Wayne P.

BigE, some of the things I do with my bow SI is to select which stumps/logs/rocks to cast to since I can see which one has a fish/s on them. I can check directly ahead of the boat as I fish and can avoid running over fish or structure to see them. When I am fishing a creek channel edge, I hold the boat a long cast from it while seeing it displayed on SI-that way I don't have to take the boat over to it to find it with 2D, When bed fishing, you can see the fish and the beds no matter how deep or what the water color is-sight fishing without direct sight. As I am fishing line of boat docks, I scan under them to decide whether to even fish that particular dock. I don't have to let the transom pass by the dock to make that decision. Keeping up with schooling bass is a lot easier with SI as well as finding the shad schools as I am fishing. While sitting still, I can turn the trolliing motor to simulate boat movement to survey the area for potential fish holding spots or actual fish. I don't get a sore neck looking back at the console to see what SI is showing and don't have to move the boat to get a good SI image from the transom transducer, and don't have to move the boat past potential fish holding spots to see them. There are more pluses but I can't remember then all now. Otherwise it is useless on the trolling motor, LOL

Yes, a suggestion to get the 798ci SI instead. It will do the same as the 788ci with SI and DI added. This Spring when you are shallow fishing, you can see a long way from the boat to target the fish and/or cover. Add a Silver Buddy to your vertical jigging arsenal.

bocabasser, if you have the Humminbird SI, try the red/green SI color to help you find the soft/hard bottom transition areas. Great tool to quickly find those transition areas.

bocabasser, if you have the Humminbird SI, try the red/green SI color to help you find the soft/hard bottom transition areas. Great tool to quickly find those transition areas.

bocabasser, if you have the Humminbird SI, try the red/green SI color to help you find the soft/hard bottom transition areas. Great tool to quickly find those transition areas.

scrutch, the only settings I changed from the factory default setting was the 2D color pallet, the SI color (from blue), and I added white line to the 2D. I change the SI color depending on the ambient light to whichever looks the best at that time. The images were done with the unit at the bow with a trolling motor mounted transducer. I was fishing an electric only lake. No other settings were changed.

I missed your question yesterday, I was fishing in that area. Sent a PM this morning.

Here is the same point with the split screen 2D/DI:

Here is a DI-only snapshot of thick vegetation on a point:

Yes, I guess you could use a DI-only unit to interpret what you see on your X125. It would be kind of like the Humminbird 898, 997/998, 1197/1198 units that have 2D and DI beside each other on the screen. My personal preference is like the Humminbird 798 image I posted with one above the other for a more direct interpretation. Here is another one of standing timber:

Here are a bunch of images from units mounted on the trolling motor. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sideimaging/photos/album/640462375/pic/list

I have a Humminbird Side Imaging unit and I wouldn't want a sonar unit with just Down Scan or Down Imaging. The coverage area is very small as compared to a 2D sonar cone. Humminbird is marketing several Down Imaing/2D sonar units in their 2011 line. The Down Scan or Down Imging helps interpret what 2D sonar is showning. This is a school of bass feeding on shad next to some limbs:

X3

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X3

3/8" electrical heat shrink tubing, no heat needed for the 5" Senkos.

Here is another screen shot of a point with thick vegetation and a stump/log pile farther out. Note boat speed with the TM.

Way2slow, with the Humminbird SI, the recommended boat speed is any off-plane speed that you can get a smooth water flow across the transducer. The chart speed should be set to the boat speed for optimum images. Most users mount the transom transducer above the hull bottom and too fast a speed with cause too much water turbulence to get good images. I get very good images with just the trolling motor since I can easily go 0-3 mph. I just set the chart speed to match. I even get good images at 0 speed just by turning the trolling motor to scan an area and it simulates boat movement. A good way to check under docks while fishing. If the chart speed is adjustable with the HDS/LSS-1, you can do the same. The idea is to go as slow as possible to keep the scanned object in the scan beam as long as possible to get the sharpest images. Too fast will shorten the images and too slow will stretch the images if you don't adjust the chart speed. That is why you adjust the chart speed to the boat speed and go very slow. Hummingbird's chart speed settings are 1-10. I use 1 or 2 when I have my SI on the trolling motor. Also when fishing shallow, having the advantage of seeing a long ways from the boat is a plus rather than being limited to the small bottom coverage area of a 2D cone angle Check the boat speed in this image:

I spend more time in the boat at the bow, That is my preference for the SI location. I have my boat set up for both locations for the single 798ci SI I have for ease of changing locations (internal GPS antenna). It will change the way you fish once you get used to seeing more than what is directly under the boat like with regular 2D sonar. For spawing sight fishing, you can target those fish that spawn deeper than you can see and you can see them no matter what the water color is. I have the 1198c SI HD ordered and will be placing that on the bow and keeping the 798 on the console.

I see some of you are still passing on the myth that fluorocarbon has low stretch. It has same amount of stretch a most nylon monos. In a Tackle Tour test, it was compared to Trilene XL. The myth is perpetuated because it is sensitive, but the sensitivity is due to the line density being higher than nylon mono and not because of any low stretch characteristic.

ffd, the HDSI transducer is usually used with the 798 as part of the remedy for trolling motor interference since it has internal shielding. It fixed mine. I still use the Compact SI transducer when I use the 798 on the console though. The HDSI transducer gives a somewhat sharper image but the 798 cannot use the 800 khz capability it has. The 798 is 455 khz only for SI.

I have several closed face reels with superline for inexperienced angles that may fish with me. You will get the best casting performance with the stiffer types of superline like Original Fireline, Stealth, etc.

My 7-30 barrel has the compensator and is 12" called the Hunter. My .30-30 is the Super 14". I get 3/4" 100 yd. groups with the .30-30 using handloads. I haven't developed a handload the outperforms the Federal factory loaded 7-30

I've got a Ruger Redhawk .44mag, a Tompson Contender in .30-30/ 7mm Waters, and a couple Ruger Mark II Target models in .22. I got mine to kill stuff. GLADES, no gun is dangerous--it's the one that posses it that can be.

If the shoot thru is clicking, then it is working, BUT the Lowrance web site does not show an available transducer that works with the X87. Your next problem is an on-the-water test to see if the shoot thru is installed correctly as far as location and a solid attachment to the hull for on plane use. Do you use the shoot thru with the bow mounted X87 or do you use a trolling motor transducer with it?