Do you love big bluegill?

Side imaging sonar

Am getting ready to put a Humminbird side imaging unit on the boat, was wondering how many here use them, and if they have improved the number or size of the bluegill you catch? I know it will help my crappie fishing, should also be able to spot bedding gills, and the structure that holds them.

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Bill "Musky" Modica on April 22, 2011 at 9:42am

SI is a great tool....we use it to locate scattered rock and gravel patches on large deep flats which are capable of producing some of the biggest gills the lake has to offer. So many great functions on these units.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by dick tabbert on July 17, 2011 at 10:11am

After using my unit that I thought might be a fluke I have decided it wasn't the unit it was the operator. The unit has many features that probably I'll never use but after getting in the boat turning the finder on and just learning the unit it really is a great unit. I told you I have the 997c SI combo and the798ci Combo and both units work equally the same except the 997 having a larger screen which I really like. I have found where people sunk trees with fish over the tops of the trees. I've found weed beds holding fish and it even tell you if the bottom is hard or muddy. I found a sunken island that I put a waypoint on and every time I head to the island it's so easy to find. Like i said it does so much and i'm just touching the tip of the iceburg. But after further evaluation I can tell you it is a superb unit and I give it an A+. These units are no fluke.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by David, aka, "McScruff" on April 22, 2011 at 5:41pm

Bedding 'gills strike me as easy enough. Its them suckers that hunker down in the middle of summer that make it tough!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by dick tabbert on April 22, 2011 at 9:53pm

They look really great when you see them on you tube. You know may be they are but I haven't figured out how to get the graphics that they have. I'm sure its something that I am doing wrong so this topic will be good for me to. I have 2 of these units so I need to learn how to use them. I have the 997C and the 798C. Need help with both.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tom Beauchamp on April 23, 2011 at 7:38pm

The unit I have coming is a new 798 si so will see how it performs. I have heard of issues with the small transducer on the earlier units, they say the big flat transducer worked better when picture quality was poor.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Steve Crowder on April 24, 2011 at 11:07am

Being a fly fisher, I have been considering a FF also. Have resisted for years. Why did you choose that model and is it portable? I'm looking for a unit to put on a canoe/kayak.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by dick tabbert on April 25, 2011 at 12:22pm

I purchased my units for the side scanning and reading where the structor might be. As for portable they are mounted on my bass boat, but I can take the front unit out and put it on the poontoon boat. I just have to learn how to operate the units propperly.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by lewis jones on April 24, 2011 at 6:40pm

I can't speak for the for the Humminbird unit, I have the Lowrance hds-10 setup..the side scan feature is amazing but don't expect to spot fish. Its more for finding and marking structure that might hold the fish.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Steve Crowder on April 25, 2011 at 5:36pm

Lewis, how portable is Lowrance HDS-10?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tom Beauchamp on April 26, 2011 at 8:30am

The 798 CI SI was a gift from my daughter and son-in-law. I let them park their boat behind my house which is close to the lake, they can't keep it at home unless in garage, and they don't have to pay to store it. Was also part of a early fathers day gift. I got it mounted Sunday, and tried it out yesterday, worked very well, and never lost track of bottom like the cheap Lowrance unit that came with the boat. Now all I have to do is learn what I am seeing. It only has a 5 inch screen and the image is a little small for old eyes. I guess I'll have to put an SD card in the slot so I can record and play back on my computer with bigger screen. I like the GPS and the tracking, and set 3 way points on structure holding fish. Now I just have to learn all the tricks to using it.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by dick tabbert on April 27, 2011 at 1:31pm

good luck on the unit. I talk to a gentleman in the N.C Bass pro told him what I didn't think the unit was doing. He said he had one in his boat if I wanted he would take me out and show me how to operate it. That was a great gester but I was just passing through. He explained what he could in the store, great guy. Keep me informed If you would. GOOD FISHIN...