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Originally Posted by XxthejuicexX
For you guys with SI and DI units if you find something thats looks fishy do you fish it even if you cannot see any fish returns? I found a bunch of trees and brush Saturday morning but did not fish all of it because I did not see many fish returns.... I am also still learning what to look for with the Hbird unit. With he HDS units it seems like fish just jump off the page more to me. I ask this because I was watching some hook and look videos where they were using SI and DI to scan structure before diving to compare the images and while diving where showing a good amount of fish that was not shown on the sonar screen. Saturday I fished East fork and caught 3 keeper crappie along with some shorts, 5 bass and a drum while scanning for stricture. I lost a crappie at the yak that had to be 16" It was almost as wide as a dinner plate. I have to stop laying rods on my net !
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Many people have asked the same question....and the answers can be complicated. Do you use fish ID when using the 2d portion of your sonar? Now many people will poo poo that but in a post I read from Wayne Purdum.....who is a well known bass guy and HB guru.....that discussed the HB fish ID and why it is different from other sonars. The algorithm is very good at picking out an air bladder and triggering a fish ID mark. Wayne P had a tree he would pass by every time he launched at a lake. Many times the di and si would show no fish....... he would switch to 2d and use fish ID and sometimes two or three fish symbols popped up and he would fish the tree and catch a couple of bass. You can scan a bush from one direction and not see any fish....scan it from another and it may show fish. That is why if I see structure and am able to scan it at another approach...angle...I will do it. No matter the brand of sonar you can scan at a certain angle on the fish and it not show. When using an HB si unit you really need to tune it every time you get on the water. It takes me about a total of 2 minutes to get it setup for the lake that day. Fished Center Hill yesterday and had some great images of Spotted bass feeding by the hundreds on thousands of shad in 60 feet of water....was too busy trying catch all I could to get a snap shot. Even though....IMHO....these si units will miss the occasional fish most of the time they are telling you what is down there. A good example was yesterday on the Hill. We started out in Florida Branch and fished it for about an hour and a half. Didn't get a tap even from a bluegill....the si unit was showing nothing. Roy and I headed to Mine Lick Creek and as I slowed down to start scanning I saw fish.....we started catching fish. Every spot we caught fish they were showing on my unit. I may fish structure that doesn't show fish but my rule of thumb is to scan until I find fish. But having used this unit in a kayak for a year you only want to paddle so far and I understand fishing a spot that may not show fish but does show structure. I know that God willing I will never fish without an si unit of some form on my boat. Headed back Tuesday for some more of those Spots and crappie.
Regards