Searching for Baitfish

[Milky]

Just wanted to know how far everbody is setting their HB's sideimaging to find baitfish? Is there a limit other than the 240ft to each side? Was hoping to use the SI to it's max. So far only seen bait up to 110ftknow on each side. Thanks for any info.

[rnvinc]

Increasing the SI Range ,in effect, makes everything on the screen smaller...because the processor has to "squash" more data into the same size screen....

Each person's interpretation skills will be different ....(some can interpret very small targets on the SI screen ..where others may need larger views of that same target to effectively interpret the target)....

If we take a pod of baitfish that shows about the size of a dime with the SI Range set to 50ft each side...
That same pod of baitfish will show as the size of a pencil eraser with the SI Range set to 240 ft each side...

I normally have my SI Range set to 50-70 ft each side on my 10.4inch screen 1197...

As a side note...the 455kHz SI sonar beam will show more echoes from up in the water column out to the sides because it's sonar beam covers 180º ...(the 800kHz SI sonar beam covers 130º...leaving out the higher part of the water column)...

Rickie

[tommyboyrn]

So rickie, would I be "missing" fish higher in the water column cauise I have mine set to the 800 beam?

[tommyboyrn]

nevermind rickie, looked at one of the stickies ands found the image i was looking for

[rnvinc]

So rickie, would I be "missing" fish higher in the water column cauise I have mine set to the 800 beam?

I'll go ahead and post the HB SI beam angle depictions just for those who might be following this thread...

So as is shown in the depiction for the 800kHz SI sonar beam.....targets suspended higher in the water column will probably not show up in the SI image...

What this means in use is ...

Use 455kHz if you're looking for suspended targets...
Use 800kHZ if you're looking for crisper bottom structure images...

Rickie

[rnvinc]

Sorry Milky ..I kinda got sidetracked from your question...

I would think you could set your SI Range as far out as you would like as long you're still able to interpret what you are seeing in the SI image...

I only set mine to 50-70 because I'm basically looking for bottom structure detail...
I could probably very easily set mine to 100 each side and still determine baitballs or schooled fished...maybe even farther ...

Rickie

[Redge]

Last weekend I had mine, 1198, set to 150 ea side and shad were still easy to see.

[Saludariverman]

Thanks for the info