Humminbird 997 side imager

[LennyB]

I'm considering purchasing a Humminbird 997c side imager and was hoping to get some feed back from current user. Does the unit paint a picture of the bottom like you would want it to or is it a lot of hype??? Would you purchase one again??? I plan to. use it mainly on St. Clair and Erie to locate small rocky areas, and schools of fish in the deeper sections of the lake. Can it do this effectively or is it a waste of money???

[Genie]

BUY ONE!

[VinceR]

No hype. This unit is the "real deal". The returns on "hard" items (rocks/boulders, stumps, trees, man-made debris) are extremely detailed and clear. I haven't even scratched the surface with mine, yet, and I just finished the second full year with it.

I'm really excited about the upcoming "Down-Imaging" down load that is supposed to be available in the near future. That should add another very useful dimension.

[mikesmiph]

I too am looking at getting am H-Bird Si before spring. I understand the bigger screen on the 1100's is worth the money. Any feedback on this? Everyone I have talked to loves the SI.

[Waterfoul]

How about a 997 SI with the NVB for $1700.  Anyone interested?  It's my last one.  Shipped for free.

Mike

[BryanP]

Mikesmiph--Bigger is always better when it comes to Side Imaging because it makes things easier to see.  Just think about how much info gets compressed in to a smaller screen.  That's not saying the smaller 700 series is useless, but if you can afford it go with the biggest screen you can.  I ran the 1197 at the console the past 2 seasons.  It makes the 997 I have on the bow look small!

[canvsbk]

Buy it. Period. The bigger the better but you won't be disappointed in a 798.

[Bender]

Mine has seriously taken away fishing time...In a good way. I do spend a lot of time driving around looking at stuff, it is incredible. I can guarantee that I would have really struggled on the lakes up here if it were not for the SI.
Here's a video I made, it is compressed so maybe not as clear as on the unit itself:


And here are a few pictures. Note that all of these were taken with 455Hz which shows less detail than 800. 455 has a broader beam and is better for searching for objects whereas 800 shows more detail. I didn't know that until recently so if I get a chance I'll pull some pictures from the unit soon that were taken using 800. These are all waypoints and when you are looking at a lake and moving the cursor around these pictures show up so that you can see what each waypoint is when you highlight it.

Isolated rock pile:


Fish on something, maybe a log:


Bridge submerged in Ford Lake:






Car in Ford Lake, actually I found three there:


Fish on the bottom:


The Navionics Explorer software was probably the best money I ever spent for fishing with the 997 a close second even though it was expensive.

[Mark117]

shhhhhhhhhhhhhh! don't tell everyone our little secrets???
catching bass without you is hard enough!

                                 jj sniper

[dartag]

be carefull fishing around that car.  I have heard stories about fish getting hooked swimming inside the car and rolling up the windows to cut the line.



sure would love to use one on my lake to see what is down there...

[River Rat]

How about a 997 SI with the NVB for $1700.  Anyone interested?  It's my last one.  Shipped for free.

Mike

Hey Mike, does that include the transducer?!  How about the warranty?  Not sure if I can get prior approval from "Mrs Penny-pincher" but it's worth a shot.

Scott

[Waterfoul]

Complete unit... transducer and all!!  Warranty starts when you buy it.  One year manufacturers.

[mikesmiph]

Wish I had it

[fiker]

Riding around in Bender's boat this past year I found the unit amazing.

He's right, we would spend some time cruising scoping things out.  But, when we'd see those little white indicators on the screen we'd stop and catch fish.

When I finally get my boat, I'll actually give up horsepower on the outboard to be able to afford the SI.  I don't need to scream around at high speeds, as I don't tournament fish. But, when I take my young grandson out to go fishing, I know how important it is to put him on fish quickly. 

Heck, forget the kid, I need it too.

[peters_skeeter]

With that unit, when you find a spot with that cursor, can you mark a way point and then move the boat right over the top of it?

[djkimmel]

Yes. You can mark a spot with the cursor anywhere on the screen, then go back to it. I don't have one, but I have found the opportunity to get in several boats that have them and I'm amazed by the things you can see. No doubt.

That's a log. That's a bunch of bedding bluegills. That's a tree. That's a sunken boat. That's a big rock. That's a sunken bridge and there's a log sticking out of the edge... Almost no guess work needed anymore.

[SethV]

Yes. You can mark a spot with the cursor anywhere on the screen, then go back to it. I don't have one, but I have found the opportunity to get in several boats that have them and I'm amazed by the things you can see. No doubt.

That's a log. That's a bunch of bedding bluegills. That's a tree. That's a sunken boat. That's a big rock. That's a sunken bridge and there's a log sticking out of the edge... Almost no guess work needed anymore.

I love my 997.  Way cool.  It is the real deal!  I would like the 1100 series better, but the 997 does pretty well as I also have my Lowrance 520 beside it.

[River Rat]

Complete unit... transducer and all!!  Warranty starts when you buy it.  One year manufacturers.

I talked to the Misses over the wknd and throwing around $$ figures between the 997 and the Lowrance SS to go w/ my HDS and she's mulling over the switch and she seems receptive so far.  Any idea what the cost will be for Hummingbird's "Down Imaging" and when it may be available?!

Thx,
Scott

[mikesmiph]

I heard it was going to be a free upgrade. Just download it off the internet.

[River Rat]

I heard that too, just need to 2x chk.  I was told the Lowrance SS was going to be $250 and now it's $600...