Hey fella’s
I’m looking for some input on the importance of having a unit with SS.
I understand what it does but does it primarily benefit the people who troll cranks and misc?
I’m not a big fan of trolling cranks unless its my last resort, but I am in the market for a new unit.
Just not sure if I want or need to spend the extra money buying a unit with SS.
Any thought’s, comments, etc?
Biggest contributor of sturgeon in my boat.
Probably biggest contributor for any species honestly..
You fish where the fish are and odds increase of catching them.
I could write a book on the benefits.
It really depends on how much you want to watch it. I fished a tournament two summers ago where we trolled the face of a wing dam, and I turned my SI to only scan the wingdam side of the boat. I marked a pod of fish, dropped a waypoint on them, then went back and anchor locked above that waypoint. First cast 25″ eye, 2nd cast 20″ eye.
If you shrink your SI range, you get a clearer picture, I usually have mine set to about 50′ each way. I have been trolling many times and spotted pods of fish on the SI, marked waypoints and went back over them and caught fish. I have also used it to identify what areas fish are holding in. I’ll notice what appears to be a sand point, on Pepin lets say. As my boards go over said sand point (not visible to the naked eye as it’s all under water), boom a board goes back. Another pass, it happens again, I now have a pattern, and something to look for.
For long line trolling, I have marked fish on my SI, and have been able to estimate how far away from the boat they are and on which side. I’ve made the adjustment to troll over the areas I marked fish on, and have caught fish because of it.
To me, the return on investment for side imaging depends on how you’re going to use it. If you expect it to magically show you fish all the time, you’ll be sorely disappointed, but if you pay attention to it, and don’t try to look at too big of an area (like I said, I limit mine to 50′ each way), you’ll be able to put together the clues more easily.
Primary benefit is finding structure, and capturing exactly what that structure is, where its going, and where it ends.
It seems it wouldn’t matter what style of fishing you do, if you want to see structure in a way you cannot with 2D, get SS, SI, etc.
Coming from a guy who doesn’t have it 
Thanks for the response folks as I was interested as well.
If you watched bk’s video he posted with walleye recordings about a week ago, he was staring at the camera screen and I was telling him exactly what he was about to see.
Here comes a rock sand transition… Here comes a log… Etc.
I use it anchored all the time.
Love it so much I dedicate a 10″ screen to si only. My 898 becomes map and 2d, and sometimes I turn on my 788 for 2d and the 898 is map only.
Si includes more info than 2d and di. So I watch it.
Think I’m approaching 7 or 8 years of si dependence 
Primary benefit is finding structure, and capturing exactly what that structure is, where its going, and where it ends.
I agree with Nick for my cat fishing. I’ve found a lot of underwater structure that I would never have known about that hold flats.
I haven’t used it for Sturgeon but I guess I’ll have to start paying attention!
It is a tool in the box. Learn how to apply it to the way/style you fish and it will help you out.
Another question I have is how long is that SS ducer?
Seems pretty long and could it be a disaster waiting to happen by catching on something and busting it?
The hbird HdSI is about 6″
I found out from Lowrance that its 10.8″
Anybody ever have an issue with breaking one of these since its so long?
Scraped my Lowrance on the rocks last Saturday cutting line off the prop (don’t ask). Usually if I am going to be in shallow, or around ice I tilt it up out of the way. Yeah, the Lowrance LSS-2 is a big sucker!
Scraped my Lowrance on the rocks last Saturday cutting line off the prop (don’t ask). Usually if I am going to be in shallow, or around ice I tilt it up out of the way. Yeah, the Lowrance LSS-2 is a big sucker!
Did it damage it Tim?
I don’t know how, but I’ve yet to bust one. Amazing really.
I got a few scratches on the one end of it, but it didn’t physically break. Not sure how it affected the imaging yet…
Si comes with a huge learning curve too. I spent a ton of time online the first TWO YEARS I owned it learning more on how to interpret what your seeing.
I see people in my boat, who have si, call rocks fish all the time.
You’ll only be as good with si as the effort you put into it. I can’t emphasize that enough.
