very interesting. Bought the Elite9-TI last fall for the mapping on LOTW.
Still need to mount the totalscan transducer. I used my elite 5 for the depth.
The manual mentioned to avoid the outboard motor being in the way for side scan as you’ll only see one side. What is the correct way to mount the sidescan transducer then. Any help for understanding this would be great.
Another option for screen size, is two units. I have a 999 bird, and a 788CI HD that I use just for GPS. That allows me to set the 999 solely for side imaging, and the 788 for just GPS. They’re just networked together, so if I drop a waypoint on the 999, it also stores on the 788.
For those that aren’t changing settings, what’s your standard width setting?
My experience with “sidescan” has been with my Hook2 7 Triple Shot. I’ve been a little underwhelmed with the clarity, especially compared to the images I see from others whether other Lowrance units or the Humminbirds. I’m trying to learn enough to compare the specs but I suspect my Hook2 with the Sidescan is much different from the units that use a Structurescan transducer. Late last fall I picked up a Simrad GO7 XPR with the Structurescan transducer (same as Lowrance). I was very anxious to get the Simrad installed and compare it side by side. Has anyone compared these two transducers (or the systems that use them) side by side? While the Simrad doesn’t seem as user friendly for a roundhead like me, it’s obviously higher quality in its display and capabilities.
I threw a wrench in the whole works today by ordering a Helix 9 Mega SI G2N Chartplotter to network with my pending purchase of a Terrova iPilot Link MDI. I’m thinking running the MDI while on the bow and have the SI transducer on the back and be able to have the ability to move the unit to the back (running a tiller). Either the Simrad or Hook 2 also running back there for GPS. Or, I sell the other two and replace them with another Helix DI dedicated to the trolling motor and network them. Starting to drift off topic…
When I was learning to interpret SI, my screen stayed on 70 feet of range each way. It stayed that way for several years. (I also think it’s a very very good starting range). As I got better at understanding what I was seeing, I would widen out the range to 100 and compare how it looked. My units now stay on 120 on the console and the bow because I know what things look like at that range now. If I’m searching for hard to find fish, I’ll even widen out to 200 feet each way, as seen in the first image I posted of a large school of walleye in 11 feet of water on a huge flat. I’ve never used anything less than 69 feet, other than to experiment on a known school of fish. I did not like the narrowness, or the way the fish printed with a narrow setting.
For those that aren’t changing settings, what’s your standard width setting?
Every boat can be a little different, so there isn’t a magical XYZ answer. For myself, when I’m in search mode I find that I’m traveling about 4.5 to 6 mph the most. So I put my settings to be the clearest at about 5mph and leave it. After enough use, as mentioned above, you get in tune to knowing what you see at other speeds.
Another option for screen size, is two units. I have a 999 bird, and a 788CI HD that I use just for GPS. That allows me to set the 999 solely for side imaging, and the 788 for just GPS. They’re just networked together, so if I drop a waypoint on the 999, it also stores on the 788.
Yes, two birds better than one!
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I almost went that way when my onix GPS went out for the 3rd time. I told bird I wasn’t too inclined to spend 490 to fix it again, that I’d be better off spending that on a new H7 sonar and use it exclusively for mapping, and use the onix for imaging. She thought that was a good idea, and then asked if I would be happier with a new Solix 10 for the same 490. I jumped on that. With that said, I do not let my units communicate with each other. Never have.
I almost went that way when my onix GPS went out for the 3rd time. I told bird I wasn’t too inclined to spend 490 to fix it again, that I’d be better off spending that on a new H7 sonar and use it exclusively for mapping, and use the onix for imaging. She thought that was a good idea, and then asked if I would be happier with a new Solix 10 for the same 490. I jumped on that. With that said, I do not let my units communicate with each other. Never have.
It’s not polite to brag.
That’s a smoking no brainer.
Hi, I have been using SI for a few years starting with 1197, 1198, and now Helix12 SI G2N(Mega). When first starting to understand SI BBC was a must and I am clearly still a rookie after reading these posts. I have found with my Mega, when looking at areas previously with the 1197/1198, I was missing a lot. So much more detail with Mega on structure. For me the larger the better. I still run the 1198 at the console along with the Helix12. 1198 purely for mapping and Helix12 purely for sonar.
While I know this thread is mainly a walleye thread and I pretty much fish small mouth, the images from SI make finding and understanding structure so easy. Here is a spot I came across last year. I had been fishing the area for years but noticed last winter someone had fished there early ice so thought I would search the area this past spring with SI. This small hump is not on Lake Master or Navionics. While the small mouth hug the bottom so tight I can not discern fish from a rock, putting down a few WP on the big rocks makes coming back to the same location multiple times so easy. Just deploy the Ulterra a little distance out from the WP, select go to WP, have sip of coffee, pull out the rod and about when the boat has maneuvered to the WP and spot locked, ready for my first spot on a spot cast and a few of these.
Anyone think they can find fish in the image? Suggestions on how to change settings to find small mouth on the rocks?
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Bringing up an older thread but I am making the switch to Side imagining this summer and am wondering if anyone runs it on a trolling motor? I have watched some videos of guys using it up there with slowed down settings and seems to be really clear. Mainly will be for casting at muskys. This was super helpful reading these!
From what I have heard, it doesn’t work well mounted on a trolling motor because the head is always turning and it can’t scan properly to the side when that’s happening. I believe that side scan also works best at a specific speed (5-10 mph?) and that would be moving pretty fast using the bow mount.
I think it would be fine for the most part for targeting muskies because it isnt like you are vertically jigging for walleyes, typically following break lines/weed lines etc.
For me I just use the rear transducer for side imaging and since I have my units networked if I really want to see the side image up front I just change the sonar source to be the back.
