I am looking at fish finders and am torn between the Lowrance Elite-7 Broadband Combo w/83/200 T/M Transducer 000-10968-001, which I can buy for $524, including tax and shipping and the Humminbird 598ci HD SI Fishfinder GPS Combo, which costs $700 + tax.

A big advantage for me for the Lowrance is the 7" display screen but it does not provide SI.

So my question is does SI make enough difference in crappie fishing that it is worth sending an additional $200 it would cost me to buy it. Especially since it has a much smaller screen than the Lowrance.

I would appreciate any advice available about both units.

Thanks,

Ed

Yes.

In my opinion SI makes all the difference in the world for Crappie fishing. You use the SI to locate brushpiles and other structure that you otherwise would have to drive over the top of in order to see them. On another note I would not waste your money on the small unit with SI for the screen is to small and will be hard to detect any structure. I would save more money and wait to get at least an HB898 which will have an 8 inch screen. I bought the HB797 when it first came out and would rather use it as a bouy anchor cause I couldn't see anything with it. Again this is just my opinion.

It absolutely makes a difference!! Save up a little more and get one... you will be surprised how many more places you find!

I agree. If I had to choose which to be without, side imaging or down imaging, it's a no brainer. I would take side imaging all day long.

My next graph on my lil boat w be the HB down imagining. Its just too damn cool. I want that lil $500 graph. Too good a deal

Plus #1. Being New to Crappie fishing I can honestly say that a boat that has "SI" can locate sunken structure and fish much better than a boat with a plane graph.

Yes side imaging is definitely worth the extra money. If you plan on fishing just a couple of local lakes the smaller screen might be acceptable for $700 provided you can look at one side at a time. If you plan on fishing new water often a bigger screen and taking advantage if looking out both sides of the boat with a bigger screen is definitely a plus. If you split an 8" screen you get a small image of both sides anyway. I can imagine how small the left and right image is on a 5" screen. So if your budget allows spend the extra on the bigger screen.

I have an inexpensive HB DI unit. Hasn't kept me off the fish but I spend a lot more time looking than when I've fished with guys who have the side scan units. If I'm fishing a lake I know well and fish often I manage to find new structure on occasion just using the down imaging. So I've got 8 or so locations marked on those lakes.

Next boat and future electronics will both be larger and more expensive. Good luck with your purchase!

Thanks to everybody who responded.

I guess I will go with the 5" Hummingbird screen then rather than the 7" screen I wanted.

I can't see paying over $1000 for a fish finder. $700 is a stretch. It's not that I can't afford to pay, I just can't see paying that much for a fish finder. And I don't want to wait for the newer models since I want one to install the day I pick up the new boat.

I know I could find a fish finder cheaper if I did not get a combo model but I want the GPS and graph functions as well.

I will go back to academy and look at them again. Maybe I can talk myself into buying the 798ci HD SI Combo. Scratch the 798. It only has a 5" screen. So I would need the 898 and that is a serious piece of change for a fish finder. But I doubt anything else will satisfy me.

Thanks again to all those who responded.

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If you primarily fish a single lake then the side imaging is probably not worth it because you will find most of the structure eventually. (especially if you build it)

If you fish multiple lakes then the side imaging can help you locate things quicker.

I mainly went to side imaging for tourney fishing as it makes me more efficient at locating structure but on my home lakes I haven't found a lot more stuff with it just prettier pictures.

My requirement for a graph is at least 320 x 320 pixels...480 x 480 preferred.

I have we'll over 1,200 structures marked and keep looking for more! Listen to FF, you won't regret his recommendations.

Thanks for your advice.

I will be limited to Joe Pool or Benbrook Lake, depending on where I keep the boat. I prefer Joe Pool as it is closer but if slips are not available I will go to Benbrook, as they told me they had plenty of slips due to the current low levels at Benbrook.

I am no longer able to launch boats so I need to keep it in a slip where I can just walk into it, remove the tie ropes and use it.

An old guy who was the best hunter and woodsman I ever knew once gave me some great advice when buying a deer rifle: don't go cheap on the scope. If u can't see your target and shoot with accuracy you're wasting time. I think that same principle applies here. Get the best you can afford and listen to what some of these ripe ol guys and gals say here.

I've pretty much 'run the trap' on electronics from the Lowrance green box to the (now) Lowrance HDS10, and it's no question that in this case, BIGGER IS BETTER. Small screen graphs are a waste of money, as you just can't see what you bought the thing to see in the first place. I now have the aforementioned HDS10 (10" screen) on the console and a Lowrance X-112 (10 1/2' screen) on the bow....and if they make bigger, I'll probably buy it. You mentioned that you will probably buy the HB 5". If you do, you can expect a clean, sharp picture of the bottom and good clarity on brushpiles (if they're big enough), but don't expect to find 'hard to find' piles, trees, condos, etc. Just my

I have an elite 7. When I bought it, like you I bought the $500 one...word of advice here...the 500 only comes with the 83/200 transducer which only gives you standard sonar...no down scan...in order to get the downscan, you will have to buy a down scan transducer (455/800) which is about another 100-120...which brings you up to nearly 700...

Reason I know this is that is exactly what I did...I saw the elite 7 for 5 and change and bought it on the spot...then when I got home and started reading on the package...and the instructions...I realized there was no down scan capability without the DS xducer...

Side scan is another thing...the elite 7 does not have side scan capability and you would have to step up (higher price) to another unit...

For fishing only one or two lakes, the elite 7 is a great piece of equipment...and as has been said, if you fish a lot of lakes, you probably would want side scan...