looking to upgrade to side imaging. Its tough to get honest feedback from Cabelas or Gander but I like the lowrance vs the humming bird just for the screen but can anyone give me there pros and cons if you have either one or your fishing partner has one.
Contact throne bros and they will give you alot of info. I own HDS untis with side imaging and personally will never own lowrance again due to all the problems I have had. Nothing to do with the side imaging part just bad head units. Cant beat Thorne Bros service, they replaced both units more then once with no questions asked. They were more concerned about getting me back on the water!
Agree, Thorne bros would be a big help.
I currently have 2 HDS 10’s & a 8 in my boat (bought new last year (I always wait a year with new technology) and they have been flawless. Simply love them. I know Hummingbird’s are an ecelent product also and might have a little on Lowrance from customer service, but think Lowrance has made some huge improvements in that area.
My $.02
Quick, Merry X-Mass too you 
I jumped from Lowrance to HBird 3 years ago and have not looked back. This year I will be spending some time fishing with someone who has the new Lowrance scanning, so I can give an accurate opinion on what is better. Key thing is purchasing from someone who can help you with warranty issues if they arise. These things are quite an investment. Best of luck shopping!
let me ask this, is side imaging WORTH THE MONEY? Do you really find enough stuff each year to justify the cost..
that’s what I would want to hear..
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let me ask this, is side imaging WORTH THE MONEY? Do you really find enough stuff each year to justify the cost..
that’s what I would want to hear..
YES! I will never go back to non-SI.
On the Lowrance vs. HB debate. I’ve got HB’s in the boat now and love them. However HB does not support radar. When I upgrade I will seriously be looking at Lowrance just because they support radar.
HB and Lowrance are pretty much neck in neck when it comes to ethernet capability, SI and DI capability, user friendliness, etc.
When/if Lowrance solves/solved the customer service and bug issues. I’ll be looking at some HDS units. With that being said, I don’t want to take anything away from HB.
Hi guys,
If you want a Humminbird w/ “Radar” capabilities (you must have a BIG boat ; I wouldn’t get with 20 feet of a 8KW radar antenna!), check out Geonav (owned by Humminbird). Side Imaging, radar, cartography, DEEP water capabilities, you name it!
Here is a link:
Take care,
Roger
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Hi guys,
If you want a Humminbird w/ “Radar” capabilities (you must have a BIG boat
Here is a link:
Take care,
Roger
Even a 19′ boat can get into big trouble quickly on big water (Lake Michigan, Superior, etc.) when the fog rolls in and the yahoos are operating at dangerous speeds.
Lowrance makes a low output 2kW radar.
My 797c2si is the first Hbird I have owned, nothing but Lowrance for 40+ years and never an issue knock on wood.
My Hbird is going on 4 years and never even a blip, soft ware updates, Hbird has gone above and beyond making software work on the legacy units. I think the interface on the Hbird are much easier to use.
From what I have read from users running both brands side by side the Hbird side imaging is much better at distance from the boat where the Lowrance is better close into the boat.
A big one for me……Hbird still supports and repairs units that are pushing 12 years old and some older for a flat fee. Lowrance send it in and we will see, nope don`t support your 2 year old $1800 unit … but we will offer you $300 for your unit if you buy a new one.
Good luck and read read read. I know I am saving my nickels and dimes for a Hbird 1197.
I am still hoping since Johnson Co. owns Minnkota and Hbird they will come up with an interface from depth finder to trolling motor.
I had Lowrance for ten years,Im all Bird now since the 997 was introduced,and aint looking back. At the rate Humminbird is updating their software,There will be new and interesting things to come!!
The 1197 is changing to 1198 soon. I would also bet there will be something in the minkota,humminbird line at some point. I’m just guessing,but maybe Ipilot will be changed to a on screen version where troller and fishfinder/gps will interface with each other.
there customer service is topped by no one. IMO
I guess that I am still waiting to hear how many fish, side imaging put in your boat.. or showed you a spot where, later you got into them.. or something that said, it out and out was worth the money..
I guess that real success because of the application is what I am looking for.. out and out success.
Rat
In my opinion that is a hard question to reply to. Has side image help me ,Absolutely. Will It help you, I would say in time absolutely. But the first time out,I doubt it. there is a learning curve! There is some input needed on your part. You need to learn how to set and read it. Start by looking at the tons of side images posted on the yahoo sideimage site, Here On Ido. When you can interpet and understand them,then you play with the settings on your unit, to get like images. Transducer angle is fairly important to getting good images.
On a side note I know of some fishermen that think the only thing a fishfinder and regular sonar are good, for is to show depth and keep you out of trouble with motor and prop.So everything has different values to everyone.
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I guess that I am still waiting to hear how many fish, side imaging put in your boat.. or showed you a spot where, later you got into them.. or something that said, it out and out was worth the money..
I guess that real success because of the application is what I am looking for.. out and out success.
Side Imaging has significantly shortened my learning curve regarding bodies of water and how to handle them. Has it put more fish in the boat? No question. However it’s hard to quantify because I’ve gotten serious into fishing (learning and trying new techniques) at the same time I got the new rig fully outfitted with the latest and greatest.
I think that having a new toy definitely increases your success, and the biggest reason is that you get out on the water more. My fishing buddy has a beautiful Hummingbird side imaging unit. We have a blast looking at the underwater structure, fish cribs, trees….you name it. They show up like you’re down there with goggles on. We have marked fish on side imaging unit, and then went back through and caught those fish. I don’t personally believe that the side imaging was needed in those particular occasions. However, the biggest advantage that I’ve seen using the side-imaging is the advantage to scout SO much faster. If you find a spot that looks interesting on a map, you can spin through there and check it out in a quarter of the time it would take with sonar. That’s the biggest advantage. Once you’re on a spot, GPS and sonar are just fine. So if you’re looking to spend more time catching and less time chasing, side imaging will do that once you master how to use it. Well, at least become capable using it…..”mastery” is going to take a long time. There are a lot of people on here that are very good using them. Ask questions and you’ll usually get some very good feedback. Good luck and like was mentioned earlier and many times before on IDO, make sure you buy from a store that has excellent customer service and a company that has the same. Good luck on your purchase.