You can now get built in side imaging transducers on new Minn Kota trolling motors. https://minnkotamotors.johnsonoutdoors.com/featured-products/ulterra?id=26331
Bringing up an older thread but I am making the switch to Side imagining this summer and am wondering if anyone runs it on a trolling motor? I have watched some videos of guys using it up there with slowed down settings and seems to be really clear. Mainly will be for casting at muskys. This was super helpful reading these!
Ive had SI on my Terrova since 2010. I personally will not fish from the bow without it on. It is an advanced operation, one that shouldn’t be attempted until you get well versed at reading your console unit well, where speed and setup is optimum. I use a H12 from the bow, primarily because my HDSI transducer is mounted with the cable internal inside the shaft. It was a pain to do, but well worth the effort,(as evidenced by MK introducing MSI models this year) I thought I was the only person on the planet that was underwhelmed with mega imaging, but I see fish blood sees things the same way I do. I have mega on my Solix 12 Si on the console, but it never sees any action until the livewells full, and I’m just playing with the unit or the fish. 455 is the absolute workhorse of the frequencies. Mega, in my opinion, should be the last freq used, or at least not till youve found fish with 455. But that just me. I don’t need a clear picture of a fish to know its a fish, and Im not interested in bridges and foundation. They’re hard on jigs and impossible to fillet.
For optimum image quality, speed is definitely a factor. For me, that’s about 3.4 to 4 mph. I’ve experimented on a school of known walleyes up to 10 mph and could still see them. When utilizing SI from the bow, obviously, speed is not there. I do not vertical jig from the bow, or pull bait. I strictly pitch jigs when I’m up front. My H12 on the bow will show me fish from 0 mph to 2.5 if I’m smart enough to interpret what its telling me. Optimum speed is for optimum image quality only.
You can now get built in side imaging transducers on new Minn Kota trolling motors.
If i had the coin for those id buy one in a heartbeat. Later in life for sure.
Ive had SI on my Terrova since 2010. I personally will not fish from the bow without it on. It is an advanced operation, one that shouldn’t be attempted until you get well versed at reading your console unit well, where speed and setup is optimum.
I might just have to run it on the transom starting off then. I just need to figure out if i can deal with running my trolling motor from the rear too.
Sorry I didn’t read the middle page at all, but here’s a couple of things that I did that I didn’t see mentioned in the first and last page.
I DID watch as much youtube video as I could!!! I DID take their advice for settings and pretty much left them alone.
I think this is the most important thing that I did to start was to go and sidescan the areas I knew were good fishing spots for me in the past. I wasn’t looking for fish to start, I was just looking at the topography of the bottom of the lake, weeds, weedlines in those places where fishing had or still has been good for me. And I laid down waypoints, lots of them!!! I can go back and delete them this year if they aren’t any good and lots didn’t seem to pan out last fall either. And I didn’t fish them right away.
Then I spent time scanning the shorelines and looking for downed trees, wood, transition lines and laid waypoints, lot of them!!! I hope to fish them this spring too!!!
I got the Elite Ti9 and SI is worth it to me so far. I have found things that I EXPECT to find fish on or near them in the future!!!
Mark
Side imaging. Specifically mega imaging Has been solely responsible for so many good fishing trips in the last 3 years of owning it. Getting the ducer in the EXACT right spot is key to your success and getting used to changing certain settings on the fly.
I hear people say it all the time “side image doesn’t work sitting still you have to be moving to get good images”. Not with the mega though. With chart speed on 3 and sometimes 2 while spot locked on the river i will get the highest of detail on the fish at ZERO mph. Most the time fish are swimming now sitting still, stationary structure will be smeared but not the fish.
while scanning areas for fish I usually drive at 2-4mph and run the chart speed at 3-4 at most 5 then the side imaging starts to be useless but optimal is chart speed 3 and 2.5-3mph and level off your ducer to your boat angle at that speed.
Say I’m pitching a area for walleyes while spot locked on the river, I’m always staring at the graph watching how many feet away the walleyes are frequently swimming by at, and will adjust the boat to cast to that area.
On my 999 with 800khz hdsi transducer I never seen any of this stuff. Yes there is times when you have to switch off of mega imaging to get best image. Like when your fishing dirty water deeper then 30ft ill switch to 800 but that was on the g2 mega, the g3 model is exactly the same unit only it’s capable of mega images in deeper water and wider then the g2s. the g2s only really worked well out to about 100 feet then would wash out.
Also general rule of thumb is having your side image set to 3x your depth, 90% of the time I have mine set between 50-80ft to each side unless I’m trolling crankbaits or in really deep water.
Different bodies of water, and different times of year(water clarity) will need adjusting of settings to get the best image. In really fast dirty high river water your image will get really washed out and not be the good at all, in large bug hatches as well are things to look out for. Usually As I’m driving away from the boat launch I’m leash adjusting the settings to that body of water to get the best image, takes me maybe 1-2 minutes and then I’m off to some spots Right now the best time to get the best images on the river with the really really clear water.
And when it’s not helping you catch fish it’s cool to find stuff, I’ve found tons of cars and trucks. Some that they have pulled out. I bet if found easily over 100 sunken boats/barges/houseboats on different bodies of water,
i know of 23 on pool 2 alone 
Even found a massive pod of paddlefish spawning on the Mississippi a couple springs ago and notified dnr tagging studies where and they got some trackers installed in some.
To me side imaging changed the fishing game.
and if your just gonna musky fish yes it will help you catch more fish.
Caught a 51” on tonka this year on opener on the 4th cast at a spot I wouldn’t had fished had I not seen the multiple muskies surrounding pods crappie.
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