Wayne P.

TommyBass, check some of the shallow SI images posted by Doug Vahrenberg on the Yahoo SI Group site.

Don't be mislead by that comparison shot. The HB view looks to be misadjusted to make the LEI look a lot superior. Here is a down image that I did with my HB 798 recently without any tinkering with the settings.

A trick shown to me many years ago when Carolina rigging in rocks is to put a 1/4" piece of rubber hose on the line before the sinker. The hose protects the line at the sinker and it reduces hangups. The hose type was the gasoline type.

Thai, that is the body of water to get it done. That is my choice too.

reo, having two sonar units on the console with one being SI has been standard practice since Humminbird introduced the Side Imaging units. Even the Lowrance guys did it since Lowrance did not have that technology until mid 2009.

16# 9oz. in Virginia

Gamakatsu 5/0 Offset Round Bend Worm Hook

Do yourself a favor before you open the package with the transducer in it. Exchange it for the trolling motor mount type. It is not as fragile and likely to get knocked out of line as the transom transducers mounted on trolling motors. Just contact Humminbird service for the exchange.

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It's good if it works. It will show the depth, bottom shape, stuff between the bottom and surface, and stuff on the bottom. That is pretty much what any sonar unit will do. It has several zoom features that newer lower cost units do not have. Newer units will have a higher definition display and maybe more bells and whistles. The brand is LOWRANCE (as shown on the bottom left) and the " L° " logo , and the style is LCG (liquid crystal graph) RECORDER as shown on the top left of the picture.

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I use the Rapala scales also in the 15# and 50#. A 50# failed recently and when I checked inside to see why, I found that the wires had been cut by the housing. They were not assembled with care and two of the wires were caught between the two case halves. I have the two to double check the weight when I catch a large bass and also have the 50# in case I land a bass over 15#. I also check their accuracy with a couple of certified weights and replace them when the accuracy diminishes.

That model is not shown on the Lowrance site. It may be an X-4 or M-4, I can't tell what letter it is by the blurry picture. The model number is below the touch pad and molded into the case. It was the top-of-the-line in it's day. I had a similar one with a few less "buttons", don't remember the model though.

Gotta agree--- Humminbird 798ci SI. Do some internet searches and those can be found for less than $650

It shouldn't cost anything to get one installed. It is easy to do yourself. The performance of the internal and external GPS antennas are the same since they are the same. Some prefer the remote antenna mounted above the transducer so the marked waypoint and the sonar return are exactly the same location. There is enough error in GPS for it to not be a big issue. Bassnajr, the HDS-7 was the one with the water problem due to bad gaskets. A lot LEI owners got fed up with the lack of customer service and frequent failures.

Owner Stingers

The 798ci SI is the model with the internal GPS antenna. I have the second mount, power cord, and SI trolling motor transducer so I can use mine when fishing electric only waters also.

Bobby's Perfect Frog

Mike, you can get the same images on your HDS-5, but not with as many panels displayed at once or as large as with the larger screens. Probably close to what a HDS-7 would show, but definitely a dual split screen like the bottom screen shot or a combo of other split screen choices. The key is the LSS-1 and the software upgrade.

McCoy mean green and most of the co-poylmers. Raul, Magnathin is still made, that is my choice for lipped crankbaits.

That process is not new. The line is just an adaptation of the fluorocarbon line Vanish Transition. The hype is the same as the Vanish. Supposedly when the line stops doing the color change, it should be replaced. I fell for that hype when it was first marketed and found out it was no better than regular Vanish (junk).

The Pro Poles I have seen are mounted to a heavy bracket that is located between the engine or jack plate and the transom. The mount looks to be 1/2" thick metal with the pole/poles mounted to it. Since it is in that location, it won't put anywhere near the stress on the hull that the outboard will.

I drop down to ultra-light 30# superline when stealth is needed, otherwise I use 50#-65# superline. It depends on the presentation.

In case you are wondering what the Down Imaging software upgrade will do for you, I did this screen shot last week between snow storms and frozen lake thawings:

I forgot the mention the WOT speed with the 9.9 ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; 7.4 mph, LOL It's a couple of mph faster than the three trolling motors, I forget the exact speed.