Quote Originally Posted by vic n View Post
I know we can get views of the shoreline with SI, but I don't recall seeing any pics of fish up in the shallows that might be spawning crappie. Should be simple, right? We're looking in an upward direction, so they should show up, unless there is something blocking the view. Does anyone recall pix like this?

thanks
I have had my 598 SI Hummingbird for a little over a year now and am addicted to that side imaging. 95% of my fishing is for crappie and I have tried hard numerous times to try an locate crappie beds. Till today, I cannot find their beds at all! I am usually successful side imaging schools during pre spawn and post spawn, but the spawn is mysterious. I know a cove on a lake that crappies spawn yearly. In that very cove, I have even caught dark males with bloody bottoms telling me they are fanning nests, but cannot see them on side imaging. However, if I run over them with switchfire or down imaging sonar, I can see them hugging the bottom. Here is my theory: because crappie beds are not as defined as gills, side imaging has a hard time picking up the nest indentation. Also, because side imaging is shooting up towards the shore, shadows of crappies on the bottom are hard to see.