Down and Side Imaging worth it?

[Huntin&Fishin]

For the guys out there that have it on their units, how often do you use the Down and Side Imaging features, and is it worth it? Down imaging doesn't seem to necessary, it seems to just give more detail of what the sonar shows you. Side imaging would probably be useful, so are they worth the extra 200 dollars?

[dairyman]

kind of depends on how much fishing you do----I had a down imaging unit last year that I used. But as you said just more detail but I'm thinking the side imaging would really help a guy out. It seems like with the side imaging feature down imaging is part of the pkg. My next unit will have the side imaging feature. I have the bird 788ci now a with an upgrade you get the larger screen also. The cheaper lines have the smaller screen also

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

I use it all the time on my 798. Gander has been selling the 798ci hd for about $650 off and on all season. It's a great unit.

The thing I use my side imaging for is finding edges of weeds. It's great for showing you just where they are and allows you to work the edges easier IMO.

I run my unit on a split screen with DI on the bottom the standard sonar on top. Unless I'm motoring, then I switch to gps and sonar.

[JosMN]

Side imaging yes, down magining no. Side imaging is great for finding structure, lot of things you find you never new was there.

[ClownColor]

Side imaging yes, down magining no. Side imaging is great for finding structure, lot of things you find you never new was there.

Yep same here. I bought the 5" screen for dirt cheap too see if I'd be using it enough to warrant the cost. After 2 season I'll be upgrading next year to the HDS7...possible the 8. The 5" is fine for structure but nearly impossible to pick up fish unlike the bigger units.

[Kyhl]

CC, if you do, I recommend keeping the HDS 5 too.

I have an HDS 5 and HDS 8 linked together through ethernet. I use the 5 for gps mapping which frees up a lot of real estate on HDS 8 screen for DI/SI and traditional sonar. Plus it is fewer buttons to push. Every time I moved I had to switch the screen to a sonar/map split then back again to a four way split. Now the only buttons I use are zoom and power on/off.

[mr_jman]

I bought the new Humminbird 899 Side imaging unit this spring. It has both Down and Side imaging, 2D sonar and GPS.

I spent about 2 months looking at Humminbird and Lowrance units and I have to say it has been a great purchase and worth the $1000 + $125 for map card that I paid for it.

The side imaging is amazing if you have lakes with weed lines, rock/sand/mud transitions, and especially sunken trees! I don't use my down imaging a whole lot but use it in conjunction with the 2D and Side images all on screen at once (split 3 ways). Getting a side and down image at once has been helpful when trying to figure out what the side image is displaying.

I can honestly say I have caught more fish and found new spots (plus some awesome potential for ice fishing as well)

I live in SW MN and fish "featureless" prairie pothole lakes but with the Side Imaging I have found small "ditches" that drop just 1' from the rest of the area and hold fish. I've also found flooded timber I never knew existed.

I jumped from an old Eagle 320 (2D black and white) to this unit and it is AMAZING how much I have found already... I haven't used the 700's series with the smaller screens, but if you have the money the 800's series or LX7 for Lowrance with the larger wide screens are worth the extra $200 or so!

Long Post but in short it is the best purchase I have made since my Vexilar.

[reddog]

Excellent post Jman. I've been a SI user since 08 and will never be without it. Even when the fish aren't cooperating,it makes being in the boat more enjoyable. If it has taught me anything, it has taught me that what I used to think of as structure and what a fish utilizes as structure were quite a bit ways apart.

[BLACKJACK]

hunt&fish, I will add that there is quite a learning curve to SI, trying to figure out what you're seeing, whats a fish look like, is that a school of crappies or bait fish, and then actually using that info to catch fish!!!

[solbes]

I run an HDS7 (Gen 1) with the Structure Scan ver 2. 90% of the time I run tradtional 2D sonar upper left, GPS chart upper right, and side imaging on the bottom. About 5% I run chart and down imaging, and 5% I run chart and 2D sonar.

The side imaging has been great for identifying rocks, logs, sunken structures, weedlines, etc. Very useful in helping me understand the actual lake bottom. Especially if you spend most of your time in the same lake.

I rarely use the down imaging feature, but have turned it on side by side with the traditional 2D to help me understand what I am actually seeing. One big advantage for the down imaging is that fish cannot "hide" on a steeping slope or near rocks like they do in 2D sonar. So you get better target definition and see fish that you would otherwise not with regular sonar. Fish directly below you show up on both splits of the side imaging in the same way, so thats why I rarely use down imaging.

