# Side Imaging on Erie?



## thebige22 (Oct 26, 2007)

Looking at buying a new Humminbird Sonar/GPS unit for the boat. What opinions do people have about the Side Imaging for fishing Lake Erie? Is it worth the extra cost?
Thanks.


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## firstflight111 (May 22, 2008)

AHHH YES WELL WORTH IT FOR EVERY LAKE.... BIGGER IS BETTER i have the 997 great unit ...make sure you up date them it's free ...


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

I had a couple hummingbird sponsored pros pretty much tell me for open water trolling its a waste. I have a hds8 and I haven't bothered. Learn to use 2d sonar with a properly mounted ducer and your good. If you bass fish a ton or mainly then it's probably worth it


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## reo (May 22, 2004)

K gonefishin said:


> I had a couple hummingbird sponsored pros pretty much tell me for open water trolling its a waste. I have a hds8 and I haven't bothered. Learn to use 2d sonar with a properly mounted ducer and your good. If you bass fish a ton or mainly then it's probably worth it


Very well said. I bass fish as well as troll open water for walleye. I have had SI for about three seasons and have never found any use for it while trolling open water. But it is an awsome tool for finding those little humps and rocks that smallies use. Hope this helps


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## thebige22 (Oct 26, 2007)

Kinda what I was thinking. The boat that I will be installing it on will be strictly Lake Erie for walleye and some perch. Thanks for the info guys.


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## Nauti cat (Nov 30, 2009)

what about down imaging for perch?


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## Tightlines (Jun 29, 2012)

K gonefishin said:


> I had a couple hummingbird sponsored pros pretty much tell me for open water trolling its a waste. I have a hds8 and I haven't bothered. Learn to use 2d sonar with a properly mounted ducer and your good. If you bass fish a ton or mainly then it's probably worth it


I have the 1198 on my starcraft superfisherman and absolutely love it. And like every one says, bigger is better! About the Side Imageing i think its a must for trolling especially in clear and calmer water. There has been many times that i wouldnt have thought there was any walleye under me with the standard sonar but switched to Side Image and there they were off to the side. I have noticed on calm days or clear water the walleye spook a lot easier and thats why i see them on the imager and not on the 2D. And as far as the Down Imaging i hardly ever use that. I think its kinda useless unless maybe your fishing in a lake and say maybe a tree would be on the bottom then you could see it better with DI, but im not shure you can see fish with it like you can with SI.


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## ErieRider (Mar 23, 2010)

Going back to the original question. "Is it worth the additional cost??" When scouting or working a new area we usually run at least one bait up high to find those fish the 2d will not pick up off to the side and high. it works at times just as the side imaging would work at a fraction of the cost. We then adjust accordingly if we establish a pattern. I think the bigger question is, is what can you afford to spend on the new unit?? Do you have other things you need to upgrade or are you fine with doing it "old school" and running something up high and tweak from there?



Tightlines said:


> I have the 1198 on my starcraft superfisherman and absolutely love it. And like every one says, bigger is better! About the Side Imageing i think its a must for trolling especially in clear and calmer water. There has been many times that i wouldnt have thought there was any walleye under me with the standard sonar but switched to Side Image and there they were off to the side. I have noticed on calm days or clear water the walleye spook a lot easier and thats why i see them on the imager and not on the 2D. And as far as the Down Imaging i hardly ever use that. I think its kinda useless unless maybe your fishing in a lake and say maybe a tree would be on the bottom then you could see it better with DI, but im not shure you can see fish with it like you can with SI.


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## Tightlines (Jun 29, 2012)

About the additional cost of the side image i guess there would be a couple different variables to that. Part of the reason i got the SI is because i do a lot of local fishing here in northern indiana. Bluegill crappie etc. The SI really is awsome on the local lakes for finding structure weedbeds and even 3 sunken boats in one lake! You can even see bluegill and bass beds along the shore and deeper water very clearly. But if your just going to be using the SI on erie it might not be as much of a justifiable cost. All i know is i shure like mine a lot. Hummingbird 1198c are on sale right now. Universal Mania $2,259.99.


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

Cabelas has hds-10 for 1599 right now.


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## chardoncrestliner (Dec 19, 2012)

I have a small boat - 2011 Crestliner Super Hawk 1800 and just upgraded to an HDS-5 Lowrance. Now that I think about it I probably should have gone with a bigger screen. Live and learn.


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