behind the times

I think its time for new electronics on my boat.
I have two hummingbird wide units and have been very happy with them. I have been looking at new ones but am kinda lost. I want a unit that shows contour lines and creek channels, has waypoints as well as water temp. I'm not sure about down/side imaging and how much I would actually use it. I like the idea of linking front and back units to view waypoints both places. I don't have a huge budget ($1000), but am pretty handy and could do the installation myself. I do quite a bit of spider rigging mostly 20' and under. Was wondering if anyone could offer some info on real world experience because I don't want to pay for features I don't need.

Go for a unit with side imaging and downscan. I have only downscan but my buddy has side imaging and it is awesome!

The contour lines and creek channels will come from mapping cards or maps that you make. These are not built-in features.

You really need to decide on what sonar capabilities you need for each unit because that will help determine the unit models to look at. Humminbird offers units that have 2D (conventional) only sonar, 2D + Down Imaging sonar, and 2D + Di + Side Imaging sonar.

If the unit will display maps, it will be able to mark waypoints. Only certain series of our units can share waypoint data through an Ethernet connection, so you are looking at the 800 or larger series of units for this.

Some models to look at:
859ci HD
859ci HD DI
899ci HD Si

Down imaging and side imaging have their advantages...but it comes at a cost...

*Down imaging's advantage is being able to pass over structure and get a picture like image of that structure...
*Side imaging's advantage is being able to find and mark new-found structure way out to the sides of the boat...

You mention spider riggin as your preferred method...

Spider riggin is basically moving slowly from one spot to another ...picking up fish at each spot and sometimes in between spots...

Side imaging can show you "new-found" spots while your moving between your "known" spots....and the more "spots" you have in your arsenal - the more productive your fishing will be...

HB has side imaging units as low as $500 for the HB 398ci HD SI Combo...

If networking is in your future tho, the smallest networkable unit is the 899ci HD SI Combo....(closer to $1000)..

It may still be possible to find a closeout on the previous 798c HD SI Combo...(which was the previous years smallest HB side imaging unit that was networkable)...

Any of the HB units (past or present) that has "Combo" in the model name means it has chartplotting capability and can use the Navionics or Lakemaster brand mapping cards...

Rickie

Thanks for the help guys. Rickie that's exactly what I needed to know.

I have seen last years 898 on sale at Shut up and Fish for 800-900 which is a steal. You also could consider used electronics from BBC members. A lot of those bass guys swap electronics annually and sell units with very little use. I would start with one unit on a RAM mount that swivels and save for another later. I think the 899 or 898 at console and a 859 up front. If you could find a 798HD model from last year it would Ethernet to these units. Gander had these units for $699 earlier this year and two of these would do what you need or one with a 859hd.

OK side imaging sounds good up front to me. Would it be possible to have the transducer for si on the trolling motor or would it need to be mounted somewhere else?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by STONETER

OK side imaging sounds good up front to me. Would it be possible to have the transducer for si on the trolling motor or would it need to be mounted somewhere else?

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HB makes a TM bracket for their HDSI xducer...
http://www.humminbird.com/WorkArea/D...t.aspx?id=2817

Transducer Shield and Saver also makes an aftermarket bracket for the HDSI xducer...
http://www.transducershieldandsaver....&category_id=5

You should understand that any SI xducer mounted to a TM will have the adverse effect of the SI image being skewed somewhat when the TM is turning...

This is because the thin slice SI sonar beams that radiate out the sides of the SI xducer create a "snow angle" type effect as the TM turns...

Many are using the SI xducers on the TM with very good results ...as long as one understands what is happening when the SI image looks kinda "smeared" sometimes when the TM is turning...

Rickie

Down Image scans will also get "skewed" when transducer is mounted on trolling motor, and trolling motor is being quickly "turned".

Attachment 162391

As shown in this screenshot ... my transducer just went over a submerged cedar tree, when I noticed another tree right in front of my trolling motor. I swerved to miss hitting the tree. The screenshot shows the resulting image differences. The two larger "gaps" are when I turned the trolling motor, quickly left then right, to avoid running the trolling motor into the treetop.

