788CI - any final thoughts before I buy...

[BigEbass]

I already have the 998 on my console....Have only gotten to use it 10 or so times so far since getting it so far (had a baby ) - but I now want a bow mounted sounder/GPS as it will make transition easier - mark my spot or spots in an area on the console - then pull those waypoints up on my bow (interlinked with my 998) and hopefully that will be a bit easier for me now - particularly this winter as I start targeting some bass stacked up, spot, and perhaps some crappie....want to learn some veriticle techniques so the bow unit should help with that I suppose - want to learn to fish for suspended fish this winter using these tactics, hopefully this will help.....plus its xmas and I need another toy

Any final thoughts before I use up my xmas budget on this item....??

Also a quick sideline question....please give me a few pointers on good lures/techniques for these suspended graph fish - ice jig I hear is a good one for this....a spoon (any specific one you all suggest I start with?), or a jig (again a specific one appreciated)..

My last two winters fishing with my neighbor, he still largely beat the banks with crankbaits....I hope to move off and find these stacks of fish and coax em to bite with other methods if needed

[Wayne P.]

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.

[BigEbass]

wayne, I thought of that, but you know, I scout out the spots using my side imagine 998 at the console, mark the spots, then I can easily track the waypoint down with the 788 and save a few hundred bucks...I would like to have the DI on the bow unit, but I already have it on the console - not sure it is a huge benefit added as well to the bow...it would be nice though - bottom line at the moment is that my budget doesnt allow the 798....I blew my load on the 998 already....

[bowfish12]

Cabelas has the 798 on sale right now for 699 with free shipping.

That's not a bad deal.

[Dam Yankee]

I have 2 798's on my boat. I used to have a 788 and sold it when I bought these two last year and like a dummy I let my map card go with it. Everyone has a personal preference and if I had to do it all over I would not buy anything with a preloaded map. I would buy the map card instead. Much more detailed. My O2.

[BigEbass]

Still my question remains to everyone....the side imaging functionality seems alot less useful from up on the bow I would think if you already have one on the console you use to meander around and find your spots in detail....once Ive scanned a given area behind the wheel, side imaging from the bow is less of a concern I would think?? 

How do you all use your bow side imaging functionality to your advantage?  Just thinking out loud, but if you even plan on using side imaging on the front while fishing say some deep structur suspended fish, you would have to share the side imaging on the screen - it would compete with my map and with my traditional sonar - and even with down imaging.....The pros ive seen have a couple units on the front so they got more leeway to have more views available...

Also thinking out loud, I can already turn my 998 on the console around with side imaging active as I sit at the bow and peak at it if I need to to achieve a similar thing...

I just am not sure the side imaging on the bow will add anything to the strategy...??

[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

[Glenn]

Still my question remains to everyone....the side imaging functionality seems alot less useful from up on the bow I would think if you already have one on the console you use to meander around and find your spots in detail....once Ive scanned a given area behind the wheel, side imaging from the bow is less of a concern I would think??

How do you all use your bow side imaging functionality to your advantage? Just thinking out loud, but if you even plan on using side imaging on the front while fishing say some deep structur suspended fish, you would have to share the side imaging on the screen - it would compete with my map and with my traditional sonar - and even with down imaging.....The pros ive seen have a couple units on the front so they got more leeway to have more views available...

Also thinking out loud, I can already turn my 998 on the console around with side imaging active as I sit at the bow and peak at it if I need to to achieve a similar thing...

I just am not sure the side imaging on the bow will add anything to the strategy...??

A LOT of people used to think the same thing about GPS units when they first came out.

[Jig Man]

I don't run Birds but do run side imaging.  I just sold my regualr gps units and have a new side imaging unit coming for the bow.  I hate to sit up there and have the guy in the back using side or down scan and I have only 2d sonar.

I think in a few years we may see 2d sonar go the way of the horse and buggy.

[BigEbass]

For now due to budget constraints I bought the 788 for the bow....I have side imaging on the back for searching out spots.  The wife would agree to the 788, but not 300+ dollars more at this point - Ive streteched my fishing spending to the brink this year with these electronics....but need a bow unit to track structure marked and jig and spoon up some suspended bass this winter

I am psyched still though cause my GPS waypoints can interlink up with my GPS/sonar on the bow for easier fishing plus I can still rotate my side imaging back to view as I go along if needed (although that is more of a hassel I agree) - but overall I am pleased with my setup though - will think about adding an additional unit to the bow later perhaps when I free up my fun budget!

[BigEbass]

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 do that with my current side imaging as well already and have been doing it since I got it.mark it and perhaps a few other possible spots and go back and cast only before now I would have had to look back at my old unit rotated around to track the GPS waypoint or mark said spot with a buoy.

