Northwest Fishing Reports

I'm thinking of buying a 998 side imaging sonar unit but its quite an investment and would like to hear some real world input.does it work as well as advertised.will my my outboard shaft interfere with the seemingly wide broadcast angle any info will be very much appreciated

Well, that's not what I was hoping for. I was thinking about buying one myself. But all I have to go on now is the Pro Fishermen who are being paid for it. LOL

So you see where I'm coming from

As far as does it work goes, I had the Humminbird 797c2 with side imaging on my last boat. It worked great. However the transducer was on the trolling motor. I have no experience with it being mounted at the transom, but I will soon have that experience. I plan to buy the 899ci hd si and install it at the transducer at the transom. I have done a bunch of research on the internet and been in contact with Humminbird and feel like I know exactly how and where to mount it to keep the motor from interfering.

I have a 1198 si. I fished with it all last summer. I think it is most beneficial for identifying structure. There are times though when you can pick up fish to your side. Honestly, I find myself using the down imaging more than the side. It does give you one more reference to look at when you are trying to identify something under your boat.

For example, is the sonar showing a stack of fish? You check the down imaging and it is obviously a tree or bush submerged. Time to bring gear up. Cool. Yes. Save gear? Yes. Now, look under a dock and see bass. Really cool. Look next to that tree with the side imaging and you can see the fish. You know where not to throw a lure or the depth to troll over cover holding fish.

I have been talking to people that have had better luck (more experience). Most like it when they learn how to use it. I definitely think one fish finder on the boat should have SI if you have two. I would recommend the DI for sure though if cost is an issue.

I had a lowrance that showed fish everywhere. To the point of not trusting it. When the 1198 showed a fish it was a fish. You could chase depth and do very well. I mounted my own with the transducer on the transom and didn't have any issues. If you search youtube there is a walleye guy that shows how to mount the transducer. If you can't find it I will send you a link. He used a small board and attached all his transducers to it so you could adjust them without putting more holes in your boat. Great idea. It worked well for me.

Hope that helps.

MH

They make plastic boards for the purpose of mounting transducers to so you don't have to put lots of holes in the transom and can adjust the transducer over to the side a few inches and such and those extra holes won't be in your boat. You can get the plastic boards from Bass Pro Shops and Cabella's.

As Mharri333 said, down imaging did seem to be a clearer look at things. With the correct unit, you can explore with side imaging and mark the structure that you want to fish over. Once you have that waypoint marked you can move to it and fish in, over, and around it. I plan to have the 899 at the helm and another gps type unit at the bow. Once I locate good structure I will move to it using the unit on the helm, then mark it with the bow unit so I can pinpoint it using the trolling motor. I didn't do this enough with my last boat. You can bet I will with this one!

Good luck

Just connect the console and bow units with the ethernet cable and when you set a waypoint on the console and then go up to the front of the boat and turn on the unit, the new waypoint will appear on the bow unit. All waypoints will show up, as well as the boat's track.

AMX,
Thanks for the info. Once I get the units bought and installed, I'll do that!!

Sometimes when I find a rock or 3 on the bottom in deep water by snagging the jig or dropshot in the rocks I have to move the boat to the other side of the rocks to get the weight loose. But I'll stop right over the rocks with the fishing line as vertical as I can tell, and then I'll set a waypoint and label it as 'rocks'. I've found a few rocks that way that don't show up on the down scan. I've come back to those little rocks and caught fish there.