In yall's opinion. How crucial is side imaging to locating crappie?

Very critical, as well as finding Structure... same with Live scope slow troll and find fish or structure that are Not Right under your boat. what is everyday when you went out with normal Sonar or Down image and you saw nothing, yet they were just 30-70 feet to your right or left... enough said. lol Just my two cents..

Very crucial. Got to have it IMO.

I am looking for a used graph with SI for around $400.00
My Helix 5 Sonar GPS and Garmin Echo 550C just isn't cutting it

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Garmin-Striker-Plus-7sv-CHIRP-Sonar-ClearVu-SideVu-Transducer/362890518847?epid=5030528207&hash=item547df5e13f:g:lSEAAOSwMY9eKIg-

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lowrance-Hook2-7x-TripleShot-Sonar-GPS-Combo-with-Transducer-3-in-1-Sonar/293415766698?hash=item4450f14aaa:g:a14AAOSw1y1eFz-P:sc:FedExHomeDelivery!75243!US!-1

Pay $15 for Navionics app on your phone and get a car/auto mount for your phone to put on your boat.

Very crucial, side imaging shows you were they are while scanning 100' of water in a pass.

Down imaging shows you everything else once your on top of them.

Bentman, I am about to put a SI graph on my boat as well. I have a 9" Helix 2D and it doesn't do much when you are searching. I think I am going with a Helix 10 Mega. The cost is choking me, but I think I am just going to suck it up and do it anyway.

Wayne

I am getting a used Garmin echoMAP 73sv saturday

I have a 93sv+ with Livescope on the front of my boat, but searching with the poleducer deployed works but is too slow. A SI will allow you to cover a lot more area.

Wayne

SI is awesome, but dropping your own structure works good too...

I use both Si & DI in combination. SI @ the console combined with a SI unit & a DI unit up front with DI transducer on the Troll motor. Does anyone else do it like this? It works for me

Installed a Humminbird Helix 9" Mega SI on console with a transom mounted transducer, then put a Garmin 93+ SV UHD on the bow w/ both Livescope and SideVu/DownVu on a Poleducer on the bow. When looking for areas to fish start by making a pass with the Helix to identify areas / fish, then move to the bow and use the Garmin. When using the trolling motor I switch between SideVU and Livescope as needed to move in on structure & fish. So far it's worked real well. It's amazing what I was missing using just down imaging.

No, I use Side Imaging at both locations since I want to see "other there" at both places. I rarely even use a Down Imaging view.
SI shows the exact same thing as DI, just more of it.

So do I. But I still use my DI to zero in on whats under the the troll motor before I drop a marker buoy.