I hear comments on ido on almost every single si thread that shouts out si ignorance.
Things like si distance, speed, must be moving etc.
You must understand the technology to understand the image. Yes it’s easiest when going straight and a set speed on calm water…. But I use mine when the boats rocking, turning, accelerating, decelerating, chart speed faster than boat speed etc.
Hell. 1/2 the people don’t understand what makes an arc on 2d, and how what conditions are required to get an arc vs a blob etc.
Well said FB&RM.
Me personally I use it to find fish I dont care what structure is there or what it is if there are not fish present I dont waste time looking at it. That was my biggest mistake when I first got SI I was spending too much time trying to figure out what the structure was not solely looking for fish. It is still difficult because I was always taught if your line isnt in the water you wont catch fish. Well there are days I will spend hours finding fish before my line hits the water.
FB&RM, can you please explain how SS is used/interpreted while anchored. My side images are not clear. Is there a trick to adjusting the settings to get better pictures or is it just experience knowing what to look for/interpreting the data differently?
Si is a thin beam. When boat stationary that thin beam is continuously bouncing off the same poop. Thus, anything on your screen that’s constant, is NOT a fish. Are they on the left, on the right? Moving through in schools. Bait fish passing by… Da da da da… On and on.
Understand How The Beam Works. Everything else falls into place
When someone uses the phrase “not clear” they obviously do not understand the beam. Shits always clear. Your understanding isn’t. Takes time and EFFORT.
Reading one forum isn’t going to get it for you.
The beam is always doing what the beam is supposed to do.
Its a shining strobe flashlight underwater.
FishBlood&RiverMud stated it very well. You have to use it, read it, and understand it to benefit from it. Once you understand what your looking at – regardless of how “clear” of an image, you can decipher a vast amount of info.
Want to map out a creek bed in a man made lake? Locate deep crappies on a summer day?
Looking for that very subtle change in bottom content?
Is that really fish? or just an obstruction on the bottom that I clipped through the cone?
Looking for submerged timber that no one else fishes?
Are the fish relating to the sand humps or to the edge of the drop off??
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Crappies-on-the-creek.jpg
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What about skinny water? I’m talking less than 2′ on each side of the boat? I was thinking how great of a tool si would be on the flats, but now I am wondering how effective it is in that skinny of water.
Asking for a friend…. 
In really shallow you will not see as much side to side… But you can see multitudes more than your 6″ cone that your 2d shows at those depths.
Bass guys love si
Never leave home to fish without it. Flyfishing trout on lakes to pulling cranks for eyes, great structure finding tool I even use my Bird 798HD SiDi for ice fishing using their ice-ducer and flasher function works great. Had this unit since SI came out and one day soon hope to upgrade to a larger unit and keep the 798 for a portable.I’m sure the other brands work just as well. Fish safe.
What about skinny water? I’m talking less than 2′ on each side of the boat? I was thinking how great of a tool si would be on the flats, but now I am wondering how effective it is in that skinny of water.
Asking for a friend….
It will work great it will show pockets in the weeds and submerged stumps or rocks. Once you have used it long enough you will be able to pick out fish. This is truly where 360 shines much more then SI.
Benefit?
First I spotted school. Then I anchor at school. Then I cast to school. All by watching the si.
Load pics later. Bad signal on river
I have almost given up using mine…. Guess I just need to learn more, because I have yet to appreciate it, and I know that isn’t right. I can look at those images Randy posted and think… cool, but besides some of the wood, I can only continue to guess what I am looking at. I know I’m far from alone in that.
I have almost given up using mine…. Guess I just need to learn more, because I have yet to appreciate it, and I know that isn’t right. I can look at those images Randy posted and think… cool, but besides some of the wood, I can only continue to guess what I am looking at. I know I’m far from alone in that.
Chuck go to the attached link is will help you figure out what is going on when using your SI.
http://www.bbcboards.net/forumdisplay.php?f=131
When I use my SI I use the blue screen and since I am only looking for fish my screen will be a little darker then Randy`s which for me help the fish stand out more as fish will show up as white marks.
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