So I can't win a tournament without this???? Blasphemy I quit!!!

You won't believe all the detail you see with side imaging. You will easily be able to see a creek channel and channel bends, underwater timber, standing and lying down, underwater bridges, brush piles, etc. Lots of detail. Well worth it.

When you first get it you will spend a lot of time just looking at all the stuff down there that you were never able to see before without all the detail.

No doubt...worth every penny if your serious about fishing...

yes. Lowrance and humminbird both have excellent units.

Yep they have had it a long time.

As far as is it worth it. My first time to prove it was worth the money was on Rayburn, idled across a point and there is what looks like a bait ball out to the side of the boat, go back throw a marker, catch 4 bass in 5 casts. Nothing else around on the surface. I would never have found them if I had not seen it on my Humminbird SI.

When you buy one, bring someone out with you because you will be staring at it instead of where you're going. I had a friend with me to let me know that I was about to hit the beach many times. It is my best investment.

IMO its the only way to become a consistently
Successful deep water fisherman. I don't just use it forgo find structure either. Many times I have idled over a long wide point with very little
Cover to see a school of fish chasing bait. It may not even be on the top of the point. They could 100 yds off the bank on deep side of Point. I know for certain I would have never even of thought to fish that spot on that point without SI.

So what I am trying to say is Yes it is well worth it..
But like others have said you need to take the time to learn how
To use it. There is a board on BBC about SI that really
Helped me to learn how to user units better

I would like to say sidescan has improved my fishing 100%..but I can't afford one so ill just blame the lack of sidescan instead of fishing skill

Yes. only if you take the time to use it properly

I'm always surprised when you get a shot of their graph during tournament coverage how many only have the 2d running....

Sorry to be the downer here, and I don't mean any disrepect but, anyone who has spent $1,000 plus on electronics is going to justify their purchase and say it's worth it.

I just placed 1st and got big bass in a 28-man tournament on Saturday and many of the guys had side imagaing and I just have a Lowrance LCX-27 and a Lowrance 520C.

Do I think it has some advantages...yes. $2,000 worth, not in my opinion.

No doubt it helps any angler.... Being able to understand what you are fishing is a big deal.

its like any other tool on your boat, if you use it to its full potential ..it has the ability to help you catch fish.

yes you can win tournaments without it. but if you hop lakes and fish new water its a great way to cover a lot of water quickly. and fish the spots that dont get as much pressure from the bank beaters. (just for the record i also like to beat the bank)

dr

Do you have to have SI to catch fish? No.
Can you find fish without SI? Yes.
Can you fish and win/place club tourny's? Absoulutly.
Will SI help you to find more and larger groupings of fish faster? You better believe it will!!!!!

I found and caught fish for the better part of 35 years without it but SI has opened up a whole new world in the fishing industry. If its not worth the money to you then so be it, I'm sure its not worth it to alot of people. But make no mistake about it, I or anyone else with SI will find and see things that someone without it never, ever will.....Ever...Never.