My own personal opinion ... I'd use a console mounted SI to scout an area, then a trolling motor mounted DI unit to fish selected spots. That would require the two units to be capable of being connected & share info between them. Especially so, if I was heavy into spider rigging. :twocents

... cp :kewl

I totally agree with pappy! SI is a scouting tool and the front chair is for fishing and limited scouting. While up front I fish and don't like spending that time focused on a screen. Idle through an area with SI, mark waypoints on structure you want to fish or get a better look. Then, troll back through using 2D and DI. Plus, that HDSI transducer is over $200 if you knock it off trolling motor. You can run the SI on a RAM mount at the console and rotate it if you want to be able to look from time to time as comparison to what you are seeing up front. An 899 at console and 859 at the front would be all you will ever need to get the most out of your electronics for fishing purposes.

I have all those I's. SI, DI and 4I. I don't scout much. I just let the fish come to me. They usually show up at my house sooner or later. Saves gas.

I have my I's mounted on rickies transducer stick. Podunk Inc. I like I's mounted this way vs on the troller motor. Slick as snot. It is an optine few you.

Although I have SI at both the bow and console, I only occasionally use the SI on the bow. Actually, on my home lake, I only occasionally use the SI on the console since I've been fishing it for 13 years and know the lake pretty darn good as to structure. However, SI is priceless when I'm fishing a new lake for the first time or a lake I haven't fished in quite awhile. For the last 10 years, I've recorded every fish I've caught on all the lakes I've fished including Bull Shoals, Norfork, Ouachita, Falcon, Table Rock, Ross Barnett, Toledo Bend, AR River, et al. I've marked waypoints where the fish were caught, the year, month and day, lake level, wind, depth fish were caught, moon phase (%), water temp, which creek, type of structure, description of the lure type and color, presentation, how many fish were caught by specie, weather conditions, etc. I use a MS Excel spreadsheet to manage my fishing data and Navionics Navplanner to view lake maps on my PC and manage my waypoints.

When I get too old to fish I think I'll raffle this database off to the highest bidder rotfl

When I do use the SI on the console it is primarily to troll the lake and locate structure that typically holds fish in the current season such as points, ledges, humps and banks. Occasionally, I use it to find fish. When I do this, I'll set the range to around 90 ft and, if I see what I think are fish, I'll lower the range to 50 feet each side and go over the area again. If I see fish, I'll set a waypoint, shut down the big motor, lower the trolling motor, set my bow unit on 83/200 2D combo and fish the waypoint.

The reason I like the 83/200 2D combo is because it covers 3X the area than the 200 by itself. I have my Fish ID turned on with Sensitivity turned up a tad above mid range. Fish located by the 2D sonar in the 200 kHz cone show up Orange on the screen while the fish located in the 83 kHz cone show up Blue on the screen. I love this feature, especially when fishing vertical in deep water during the summer and winter months. On one outing, my partner and I caught over 50 fish in one location in water between 50 ft and 115 ft deep. The best fish were suspended over 50 ft of standing timber in 90 - 115 ft of water. Hold the boat over the Orange fish and drop your spoon down to them. When the bite quit there, move the boat out to where the Blue fish appeared to be and when the fish appeared Orange, stop and spoon them. We caught LMB, SMB, Spots, Walleye, Crappie, White Bass, even a Yellow Perch and a Catfish.

I'm not using any of HB's new technologies such as 360 Imaging, I-Pilot Link or Heading Sensor so I don't need the latest software they offer. This new software has been written to accommodate these new technologies to the detriment of 83 kHz 2D sonar. This is unfortunate but occurs occasionally when programming systems in any environment or platform where you are operating within hdwe limitations and constraints. I'm still using v6.49 which was released in Dec of 2012 and 83 and 83/200 still works like it should.

Many good anglers swear by SI on the bow. I've used it occasionally when the bite quit but I find it difficult unless you use a very short range like 30 feet to each side and you have to keep the boat moving straight or the image gets blurred. On windy days this can be difficut.