Humminbirds Side Imaging impact

Hi gentleman!!

As some of us await the ice cracking to dip our boats I thought I’d pose a question in regards to Humminbirds Side Imaging findings thus far.

Last year was honestly my first full year of experience with Side Imaging here on Rainy Lake. The technology provides sophisticated anglers a much better underwater view of where fish will locate themselves. This took me awhile to get comfortable using on our guide trips. Now it is my #1 tool I own for finding fish and also new structure.

I’m interested in others experiences that you might be interested in sharing.

I think my favorite pre-set now includes my Rainy Lake Map along with my “SI” screen split.

Chris,
This winter I purchased a used boat that has a Hummingbird with side imaging in it. I have not had a chance to use it yet but was wondering what was probably your top need to know item about it that gave you the better understanding of how to implement it successfully?

Welcome to IDO

I would say confidence. Let me explain. The single most important factor in determining an anglers success most always revolves around the confidence in which they utilize their equipment.

In the case of sonar as per this thread; Humminbirds “SI” is no different. Anglers soon learn how to define fish by the shadows they leave on you “SI”. IMO equally important as defining fish is the finding of fish relating structure. Using the side imaging in conjunction with your lakemaster chip allows you to have a starting point for your search. Case in point; If I recognize an inside turn with a nice feeding shelf on my Rainy Lake chip I may search that surrounding area for the coveted “Spot on Spot”. Maybe there is a small rubble pile sitting off deep or even shallow yet in close relation to seemingly a fish magnet. By utilizing the Side Imaging I will note an irregular piece of structure that I will drop a waypoint on. I will then come back on the way point in 2D to see if that piece indeed holds fish. It might not at that very moment……..Might not tomorrow, but MIGHT BE STACKED the next!! The ability of fisherman to effectively side scan in addition to our ability to view with confidence in 2D will further enhance our ability to locate not only structure, but also fish. Remember while in the Split screen mode with your Humminbird; one side of the screen will be active at a time. If you wish to zoom in on something or stop the screen on your SI simply arrow over to your point of interest then zoom it in.

Here is just one other fun, and very rewarding way to use your side imaging. I often like to deal with something I know. Say for example your searching a small island. Most anglers realize certain spots visually on the shoreline that will likely hold fish. What 99% of anglers will not realize are the better spots not visable to the naked eye off the island. Possibly these are the spots the fish hold when they are in a more nuetral mood or the sun is high. Keep your boat 150-200 feet off the island. Try keep your “SI” directly facing the shoreline. Now take your “SI” and do either a Right side only or Left side only. circle the island slowly paying particular attention for under water ridges or isolated rock piles. Note to Self……….MARK THEM and TELL NOBODY!! You now have uncovered first holding structure nearly 99% of anglers have no idea exists.

If an angler were to do these 2 things alone I assure you the investment in Humminbirds Technology would seemingly be priceless. Still many anglers fear change. Possibly they simply don’t understand it or fail to invest the time to learn how to use it.

This is truly the tip of the iceberg, but a starting point for beginning to take advantage of the major advancements from Humminbird. Greg at the SBC is a “WIZARD” when it comes to utilizing the units. He has taught me more than I can put in words here. I highly recommend guys wanting to upgrade units to visit the Skeeter Boat Center. I buy my Humminbird units from them without hesitation. They do a simply wonderful installation job which is NOT an expertise of mine. They also provide anglers some a 101 on getting the most out of the HB line.

I too am still learning. I do however realize this tool will greatly increase my knowledge of the underwater world. These units can be as easy or as complex as you make them. I have my 3 pre-sets on my 1198C. I know them and understand them………AND USE THEM A LOT!!

Awesome!! Thanks for the tips. I look forward to meeting you on the June Rainy trip. By then I should have some experience with it and probably a ton of questions.

Another feature of the SI units is the red, green color pallet ( I think that are the two colors been to long since I have been on the water ). It is strictly for finding transitions from soft to hard bottom. When looking for those critical transition areas in the bottom content with this color pallet anyone can nail it down. If I am looking for panfish bedding areas in a lake with mostly soft bottom this color pallet is the cats meow. Find the harder bottom areas then run by with SI on normal color pallet and look for beds with fish on them. Fish on

Be sure to introduce yourself to me at the Pre-Launch seminar!! We can discuss in further detail BTW Rainy Lake is a Structure filled body of water spilling over 220,000 acres. This Canadian shield lake is a Structure scanners DREAM!! I assure you there is simply no way to search it in a lifetime, but boy we’d sure have fun trying!!

I’ve had a 997SI since they first came out and have spent a LOT of time behind the thing. It can definitely shorten the learning curve on a new body of water and help you understand how fish are set up on the structure.. I’ve found that it can sometimes be difficult to get the proper range/speed for the things you are trying to look at and find myself constantly adjusting it and going back and forth to get a crisp picture of what I am trying to look at. Its not something you can set and forget it, like a normal locator on auto (or at least that I have found) but I can honestly say its worth the time and effort to learn how to use it properly and to its fullest capabilities.

One of the funnest times I had while using it, I was on a large lake up north thats chock full of smallies and structure and drove around until I saw a school of them on the screen. I’d scroll out (in some cases, a longgg ways) dump a waypoint in the middle of them, turn around, line up the cast to the waypoint and hammer on those fish until I either caught em all or they quit biting. Over the course of that weekend, I boated an absolute sick amount of fish well into the triple digits. Not all were due to the SI, but because I was able to find a lot of those fish off in the distance, it turned what would have probably been a really good weekend of fishing into one I’ll never forget.

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One of the funnest times I had while using it, I was on a large lake up north thats chock full of smallies and structure and drove around until I saw a school of them on the screen. I’d scroll out (in some cases, a longgg ways) dump a waypoint in the middle of them, turn around, line up the cast to the waypoint and hammer on those fish until I either caught em all or they quit biting. Over the course of that weekend, I boated an absolute sick amount of fish well into the triple digits. Not all were due to the SI, but because I was able to find a lot of those fish off in the distance, it turned what would have probably been a really good weekend of fishing into one I’ll never forget.

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Great information!! The ability to efficiently search more water simply increases anglers odds of finding active pods of fish. Lets face it every fishery has a large percentage of “Dead Water”. Tournament anglers realize the quicker they can eliminate areas with no fish the better. As regular fisherman we too like to fish…………FISH!! In traditional 2D only the shallow water application simply isn’t that effective and also tends to spook fish. Now being able to utilize the information received from our Humminbird SI to put fish in the boat has Truly turned on the lightbulbs in many anglers heads. Frankly guys that do it and rely on it are’t all that keen on telling everyone about it!! I couldn’t agree more on the importance of finding that pod of fish and putting yourself within casting distance of them without spooking the school. Great stuff and it sounds like you’ve definately found the key to putting more fish in the boat!!

The same can be done with Walleyes and Pike!!

I call the Humminbird “Fishermans Porn”! I LOVED my 998 but I’m psyched to run my new 1198 this year! Big screen “porn”!

We’ll be running the same unit at dash! MAN is that a big screen!!

For me, side imaging has been a great addition-and along with down imaging-has really made my interpertation of 2D much better and more accurate. The ability to run 2D, side imaging and down imaging at the same time allows different data to be displayed simutanously. The old “blob-o-gram” now gives more and better information than ever before! On the river, home lake or up on Rainy-was used everywhere and like any tool used correctly, was a geniune asset. Side imaging, I pilot and lakemaster’s chip all have been huge advantages-being able to read water, utilize the technology and keep you on spot equates to more fish caught.
It all helps the most important thing in fishing: confidence!