I can check directly ahead of the boat as I fish and can avoid running over fish or structure to see them.

Well, side imaging cannot see ahead of the boat you still have to run past structure and fish to see them - in the case of a bow mounted side imaging unit you are seeing structure and fish laterally and will only see them as you pass BY them.you can avoid spooking the fish when finding good structure to fish cause you don't have to run directly over a brush pile or creek channel to pick out the structure that fact is true wither mounted on the bow or from the transom (although perhaps to some degree you are more stealthy when using side imaging with trolling motor).  But you cannot check directly ahead of the boat with side imaging what you see is what you have passedbut when you see stuff 40 feet laterally, it still allows you to mark the spot and return to fish it via means of any GPS tracking or a buoy.

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,

You can achieve this same result via marking GPS waypoints from the steering wheel.side imagining on the front while hunkered down on this spot becomes less useful?

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.

Again, I already have side imaging and I can do this as well from behind the wheel..granted, my signal return is delayed to allow the transom to pass the docks, but is there any real difference you get the same information in the end ie is there fish marked under these docksyou get your information about 2 seconds earlier than me, but it is still AFTER you pass the spot with the trolling motor, which will still mean you may have to turn around

Keeping up with schooling bass is a lot easier with SI as well as finding the shad schools as I am fishing

That's why I have side imaging already I have been able to find schools of shad and crappie its awesomeit would be nice one day to have side imaging on the front as well to quickly reference as I fish an area to also pick up any of this such information, for now I will have to look over my shoulder still at my side imaging unit from time to see such information

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.

You certainly have a point here.but for now my budget will keep my neck sore if I need to reference my side imaging data as I fish in real time..but even in my current setup with only the one unit, my neck feels fine [ch61514] - its always my shoulder from cranking that acts up hate it!  And really, I may be wrong about this, but I feel that side imaging data once a pass has been made on an area is a bit less useful at that point at that point I am now focusing on presentation presentation, presentation.

I think the ideal setup will be to have my 998 at the steering wheel.788 at the frontand later to have perhaps a 798 or another 998 on the front to give more latitude and luxury that you speak of wayne.for now, my current setup makes it difficult to find my spots from the bow now I can.  It also is impossible to present a vertical lure or other lures on deeper structure or to a suspended fish with my current setup now I can much more easily.  The additional benefit of side imaging on the bow will have to wait, but honestly, I am not all that sold yet on its benefits on the bow..

I certainly do not think that traditional sonar will lose its place in fishing electronicseventually I suppose that side imaging will be a standard on all units perhaps, but plain old sonar gives a unique ability to track bottom detail, structure, and especially fish better in its own waysdown imaging is awesome, but not as good for marking fish suspended in many situations less coverage  - it certainly is better at discerning types of structure and even finding fish on structure, but its coverage is very narrow.all of these tools are used together and in different ways I think.

[Wayne P.]

BigEbass, obviously you have lot more to learn with that technology. YES, I can check directly in front of the boat and every compass degree with SI on the trolling motor. I do it all the time. I check 360 degrees all around the boat while I am fishing. All it takes is to turn the trolling motor at slow steady pace and watch the display. Simple, easy, and effective.

It woks so well, that I will be putting a 1198c SI HD on my trolling motor when it gets shipped. The bigger screen will be easier to see while standing than the 798ci SI that I use now and switch between the console and bow.

Have you heard of Doug Vahrenberg, pro angler on the Humminbird Pro Staff?

You may want to check out his preference for SI location on his boat on some of the Side Imaging forums.

Down Scan-only units are being marketed by Lowrance, so evidently they think it will replace 2D. I don't agree with that but it's here for the 2011 models.

[BigEbass]

huh, that would be crazy to rotate it around on the trolling motor axis....intersting, hadnt thought of that, although come to think of it that is I suppose how it would work - seems like the image that you would get back when rotating it would be difficult to interpret? I think I need like a course in using this unit, so much potential!

hmm, thats interesting about lowrance...can you verticle jig for suspended bass on the down imaging - ie see your lure, the fish, all that jazz?  isnt the area of coverag different for down scan than 2d - hard to believe they are phasing out 2d, but as you said, this technology is quite all new to me...

[Wayne P.]

A guy in South Africa is testing the DS unit and posted this:

[BigEbass]

couldnt get the link to work?

[Wayne P.]

Me neither- I copied the URL from the website address:

Try one of these, the second one is where I got the link from.

http://www.thehulltruth.com/archive/t-317662.html

http://www../bass-fishing-forum/index.php?topic=82007.0

Edited: I entered the second link again and tested it, BUT when I re-read my post, this site had shortened the link and it won't work without the complete URL. There are missing letters between the .. after www

I'll send you the complete link via PM