Side Scan?

[summersoff]

I’m new the the fish finder game, but after a couple seasons of fluking and needing to know the drops, I have become a convert. Needing a new for the new yak, and hearing a bunch about side scan. Just curious, do I need it, are you using it, what water depth have you found it useful and not?
Thanks

[Memory Maker]

A regular only shows a very small round picture below ………. side scan makes that circle up to 100 feet each side and can even give you a picture of the fish/structure. Check out all the YouTube videos ……….. Yakfish has a great video demonstrating this. Do you need it? No …….. as you know, a depth finder is not necessary for fishing but it will help you find fish and structure …….. over a 100’ view is definitely a plus.

[dsaavedra]

I was in the market for a new fish finder last March and was on the fence about side scan. I was originally planning to just get down scan since that's what my old fish finder had and I got by just fine. But side scan was only a $100 upgrade and I figured I've already sunk this much cash into the new Hobie and getting it outfitted, I might as well spring for side scan. I'm still learning how to use/interpret it and admittedly I haven't used it a ton but I am trying to make an effort to use it each trip now so I can get more familiar with it. I do know that it excels in shallower water where traditional 2D sonar can be limited. 2D sonar will show you what's in a cone directly below the boat, and in shallow water the base of this cone can be quite narrow (roughly 1/3 the water depth is a general rule of thumb I've read). Like Memory Maker said, side scan allows you to see out a good distance on either side of the boat and see things your 2D wouldn't show you.

Thus far I have used my side scan to locate the edge of grass beds (when you see grass on one side of the side scan output but not the other side you know you're in a good spot), I've used it to find oyster beds and get detailed pictures of other submerged structure. I used it to find my stack of 10 collapsible crab traps that fell out of the kayak when some jackass in a john boat threw a huge wake in a small creek (the side scan literally paid for it self during this incident - those traps cost over $160). I've also seen suspended bait and fish with the side scan but haven't yet noticed any increased catch rate as a result... it's more of an observation.

Overall I'm glad I have it and I want to learn to utilize it better. I know it is a primary tool in Alan Battista's (Yakfish) arsenal.

Here's a picture of what oyster mounds in 5 feet of water look like on side scan and 2D sonar. If you look closely at the 2D panel you can see fish suspended over the mounds, pretty neat. I suspect that some of the bright yellow dots you see on the side scan that are otherwise surrounded by shadow are also suspended fish.

20210909_215241.jpg

[ronaultmtd]

Definitely...love mine...but don't go small screen...minimum for me is a 7 inch screen...

[Slobber Bob]

I run side scan a lot whenever I do decide to bring my fish finder out with me. I can't say it helps me identify fish in shallow water, especially fish like specks and schoolies, but it is pretty dang awesome at giving me a visual on the bottom showing where rocks and sand meet, where grass beds and there edges are, finding oyster beds, and it points out any channels or holes that might be on a flat.

It's also helps me put a few more bull reds in the kayak in the spring when you have to search vast areas of open, sandy bottom looking for schools. It makes knowing when and where to cast a lot easier.
Here is what a school of reds in the 45 - 50" class looks like on side scan.
S00003.jpg

I don't think I'd buy another unit unless it had side scan ability.

[summersoff]

Thanks fellas, it sounds like it will be perfect for what I want to use it for, which will be moving along the bank hitting the outflow creeks. I’m hoping to reduce the dead water casting. Being able to detect oyster beds will be key.
If you don’t mind, which ones are you using/like?
Thanks

[ronaultmtd]

For simplicity of use without attending a four year college course in computer language programming...Lowrance Hook2 Reveal would be my choice...

[summersoff]

For simplicity of use without attending a four year college course in computer language programming...Lowrance Hook2 Reveal would be my choice...

You had me at ‘Simplicity’. I’m awful at fish finders, and the easier the better.

Sorry for the follow-up, but with side scans, do you need to mount the transducer lower, and not in a recessed hull mounting area? Or are you forced to use an overhang arm?
Thanks

[Hemingway]

Jay, I have an older Revo with a new side scan. The puck does need to protrude slightly on the bottom of the hull. Berkeley Pro makes a protective cover plate that you should get. I no longer baby the boat, and oyster shells and concrete ramps are the norm for where I fish. The plate does a great job.

[ronaultmtd]

Plus one on the Berley Pro Total Scan transduce cover made for Hobies...I use them on my Hobies...great product.

[dsaavedra]

You had me at ‘Simplicity’. I’m awful at fish finders, and the easier the better.

Sorry for the follow-up, but with side scans, do you need to mount the transducer lower, and not in a recessed hull mounting area? Or are you forced to use an overhang arm?
Thanks

I also have a 7" Lowrance Hook Reveal and second it's simplicity and ease of use. From what I've read, Lowrance does not have the best side scanning capabilities in the industry (the high-end Humminbirds win this prize I think) but the Hook2 Reveal was in the budget I wanted to spend, has all the features I wanted, and I was already familiar with the Lowrance user interface from my old unit so it was very easy for me to pick the thing up and start using right away. 99% of the time you can just leave it with all of the "auto" settings and you'll be good to go. In fact I think the only settings I have manually changed from auto in the 7 months I've been using it are setting the side scan to a fixed frequency of 800 mHz (this provides a sharper image at the expense of decreased range) and I set a fixed range for the side scan simply because I did not like how "choppy" the image was when it was set to auto range and the image would expand or shrink every time the depth changed a couple feet.

Side scan does need to have unobstructed line of sight from the transducer out to the sides of the boat. Mounting it in the hull obviously won't work at all, but mounting it in a recess under the hull may work depending on how deeply recessed it is. This is because the side scan beam does not shoot out a full 180° side to side, it is angled slightly down from the horizon on each side, how much depends on the make/model. So in a shallow recess it might still have a clear view of the water it is actually scanning. My Outback has a retractable plate that the transducer mounts to so you can drop it down in the water when you're using it and pull it back up into a recessed slot in the hull when you're not. Sometimes I forget to drop the transducer down when I'm using side scan function and I only notice a slight difference in the image when I do finally remember to drop it down.

[Huntrava]

If you can learn to use traditional sonar, you can learn Side Imaging. In many ways I think it's more intuitive.

I upgraded to the Garmin 73SV last year, and I'd certainly buy it again. As other SLers have mentioned, the transducer has to sit below the hull, so take that into consideration. The Berkely Pro transducer cover will mostly protect the bump-out, but I cracked my cover last year after hitting a rock on the river. Ended up fixing the cover with some JB Weld, but learned my lesson regardless: the SI transducers require a little more care since they're more exposed.

Chasing bait balls or suspended fish with Side Imaging is where the money is. With traditional sonar you have to get right over them, which often spooks the fish unless you're drop-shotting deep. In contrast, with a little bit of practice, you can use side imaging to detect the bait balls or suspended fish on either side, then cast to them while circling to keep them on your screen. It takes a while understanding precisely where your sonar is on your yak (right behind me on a PA12), the slight delay, and how to read the screen, but once you get it dialed-in you'll have a great time.