Wayne P.

If the transducer is at the bow or stern, it just has to be submerged. It does not have to be at or below the hull bottom.

That is a fairly new model. I would not recommend that one or the 698ci HD SI Combo. A narrow screen is what you do NOT want with a Side Imaging unit. The size of displayed subjects with any of the side looking imaging products is based on the range setting. That is why "BIGGER IS BETTER" applies to Side Imaging. With all the different screen widths available, the wider the screen is, the larger and easier to see subjects will be using the same range setting. If you are interested in the less expensive units SI, wait for the new Helix 5 to come out in December. That would be the most practical SI unit in the small screen versions.

It won't make any difference in bottom coverage, just some cloudy returns near the SI view centerline. If you pass by the path of an outboard, it will record the water that the prop disturbed. It will look like a long cloud at the distance you are from that prop path.

Being at the hull centerline will lessen the blurring of the Imaging from the boat rocking when you paddle. The farther away from the fulcrum of the hull, the more the transducer will move in relation to the water's surface as you rock from side to side. The Side Imaging will record the sturred up water that your paddle makes if the transducer is on the back. You will see each paddle stroke recorded. I don't have a screen shot of that, but I have seen one posted somewhere.

This is the HDSI transducer on a Motor Guide trolling motor.

A Side Imaging transducer is larger than what your Pmax has. The Compact SI transducer is about 4" long and 2 3/4" wide. The HDSI transducer is about 6" long and 3" wide. The 300, 500, 600, 700 series and the current 800 series comes with the Compact SI transducer. The older 800 series and 900 and 1100 series comes with the HDSI transducer. You cannot use it for shoot-thru so you will have to invent some attachment system that allows the Side Imaging beams to "see" left and right. The Side Imaging pulses "see" from the water's surface to past vertrical under the transducer on both sides. At a minumum, the whole transducer has to be below the bottom of the hull or you will loose some range in shallow depths on the side the hull is on. At the very front or back of your yak would be the best places. Also being centered on the hull, the rocking motion you do when paddling will not be as "disturbing" as if on the side.

Reels have the amount of line that it will hold in several mono equivelent diameters. It refers to capacity only, not any line breaking strength rating.

Fish standing on the front seat and if you feel comfortable doing that, go for it. The forward section of your boat is narrower than the rearward section--not as stable. I used to have a 1032 jon boat. No way would I put an elevated platform in that.

I use Side Imaging at the console and bow. It is a search tool and a fishing tool.

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The Elite-7 HDI. That is the one that does not have "X" in the model number.

How great is what??? The size of displayed subjects with Side Imaging, Side Scan, SideVu, and SideView is based on the range setting. Unlike the down looking imaging and regular 2D sonar which is based on the depth. The images scroll from the top of the screen to the bottom of the screen. With all of them set to the same range, the wider the screen, the larger a subject will be displayed. For a less costly model, the new Humminbird Helix 5 Side Imaging unit would be a better choice than the 698. Those models are due to be released in December.

The 698ci HD SI Combo has a narrower display than the two units it replaced: 598ci HD SI Combo and 798ci HD SI Combo. What you do not want with Side Imaging or any side looking imaging product is a narrow screen. BIGGER is better certainly applies to that technology.

You need to read the specs on that unit if you want GPS/mapping. You may prefer the Elite-7 HDI (without the X)

It was mid 50's this morning and windy (10-15 mph). Stayed windy all day and temp got up to about 70 this afternoon. Water temp 64-67. Only caught 22 bass with several presentations.

My "loyalty" is to my wallet. Whatever company has the best price for the stuff I want when I want it gets my business.

BTW, I don't fish at speeds between 3 and 5 mph and I use Side Imaging while I am fishing. I have a Side Imaging unit at the bow with at Side Imaging transducer on my trolling motor. I fish some electric-only waters and only take my bow unit to those. The screen shots in this thread were done with the bow unit. There is a trolling motor puck version of the Compact SI transducer (XTM 9 SI 180 T). The HDSI transducer has two versions, the transom model is the XHS 9 HDSI 180 T and the trolling motor version is the XTM 9 HDSI 1890 T. The transducers are the same, just the mount is different. I use the Transducer Shield and Saver mount for the trolling motor since it is sturdier than the Humminbird TM bracket: Humminbird Side Imaging is a search tool and a fishing tool. It takes no special settings to have both, just knowledge of how to fully operate the unit.

I have seen the 3-5 I have seen the 3-5 statement used several times. That is why I have the mythbusting screen shots. For fishing purposes where only real time data is beneficial (not history) you can be sitting still and get usable images to keep up with schooling fish. All you do is turn the trolling motor with a Side Imaging transducer attached to do the scanning. I did that a lot. Now with the 360, it does that for me.

Going between zero and 1 mph is moving. Humminbirds can be adjusted to record clear history in that speed range.

Your 3-5 mph statement may apply to Lowrance Structure Scan. Humminbirds are not speed dependant for good images since they are adjustable. I use Side Imaging while I am fishing using an electric motor for positioning/navigating..

My wacky rig equipment for finesse and Trick worms is medium and medium heavy spinning rods (I use several brands in the 6' to 6'-6" lengths) and Shimano 2500 reels. I prefer the higher gear ratios for presentations involving using the rod for lure movement rather than the reel. Every one has superline in 6# or 8# mono equivelent diameters (mostly the 8#). I add about 4' of 20# fluorocarbon line for weight sometimes to make the superline sink a little faster. If I wacky a stick bait, I use baitcasting gear with similar rods and the same line.

Set the screen scroll speed number close to the GPS speed number. Use a SI range setting at 3 times the depth for the best detail for depths more than 10'. For shallower depths, set the range to 40-50'. Choose a SI color that you can see the best according to the ambient light. Imaging is a scanning function, you have to be moving so the imaging pulses can scan. You have the highest resolution display in the industry, it should show what is "down there" if you operate it properly. Post a picture of your transducer installation.

YES DualPro chargers are separate chargers in a cabinet

The sonar logs just add contours to the Sonar Charts map layer. The Navionics Nautical Charts are not altered with contour lines from user generated logs. Sometimes the zero line is changed if the shoreline is not accurate and some of your recorded tracks/trails are shown on land.

The joint lessens the leverage that the fish has to throw it. Some of them just have a joint without the split ring. Those are for fishing around grass.