Thread: Does side imaging help you catch more fish?

Without a doubt. If you've read the instructional articles on my site, then you've seen how Humminbird's patented Side Imaging can be used as a POWERFUL fish finding and catching tool.

Instructional articles for Humminbird Side Imaging sonar units

Originally Posted by TrollingOnWeiss

I am seriously thinking about getting an HB 898 or the old HB 997. I've read the boards and I see all of the technical discussions on these units but I want to know....for those of you who have bought them....DID IT HELP YOU CATCH MORE FISH?

I don't want a fancy $1500 toy that takes pretty pictures. I want something that is going to help me put more fish in the boat. Could ya'll please share your experiences? Thanks!

Check this out..... This is what Ive got for info on this subject. I have been in quite a few catfish tournaments on the ohio river and the guys that seem to always in in the top five have the si birds. This is the part I don't understand. I once got to go out with a fella with side imaging hb on the river that wins lots of these trouneys I speek of and he told me he never tries to find fish with his side imaging, only structure because all catfish are very structure oriented. Especially in current!! The whole reason for boating with him that day was just to see what I thought about the Side imaging because I was thinkin bout gettin one. Heres the thing, we would mark structure that he thought would hold fish and then fish the piece of structure. We caught fish all dam day but never once did I see a fish on the side imaging!! Just the structure!! That immediately turned me off because I thought I would be able to see tons and tons of fish on the side imaging but that wasnt the case. With that being said, the guy did do a thing or 2 that was pretty savy. He would see structure on either side of the boat which he thought would hold fish.... scroll the curser over the structure and mark it as a way point.... Then he would drive over it with the 2d sonar. That worked, but I hate to have to do that every time I see a piece of structure.

Ive seen posts where some guys have gotten fish to show up with there si units but the handful of times ive been on boats equiped with the si units I don't see fish with it. Before anyone asks, yes I know what the white flecks are supposed to look like, I just never see them in the spots that we even fish and catch several from that spot. I think si in my opinion is for finding the sturcture. I wish It showed the fish better!

You're right....SI is terrific for finding structure. But it also excels at showing fish.

All of these SI images were captured on the Mississippi River....in plenty of current.

The first is a bunch of fish relating to the dips in a washboard sand bottom, in a high-current area.

The second is a pile of fish sitting at the edge of the scourhole below Dam #3....another high current area.

I have plenty more just like this. If you're interested, I'll be happy to post them.

The answer is yes. I catch more fish because of SI. Here are the stipulations to that statement. At first you will spend more time looking at and learning the unit so right out of the gate there is a drop in catches. Second it takes a little time to learn what you are seeing and recognize the fish you actually need to target. There are some fish of some kind all over the lake so fishing every time you see fish is counterproductive.
SI will allow you from day one to locate and fish cover and structure you didn't know existed. This will make you catch more fish.
It is now a regular practice for me to look for fish with SI now before I actually try to catch them. Especially in new water on new lakes.
If the fish are related very closely to cover as crappie are at times it can be hard or impossible to see them but more often when there are numbers of crappie relating to cover there are also crappie around the structure that SI will show you.
I will fish good cover where I see no fish on SI but never troll open water where I see no fish.

Didn't help me at Sardis or Arkabutla. Ain't too much help for us old men anyhow. Maybe internment.

I like messing with the SI. I ride up and down the boat dock waterfront in my area and look up my neighbors dress.

Really hard to say since I didn't catch them before I got the SI either.

Wannabe...

There is a difference in finding fish and catching fish. You can eliminate a lot of water in a short time with the Si/down image. This allows you to fish productive water. Catching is another story. I guess that the answer to your question is yes. I dont leave home without it !

Area water elimination is the key factor with them. If it doesnt show fish there then its right no fish!!!!