Trolling with the 360...

Me and my uncle have been bouncing the question around for some time now and I am wondering if anyone can help us out.

How helpful would the 360 - especially the Mega 360 - be when trolling jigs?

We are guessing it would help figure out the direction and distance we need to go to run close to or over a school of fish. Side imaging is great, but by the time you see the fish you are already past them and have to get turned around to miss them again.

Any wisdom would be appreciated!

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It’s a great tool for long lining

I used the Gen 1 360 as my primary electronic for trolling jigs as well as crankbaits with Side Imaging as a backup. With the new Mega 360 and clarity of the views, it will rock the trolling world. Check the Mega pics out and speeds they were taken. As your views refresh with 360, you can stay on the schools and follow them by either circling back and forth or figure 8 movement. Here is a pic of the Mega 360 at 2.4 mph of just structure and submerged trees. Way clearer and crisp in detail as I was just testing at different speeds on my first outing with Mega 360 to see how it would look at that speed when long lining cranbaits.

Attachment 363172

Granted it’s not the best pic as it can be lightened up by changing your sensitivity settings and contrast and maybe even by changing your refresh rate of the sweep as it was set at a speed of 3, but it gives me a view of of the defined clarity I was searching for at a speed of 2.4 mph for first time in playing with the mega 360. I very seldom troll crankbaits any faster than 2.0 or 2.2. Jigs way way slower at speeds of 0.5 to say 1.1 mph. Can’t wait for spring to use the Mega 360. :ThumbsUp My trolling motor was maxed out on speed at the time that was taken in about 14 mph wind with lake waves all but whitecapping.

How do you have it mounted?


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On a Da Ducer of Rickie’s at podunkideas.com

I was wondering about those. I had in my mind the trolling motor shaft would block a slice of the image.


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Attached above the trolling motor with a bracket to the motor, I don’t think you have any image interference from other pics I have seen on the forums. Attached to a Da Ducer, showing mega 360 views no picture image interference at all, in SI view of the mega 360, I will have a super small broken line on one side of the water column showing trolling motor but I can get rid of it, buy lowering the Da Ducer or raising the Trolling motor motor and blade up just a dash to where it’s gone. It’s that simple to get rid of the itty bitty line in the water column using the Da Ducer.

Thankd for the input! Sounds like this is the route we need to look at. Obviously this will tell you the direction of fish, but can you figure out their depth without running over them and using some version of traditional (relatively speaking) sonar?

Also, the "Y-Cable" discussions I have seen... I assume this allows your 2D/DI transducer and Mega 360 to hook up to your G3N unit to display everything. The Mega 360 doesn't have either of those transducers built-in from my understanding. Am I correct with that thinking?

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The Y cable allows you to hook your depth find of which needs to be either a DI+ or SI+ G3N only model that will work with mega 360. By using the Y cable, you get 2d and DI imaging as well as depth and temp readings with Mega 360 plugged into other side of Y cable and the Y cable plugs into you helix or Solix at the transducer plug in. mega 360 will not plug into Ethernet box. You don’t have to use a Y cable but if you won’t have depth, temp, 2d or DI unless everything is networked and then you operate off your network settings of your depth finder. You can also use a trolling motor built in transducer. If you use a SI transducer to plug into the Y cable, the Y cable is not designed and use of the Mega 360 will block the SI images coming from a plugged in SI transducer and only give DI 2d, temp, and depth readings. You do not need to spend the money for say a helix SI plus depth finder as it will be a waist to plug it into a Y cable when all you need is a DI plus model as you will get your SI readings when you want to show SI using the Mega 360 or off your network if you are running a SI unit on your consol with the transducer on the transom. Hope I didn’t make this all too confusing in explaining the Y cable. For a Helix you need the 9 pin and Solix will take the 14 pin model.

9 M360 2DDI Y is the Y cable of helix
14 M360 2DDI Y is the y cable for Solix
and the Mega 350 does not come with a AS GPS HS puck as you will have to buy it separately if you want to use it. It cam with themGen 1 360. If you have for example a Ultrex a Link model trolling motor, your link will give your gps heading and the little boat icon for speeds under 0.6 mph as your donut icon on the Mega 360 at the extreme slow speeds can act up sometimes.

It looks like the ticket for trolling to me.


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Another thing you can do to the view that I use is you can enlarge your view of 360 circle or front view by up to 4 x power giving clear crisp detail with a enlarge picture or view of what your looking at. Next time I am out, will try and remember to get some screen shots of 2x and 4X power.

Please do. I installed a Helix 10 Mega DI on the front last year with a Terrova i-Pilot link, networked with a999si at console.

So I’d have to use a daducer mount. Take some pics of your set up on the water also. Thanks for posting.


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Mega 360 will only work with helix mega G3N DI+ or SI+ models with latest software released version 2.18 and Solix G2 latest models. And will get pics next time out.

My helix 10 is gn3. Don’t know if I’ll have to disconnect my 999si from network or not. I’d use the 360si up front so it really wouldn’t matter I guess.


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Your ok, leave it networked. I don’t think it will show mega 360 as it has to have the new software update v2.18.

Luckily we will be in good shape too. Both me and my uncle have a Helix gen 3 up front. I have a gen3 at the console and he has a gen2 on his console. We are fine for networking all that. We both have the Terrova with the iPilot Link as well.

You were talking about the heading sensor - would the one for the Terrova work for this also? Does it have to be separate?

We really appreciate the help and advice! Neither of us know anyone who has even the gen1 360 to look at. We see all the good posts about it, just wasn't sure if it would help us, much less what all we needed either.

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I think so from what I read on the Terrova. Maybe someone that has one can comment.

That’s what I have also. Hopefully it’ll all talk together.


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I hope it does too. I have already drilled enough holes and run enough power. Lol

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I use the heading sensor from my Ultrex Ipilot link for a Gen2 Helix and regular 360, so I would think a Terrova would be the same.

Double post

Thanks for these posts as it is the time of the year where I am thinking about fishing instead of fishing. In planning ahead, I have a Gen2 SI with mega, but it sounds like i will not work with Mega 360. Disappointing, but helps me plan ahead. I am looking forward to more pictures and information.
Thanks again!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cevans

I think so from what I read on the Terrova. Maybe someone that has one can comment.

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Am thinking if it has the I Pilot Link