larger. The book says up to 3 time the depth for width- you can go wider. you can also turn one side off and have 150 foot out the other for casting shores.

First time out on a lake I have fished alot i drove around for close to 2 hours before I noticed i didn't have a line in the water.- You will be amazed at what you see when you figure it out.

[delmuts]

"First time out on a lake I have fished alot i drove around for close to 2 hours before I noticed i didn't have a line in the water.- You will be amazed at what you see when you figure it out."

I find myself doing that ALOT too!

A bigger screen would be nice, but this was what i could afford.( thanks to my wife for helping get it!) Can't wait for next spring to play with it more!!

[Nick Kuhn]

It's convenient to run split screens but to be perfectly honest with the presets it's easy enough to switch between screens. I don't need to watch my GPS screen constantly, just occasionally look to make sure I haven't strayed to far. It's easy enough to memorize what the next 200 yards of contours looks like.