Let’s imagine the following scenario: after checking out all the great Humminbird Side Images here on IDO-fishing, and hearing the stories of how Humminbird Side Imaging has helped guys catch more fish and enhance their on-the-water experience, you decide to take the plunge and invest in a Humminbird Side Imaging sonar/GPS combo. Let me encourage you to make one more small investment: have your unit professionally rigged by Skeeter Boat Center.
When your Side Imaging sonar/GPS combo is rigged by Skeeter Boat Center, you can expect the following:
- Skeeter Boat Center will ensure that the Side Imaging transducer is located in the best position for optimum side imaging on your boat. Transducer placement is critical for the Side Imaging systems, and every boat has its own “sweet spot” that will deliver the best possible images. Skeeter Boat Center knows just where to place the transducer for all makes and models of boats.
- Skeeter Boat Center will ensure that every component of your new Humminbird system (transducers, GPS, head units, Interlink, Weathersense, XM Satellite Weather Receiver, etc) is in perfect working order, before your boat ever leaves their shop.
- Skeeter Boat Center won’t just send you on your way after the rigging is complete. We will hop in the boat with you on the Chippewa River near the store, show you how to operate your system, and even show you some really cool structure on your new Side Imaging sonar.
- Skeeter Boat Center will rig your new Humminbird Side Imaging system professionally, in every sense of the word. No loose screws, random wires, frayed ends, or flapping pieces of electrical tape. This is a rigging job your Mom would be proud of!
- Skeeter Boat Center has a member of the Humminbird Pro Staff (me!) on hand to help answer any questions you may have about your system, or to help you select the right Humminbird system and accessories for your application.
The primary issues that I’ve encountered with other anglers’ Side Imaging systems typically fall into one of two categories:
Problem 1: Some sort of problem with a component right out of the box. An antenna that doesn’t work, a transducer that only “pings” out of one side, a head unit that powers off unexpectedly. While rare, we have to remember that these electronic components are man-made, and have to be shipped long distances from the factory to the purchaser. Sometimes, things don’t work exactly as they should.
Solution: When you purchase your unit from Skeeter Boat Center, if there is any sort of functional problem with a component, Skeeter Boat Center will handle the return process from start to finish. No waiting on the phone for a return goods authorization, no e-mail questions, nothing….Skeeter Boat Center handles all of that without any hassle for you.
Problem 2: Poor install, usually related to the transducer. I’m sure that you’ve seen examples here on IDO-fishing of guys with poor Side Imaging performance. More often than not, this is because of a poor transducer install. This may be due to an obstruction, poor alignment of the transducer, turbulence flowing over the transducer, or some other transducer mounting problem.
Solution: When Skeeter Boat Center rigs your Humminbird Side Imaging unit, the transducer will be mounted in the perfect position for your boat (tin or glass, regardless of make/model). Skeeter Boat Center will water test your unit before you arrive as well as when you come to pick up your boat, to ensure optimum Side Imaging performance. Again…no hassle, no worries, and your Side Imaging sonar will work perfectly…guaranteed!
Attached below are a sampling of some of the Side Imaging installs that Skeeter Boat Center has performed. The first set of pics shows that a quality install is all about. This is a unit rigged onto a Ranger bass boat. Skeeter Boat Center doesn’t let wires hang randomly from the gunnels or on the floor….we run all of the wiring where it is supposed to go: protected inside the gunnels, out of the way of hooks, fingers, fish, or other things that could get fouled on them. In this instance, the transducer is rigged on a custom-manufactured (laser machined) bracket to hang the SI ‘ducer off the jack plate. What you can’t see is the second, through-hull transducer installed to ensure reliable high-speed operation of the down-looking sonar.
Adding Side Imaging sonar to your boat requires an investment….don’t you want to get the highest possible return on that investment? If your answer is yes, purchase your unit through, and have it rigged by, Skeeter Boat Center.
Feel free to contact me (by PM or e-mail) or Dan Meyer, manager of Skeeter Boat Center, at 715-833-2662 to schedule your rigging appointment.
