Grapevine is the main lake i fish and I'm just a hack fisherman but glad to share what I have found. Good sized whites were hitting well in evenings near the marina in twin coves up until about two weeks ago. Now they seem to have moved on although I have picked up some decent whites right at dusk on bottom in the creek channel in the trees.

If we could ever get a break from the wind, I had great luck working little george's and 1/4 ounce jigs by the dam around this time last year. Tried to get out there today but the wind was really howling so I gave up early with only a few small ones to show for it.

OT. Jeff, I have a humminbird 787c2 with the GPS but didn't get the side image add on. Sounds like you are a big fan of it. You feel it is a must have even for a weekend angler or more of a pro tool?

A must have? Absolutely not. I spent many a year catching lots of fish without one and there are some great fish being caught every day and those guys/girls have never even heard of a Side Image.

Like most of our modern day electronics, the SI is a toy. Nothing more. Nothing less. It just so happens that this toy is the greatest thing invented since the hook.

Make no mistake that the SI does not help you catch more fish. It doesn't equate equally to more fish in the boat. But it can. Because what it does is help elminate unproductive water and a greater rate.

If you consider the example I gave above, I elminated fishless water much faster than if I didn't have it. If you consider the area that you are able to scan with the side image vs a regular 2D sonar, everyone has to agree that if you are scanning a wider area, you can scan an entire area much faster.

That eliminates water that is not holding fish or is holding fish that aren't active.

Now days I can motor past a hump and say "there are no fish here" or "these fish are not active" or "these fish are willing to bite" and make a decision on what to do.
Rather than going back and forth over a hump to make sure I get a good picture of it and check every inch of it.

Things just happen a lot faster when you have the side image. In that sense, you should spend more time with your bait in the water where the fish are and less time just hauling water.

For the weekend angler or for the pro? I'm no pro by any stretch. But I'd much rather spend my time on the water bringing fish in over the side than hunting them. If a person can afford the investment of just a "toy", I highly recommend it rather they are a weekender or a pro.

PS Oldrock...welcome to the TFF.

Man, I cant even get out on the lake with these crazy winds we have been having. I have been playing it really safe. Hopefully by the time I get back, the fish will still be biting. Whenever the winds die down. One day, hopefully!

jeff, thanks for the info and sounds like the side view is more of a time saver than anything else. makes sense and I need to put that on my wish list.

Infamous, I am with you on the wind. I am really wanting to get back to my sand bass chasing but the winds are crazy. I tried it saturday but it was waaaay too windy to really do any fishing. Maybe winds will die down this week (I hope!). If so, I think I am going to go try the bubbles and see what happens.