Side Scan Sonar?? Anyone Use it?

Hello all,

I missed the whole summer this year due to a terminal illness in the family. Hard time. Sadly they passed on at the end of November.

Trying to look ahead and get back into the swing of things, but of course it's winter now.

I was thinking about a side scan sonar unit for next season. Anyone use one? Can you tell me what you think about it?
Thanks

I have a lowrance hds 7 touch with side scan. It's pretty cool. I just got it at the end of the year still learning

I used a Humminbird Helix 7 DI/SI/GPS all last year. I really like the side scan. You can see downed trees, logs, other structure and even fish out to however far you set the range. Yea, just like anything else, you have to figure out what is what, but once you are comfortable with it, it really helps. Last year, I was on Tully Lake paddling along and saw on the SI what I thought was a fish echo beside a submerged log in 14 feet of water. I set a waypoint on the GPS. Marking the spot tells you what bearing and how far away that spot is. Got my kayak oriented toward the fish, cast out past the fish, left the lure sink and dragged it past the fish - he bit it, I set the hook and fought the fish. He spit the hook before I got him back to the boat, but the experience using SI and having positive results like that really gave me more confidence to use it a lot more. I think the extra money for SI over just a unit with DI is well worth it and adding GPS is even more worth it. Save up and get all that you can, or you'll be wishing you did after you didn't.

I used a Humminbird Helix 7 DI/SI/GPS all last year. I really like the side scan. You can see downed trees, logs, other structure and even fish out to however far you set the range. Yea, just like anything else, you have to figure out what is what, but once you are comfortable with it, it really helps. Last year, I was on Tully Lake paddling along and saw on the SI what I thought was a fish echo beside a submerged log in 14 feet of water. I set a waypoint on the GPS. Marking the spot tells you what bearing and how far away that spot is. Got my kayak oriented toward the fish, cast out past the fish, left the lure sink and dragged it past the fish - he bit it, I set the hook and fought the fish. He spit the hook before I got him back to the boat, but the experience using SI and having positive results like that really gave me more confidence to use it a lot more. I think the extra money for SI over just a unit with DI is well worth it and adding GPS is even more worth it. Save up and get all that you can, or you'll be wishing you did after you didn't.

Great info! Thanks for the feeback.

Yes, the Helix 7 DI/SI/GPS looks awesome! Have you tried the Lakemaster mapping software? I am thinking that would be great too.

I haven't upgraded the mapping software in my unit. I use whatever it came with. A lot of the small lakes and ponds that I go to don't even have the depth contours in them in the upgraded software like Navionics. So I didn't upgrade. That's fine though. The mapping software in the unit will allow you to set waypoints on wherever you go. It will track the distance you travel, the speed and direction and guide you to any waypoint you enter. I am happy as hell that I spent the extra for the GPS and the SI. If I go to a new pond or lake or river that I have never been to before, I always set a waypoint at the launch point. Haven't gotten lost or even concerned once last year and I went to some places where you come out of a cove and everything looks the same......

I'm researching all that are in my price range right now (less than 800) and I'm trying to decide between the Garmin striker 7sv or the gen 2 Lowrance. The Lowrance gives you touch screen and the option to lay down-imaging on top of sonar view, which is way cool because if you like to split screens, you can put two images in one screen. The Garmin is said to be a better quality picture and easier to use, but no gps and only $500, so I may go with that and put a garmin echomap next to it ( 5" is less than 400)

fdw9652 - i don't remember which ones, but there are a couple of units that aren't too expensive that allow you to scan and create your own pond maps