The 2D helps me get an idea of fish size given the length of the arch and the speed at which I'm moving.

[TMF89]

Well I agree with everyone 100% on side-imaging being a teaching tool, a search tool, and just something fun to play with! It looks like I'll go against the grain though when I say that I use DI way more than traditional sonar. I'm curious why you guys feel differently? Yes traditional sonar gives you a lot brighter, easier to to read images, but the DI is just so much more detailed! I would hate to miss a small rock pile or something like that, just to see the fish easier. After you train yourself to notice those small specks as fish, you're good to go, in my opinion.

And Solbes, just an FYI. The length of the arc on your graph is not the size of the fish, that's just the amount of time the object has been under the sonar cone. The longer an an object sits underneath your sonar cone, the longer the image on your graph. For example, if you position your lure/bait under the cone and look at it on your graph, you'll see a solid line going across the screen. But it will be a very narrow line, because the thickness of the sonar return is what is going to give you the size of the object. Thicker arc/line, thicker fish/object. Going back to your bait/lure, it will show a steady line across the screen, but it will also be a very narrow line, because it is a small object. Hope that helped!

[solbes]

TMF,

Good point about the thickness of the return. Hadn't really thought about that, I will start looking for that as well. Yes the length of the arc/line is relating to how long the fish is in the cone. But if you are moving at say 2.5-3.5 mph and you have a long arch, it is either a long fish or a smaller one that is moving along with you. In which case it will not show an arch, but rather a flat line. The length of the arch works pretty well to estimate size IMO, as long as you factor in the speed at which you are traveling and line vs arch.

My HDS shows splendid arches. I can kinda do the same thing with DI to estimate size, but not to the same degree. One other thing I love about 2D is the bottom content shows up brilliantly (yellow for sand/rock vs blue/pink for silt/muck).

[FshBloodRiverMud]

TMF,

In which case it will not show an arch, but rather a flat line. The length of the arch works pretty well to estimate size IMO, as long as you factor in the speed at which you are traveling and line vs arch.

Actually, as that peticular object moves into and out-of your cone, it's distance changes, thus creating the arc.

The rate (I.E. Object speed relative to sonar pulse rate) that the object enters and leaves your cone determines the length, thickness, and visibility of the arc.

Think about fish coming in on your marcum (Or whatever flasher). They're not always rising, they're just approaching the center of your cone, which makes them appear to be rising. They're simply getting closer to the center of the cone. Similar to a sonar "Dead Zone", It's simple technology, and reads the closest object.

I'm one of those nay'sayers of DI. I should spend some time using it, but i haven't in 4 years...Too afraid if i take my eyes off SI i'll miss something

[Kyhl]

I like the detail of DI but understand that it is only showing what is right under the transom of the boat on a plane. DI has no cone so 2D sonar will show things that DI will not. I use them both.

My HDS shows splendid arches. I can kinda do the same thing with DI to estimate size, but not to the same degree.

You can use the GPS measure function to measure the length of the fish in the DI. I have done this once. Not sure how accurate it is. I was out but a crib on Red once in mid summer and measured a fish to see if it was worth staying. Said 14" and I left. Didn't even fish it because that was the only fish that showed on the screen. We were looking for schools.

[JohnMickish]

I love DI and use it 100% of the time when I am fishing. I run it side by side with my 2D sonar. I use SI for searching. DI can show you what is a rock and what is a fish and what is a weed if you know what you are looking for.

I'll say that screen size is a huge factor in what you get out of it. If your using a 5" screen and trying to look at 100 feet in each direction your going to miss allot of stuff just because things are to small.

[JohnMickish]

Check out this thread in the Walleye forum.

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubb...ots#Post3238500

Lots of good info.

[UKCM]

Google Doctor Sonar. There is a ton of free info there as well as DVD's you can purchase.

DI does not have a cone but it does a wider scan than your traditional sonar, basically a skinny oval . They cover slightly different areas. So while often you will see a fish on both at the same time there are times when you will see a fish on one but not the other.

I love the DI for the ability to separate weeds from fish. My 2D sonor words more reliably at high speed.

I am still learning how to use SI. I have seen some cool things but I would love a larger screen for it. (I have and HDS 7 and HDS 5)

I will never be without DI again, however I am not ready at all to give up my 2D sonar.