Looking for Side Imaging Info!

Hey all! First time poster, member of the Facebook group.

I run a NuCanone Frontier 12 with a Motorguide Xi3 on the front, basically a big, wide, kayak, and I'm looking to up my fish finding game this year. I am not ready to take the leap into livescope, maybe if I get a family boat one day, but at the moment I'm solo! I fish Carlyle, Rend, and several other smaller lakes in Southern Illinois and am looking to be able to scan for structure for crappie all year long. So I am thinking side scan is the way to go for me, I can troll slowly around areas looking for deep structure or checking laydowns, or structure I know is there.

Right now my thought is running the Lowrance Hook Reveal 7 with the TripleShot. The price seem rights and the screen size seems pretty good for my size boat.

My question for you all is, is this finder worth the investment?
Is there something better in the same price point I am missing?
Do you have great mounting solutions, even DIY solutions? I'm not scared to get my hands dirty.

I’ve always run HB si units. But I had a good setup back in the day using a Mad Frog Liberator for hanging transducer over the side in tracks. Worked great. Today I think they are sold as Nano Liberator arms.

Regards Attachment 479273


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com

If you ever think you might add livescope then I would purchase something like the Garmin 93sv which can do like you want now and later you could add livescope since you’d have a compatible unit. That’s pretty much what I did and pleased with my decision. I fished a year or more without livescope and the side imaging is good for locating structures. I used down imaging and traditional sonar when fishing. My current kayak has a transducer mount on the bottom of kayak but the one before I used a kayak transducer arm which mounted to the side and swung over the kayak. Worked pretty good. Do a google search, several options now. These aren’t very expensive and worth the investment :twocents

If you stay with the Hook Reveal, make sure you don't get the Hook reveal 7x. The 7x doesn't have maps on it. The Hook Reveal is not a bad fish finder. They are an entry level and do the job. But as always, I believe go as big and advanced as budgeting and space allows.

Yeah, I have a Hook Reveal 9 and while it's not an upper end unit, it's been perfectly acceptable to me. I have been experiencing some problems with my downscan and have tried multiple fixes including a new transducer (provided under warranty), but the sidescan, 2D sonar and mapping are perfect and I'm sure the downscan on MOST units also works fine. As has been pointed out, the Hook Reveal units do not support Active Target, so if you really want to experience forward facing sonar at some point and wish to stay with Lowrance, you'd probably want to look into the Elite FS series. Because of my downscan issues, Lowrance has offered to allow me to upgrade to the Elite FS 9 for the cost of the Hook Reveal series and I think I'm going to do so because I have been wanting to try "livescope" for some time.

May check into Mega 360. It would allow you to scan structure around you while sitting still

Most SS stuff requires you to keep a line of travel and moving to get great views .
Not sure what I would use if I went that route is me

If you're looking to go Lowrance buy a used Carbon unit and Structure Scan transducer. Later if you want Live sonar (Active Target), you will have a unit capable of running it.

Here are couple of images from an old HB 899 while kayak fishing. It don't take a whole lot of speed to get a good image.


Regards

New. Garmin 93.

Used. Any HB from old 800, 900 series or Helix gen 2 or 3 with mega side imagine.

Bigger screen is always better with trying to decide if those or fish or rocks on the bottom.

I would go with the 93SV so that you will not have to buy another unit if you decide to go with Livescope later on. it's a very good unit.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Brag

Yeah, I have a Hook Reveal 9 and while it's not an upper end unit, it's been perfectly acceptable to me. I have been experiencing some problems with my downscan and have tried multiple fixes including a new transducer (provided under warranty), but the sidescan, 2D sonar and mapping are perfect and I'm sure the downscan on MOST units also works fine. As has been pointed out, the Hook Reveal units do not support Active Target, so if you really want to experience forward facing sonar at some point and wish to stay with Lowrance, you'd probably want to look into the Elite FS series. Because of my downscan issues, Lowrance has offered to allow me to upgrade to the Elite FS 9 for the cost of the Hook Reveal series and I think I'm going to do so because I have been wanting to try "livescope" for some time.

---

That would be awesome. The processor in the elite fs is night and day better. I'm not knocking the hook reveal because they are good for the price point. But the fs will be faster with a much better picture and 3 and 1 transducer. Good for you, I'm jealous of that deal.

Sent from my SM-S908U1 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

Get the biggest screen you can afford and fit comfortably in your kayak. Side scan comes to life on bigger screens and is worth every penny, even if you have to save a bit longer. I'm a HB guy so can't offer any info on the unit you're looking at. I can get great detail at less than 1 mph so slow does work.

As for transducer mounting, check out these guys for lots of options.
SHOP | fishfindermounts2

I have one of their magnetic mounts for my rowboat and it's the cat's meow, in my opinion.

The one advantage of Humminbird over both Lowrance and Garmin is there is no black box needed if you go to FF, and it uses less juice to operate, which in a Kayak is a big deal.

the HB units I been around give off some mighty fine images if they are set up right
that said , so does about all the newer ss stuff these days

The Garmin 93SV is hard to beat at $649, for what you get. And it's Livescope ready.