Side Imaging

[HiDefFisherman]

Lowrance is coming out with one after ICAST this year. So I think the prices will come down a bit. After there is a little competition.

I sure hope you are right! I'd love to have one, but really, whether I have the money or not, I just can't really sink $1,500 into one of these units for the fishing I do.

Anyone have any information about installing them on your boat? I am wondering if it would be advisable to wait until I buy a new boat to get one anyway?

Also, I am guessing the sounder unit is mounted in the back of the boat, or at mid-boat at best? I think it would be best to have it mounted on your trolling motor, so you can "see" what you are fishing, and doing it when you are fishing. But from what I have seen, the units seem to be mounted in such a way you read the unit while you are sitting in your captain's seat.

So, for those that have one, is that the way you do it? I would much rather be able to use the side scan while I am standing at my fishing position.

Thanks for the help.

[cast-a-way]

I have one of the sidescan units. I like it very well, but there are some quirks to sidescanning. For it to read the bottom correctly, you have to do the following: be moving in a fairly straight line and be traveling at 2-5 mph (it definitely will not work on plane). I have my transducer mounted on the jackplate because they are about $250 to replace. Given all of this, if mounted on the trolling motor, you would still need to be moving at the stated speed and refrain from turning your trolling motor.

[RANGER519]

i had a hummingbird 997csi it didn't work worth a darn on the trolling motor.

my 2cents worth ranger519

[HiDefFisherman]

Thanks Ranger and cast-away.

I figured they would not work on the TM, but to me, it seems it would be good to have the units working from both places. I mean, sure it is a lot nicer to sit while you search for a spot, but when fishing, you are not at the seat, unless like I occassionally do, you use a seat in the front of the boat. LOL... that takes me back to the mid 90's when that was the norm. A seat in the front. Now it is a Pro-Pole or nothing at all. And I do like the seats for fishing, helps out the damaged knee and back, but for some reason they, the seats, are not as comfortable as they used to be.

Now back to the side scan. You talked about using the side scan on the shore line, but what about scanning humps?

Something to think about... the side scan units have imaging software, right? I mean, they try to accurately show a sunken boat, if it is a boat. So, is that software going to come to our regular sonar units? Wouldn't it be nice to have a wide angle cone, and be able to scan humps, drops, etc, and have the software to allow you to recognize exactly what you are looking at?

Just a thought.

Let's go fishing...