Side view fish finders

[Jeffrey Durham]

Side view fish finders, anyone have anything positive or negative to say about them. I am going to replace the old Eagle on the front of my Nitro.

 

[Texas Transplant]

Side view, or the new side imaging ones from HBird?



Tex

 

[Jeffrey Durham]

Side view imaging from Hbird

 

[Rich D]

They are definitely worth it. I have only just started using a 981 and the image is incredible. I haven't customized too many of the settings yet, but the detail you see on the humminbird site is the detail you will get from the unit. Sunday evening I spent about an hour just coasting down a river bank picking up all sorts of info on the bottom, logs and timbers, a cinder block, and what I am pretty sure was a shopping cart.



Rich D

 

[Jeffrey Durham]

Wow, the 981 is really nice. Do you pick up fish well along the banks in time to actually cast and catch?

 

[Texas Transplant]

You really can't see 'fish' on the side imaging. However, you can see balls of bait fish in the water column - occasionally. Rich, I probably need to make arrangements to give you a call one night so we can compare notes. I'll send you an email.



Tex

 

[Rich D]

Jim,



Like TT said, I pick up bait fish schools, but not individual fish. I have seen "shadows" that I think might be fish, but cannot confirm it.



Tex,



Shoot me an email. This week is a little hairy, but next week should be good!



Rich D

 

[Texas Transplant]

Will do Rich.



Tex

 

[Humminbird Greg]

Is that a safe thing

 

[Rich D]

LOL!! @ Greg



You need to get Humminbird to send you to the classic this year, that way you can give some on the water seminars!!



Rich D

 

[Humminbird Greg]

Rich,



I

 

[JR F]

I guess I'll order me one to..Can't use the one I got might as well try another....What ever happend to the old worm and sinlker and prayer..it worked while I was a kid but not now...JR

 

[Mad Kayaker]

I was one of the first to buy the 987C and I would have to say that I wouldn't put it on the bow - the best place is on the console where you can really watch the image as you are slowly scouting areas.



I did place the 947C 3D on the bow and that was well worth putting there as the images of changing bottom in 3D mode really is quite interesting.



One of the bad things with having both is that it really will put a drain on your cranking battery after a long weekend and you need to make sure to charge the cranking battery every so ofton on top of your trolling batteries.



The only other think I would tell you is that if oyu do get it and decide to put it on the console and your puck on the transom - if you have a nitro (mine has a stepped hull), oyu need to carefully place the transducer according to spec or the imaging will not be what you heard. Greg W. really helped me out as I was having very bad results initially.



Bill, the Mad Kayaker

 

[Texas Transplant]

Bill,



Can you take a picture of your transducer mounting. I'm thinking that mine may need adjusting. I'll take some pic's of mine and post it also.



Tex

 

[Humminbird Greg]

Could you guys e-mail me a copy of your install pics as well? I

 

[Texas Transplant]

Will do Greg. If it doesn't rain on me again this afternoon, I'll take some when I get home.



Tex

 

[Texas Transplant]

Here are a couple of shots. Let me know if you have any questions.

Tex

 

[Texas Transplant]

The white 'spots' are from the rain splashing up mud/dirt onto the transom.



And yes, that great big long one is the transducer.



Tex

 

[Mad Kayaker]

Tex,



Man - we placed it in much different locations and now I'm wondering if I should have mounted it where you did. My dealer told me not to put it there and in looking at the drilling guid, I figured it wouldn't work because it would be such a tight location. But now I am wondering ... sucks being an early adopter!



Here are photos of mine. I was told to angle it slightly downward and it would improve on how much detail I picked up. It definitely worked but since yours is on the bottom of the boat, I don't imagine you can do that. I was also given some configuration tweaks.



I do have a few questions for you though:



1. I see the speed paddle to the left of the drain - did you already have that hooked up or are you not connected to a GPS antennae? I didn't hook up the paddle because I figured GPS speed is more accurate.



2. How fast can you go before you lost the imaging? I lose the imaging and depth over 14 mph. If you never lose imaging or depth than I am thinking I should mount it lower where you did. The speed causes too much noise in the water to work properly where I mounted mine.

I'd love to see what you set your options up as. Send me an email or create a separate topic if you want to talk about those!



Thanks, Bill the Mad Kayaker

 

[Humminbird Greg]

Bill,



It doesn

 

[Texas Transplant]

Actually, my unit is doing better at speeds (the base unit needed a tune up at the shop - and since getting it back is working nicely). From slow to about 6-7 mph, it's fairly clear. From there up to about 20mph, it is not bad (not clear, but still readable). From about 20mph to maybe 35mph, you can still make out the bottom - but it's difficult. Anything over 35mph is bye-bye.



I mounted the speed wheel for testing and verification purposes. And no, it's not very accurate. Let's face it, that little wheel can only keep track for so long. At lower speeds (maybe up to 20 or so), it's pretty close.



I have a Garmin Handheld GPS with mapping that I use all the time. I have the 981cSI unit, therefore it does not have mapping. It does have the GPS though. With my handheld on a RAM mount with Hot Spot maps, I really don't use the GPS that much. I do use it some with my front mounted Hummingbird 87c. I need to start using it more, to mark creek channels and such that I find with the 981 unit.



I'll do some other documentation, along with pictures, and put up another thread. I think I am close to some type of breakthrough regarding 'interpreting the data'.



Tex