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I guess that I am still waiting to hear how many fish, side imaging put in your boat.. or showed you a spot where, later you got into them.. or something that said, it out and out was worth the money..
I guess that real success because of the application is what I am looking for.. out and out success.
I think Wade and Trytofish said it pretty much right it has helped me catch more fish and eliminate areas I should not be fishing, but to me look really fishy.
I have fished pool 7 going on 35 years, when I first installed my 797c2si I was totally blown away how much structure I did not know was there and held fish. To me where SI really shines is fishing a new area or body of water. In a matter of minutes I can decide if the area is worth fishing or not. Sunken trees with fish among the branches 2D usually won`t pick them out but SI can, and tell me what part of the tree they are holding.
Will never ever be without SI.
I am not trying to be a jerk about this.. but its like the underwater cameras.. One website three years ago.. all I read on an hourly basis, was not only are camera’s great but, that, hey here is how to build one.. or that Harbor Freight has one for this price and that price…
and with the exception of ice fishing, which I do once every five to ten years.. I haven’t heard of some one ripping up the bass because of it.. nor have I heard that, Gees.. Side imaging, we found this or that, or was shocked to learn.. and THEN THIS AMOUNT OF SUCCESS WAS DIRECTLY APPlIED , to side imaging.
I guess that I would love to see a post, or an article or a bass tourny result that absolutely stated, Gees.. We found these fish on side imaging and WE LOADED THE BOAT..
and I have read, its a great toy.. but have yet to see.. Hey see this bass, or Walleye, or Northern , or MUSKY, and have some one say.. ITS OUT AND OUT was in an area, that I found with side imaging..
meaning, it cost big bucks, It has to justify its cost.
Do you need SI?–If cost is an issue, IMHO, then “no”. 2D works just fine for basic fishing, and like said before, most just use sonar for depth and keeping out of trouble. 2D will also still mark fish and can be utilized very well.
BUT, on the other hand, if you have the money and want to understand the underworld much better, SI is a super tool and it will increase your knowledge, which will directly mean more fish in the boat over the long term. In other words, like TomP and the others said, you’ll never look at the water the same since your knowledge will be so much greater.
BTW, I can drive by 10 fish cribs and see which one is loaded with gills and which ones are empty,empty,empty.
Old Rat
Is SI magic no it is not, will it help to find more fish absolutely, still have to get them to bite. Has it put more fish in my boat..you bet. One reason is it lets me find target areas instead of a broad expanse saving me time to get on fish. I believe SI will get stronger and better. Is it a fad not on your life.
Some pros have tried to keep quiet about SI, it is getting so well known more pros are talking about there use of SI. Check out the BBC boards.
I will try to put it in a nutshell. The single biggest advantage to side image is seeing what is off to the side of the boat,marking it with a waypoint and driving the boat to it, if it has fishing value. If you don’t know how to do this with your unit,you are missing the boat. It saves time by having to drive over the top of it to even know its
there! You will not believe how much stuff you drive by till you see it with side image.
as far as justifiable cost I have never had a fish hand me a ten dollar bill yet. To me its recreation and that cost money,weather its fishing or golf etc.
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.. and THEN THIS AMOUNT OF SUCCESS WAS DIRECTLY APPlIED , to side imaging.
It’s pretty difficult to precisely quantify success rate solely based on the inclusion of Side-Imaging into an one’s arsenal, as there are too many confounding variables that will have in impact on your fishing success day-in and day-out (e.g. weather, bait, location, lures, river stage, etc) that also impact your success on the water.
With that being said…
As stated in posts above, its just an additional tool (though expensive) that has provided more opportunities to observe fish, structure and their interaction (e.g. where they sit on a wing dam).
Being a catfisherman, I have a tendency to fish specific pieces of structure almost exclusively. In addition, catfish are a highly structure oriented species, i.e. they hang out under logs, in rock piles, etc. Side Imaging has provided me the opportunity to visualize both existing structure I was aware of, but viewed in much more detail, in addition to finding new sub-surface structure that I overlooked with my rusty-but-trusty inexpensive sonar.
I am FAR FROM a gadget guru like some guys, but I was aware of the advantage Side Imaging can provide on MY STYLE of fishing (hunting down specific structure pieces); therefore I took the plunge.
My 2cents
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let me ask this, is side imaging WORTH THE MONEY? Do you really find enough stuff each year to justify the cost..
that’s what I would want to hear..
A BIG OH HECK YA to that! 1st time fishing a tournament with my 1197, I cashed a check that paid for the unit solely on a spot I found with the SI.
The list goes on and on of all the spots I have found and suspended panfish I have caught. I have found numerous spots that I had returned to and caught fish when the conditions were right.
Here is a few random screen shots showing misc stuff – transitions, structure, timber, fish, and ultimately a lot of info I would not have found as easily.
I am a huge fan of H/B, and won’t be looking to change anytime soon.
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A BIG OH HECK YA to that!
Someone has been watching Sara Palin. lol 
I love that 3 screen mode-talk about learning how to use sonar! Think the HDS has a 4 screen mode(gps).
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A BIG OH HECK YA to that!
Someone has been watching Sara Palin. lol
Oh, that’s just freak’n family fun. Geez, you must be a democrat that still uses an old Lowrance green box with a lantern battery. Get out of Russia why don’t you
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