hummingbird or hds

[backseatfishergirl]

time for new electronics... cant decide whats ur opinion?
hummingbird with side imaging or lowrance hds?

[basslayer]

the new birds are hds with sideimage. You will flat out love em.

[j10b]

the new birds are hds with sideimage. You will flat out love em.

LOL.... having seen the lowrance Structure scan in action, HB has a LOOOOOT of catching up to do

[mark poulson]

If I understand it correctly, the Lowrance side imaging is a separate unit that networks with your Lowrance HD finder, so you're going to have to buy at least two units to get the package.
The Lowrance stuff looks great, but the Humminbird is great, too.
And Lowrance had the 3D down sonar, which is supposed to be amazing.
I guess it comes down to how much $ you have to spend.

[bigbass111]

not true.....

There is a software upgrade for the current HDS to make it into the structure scan (not sure on cost). You will soon be able to buy the HDS structure scan that not only looks out at side scan like hummingbird but they also have a verticle scan. And from what I have seen it does blow away the new hummingbirds. Not only is the screen clearer and more detailed you can actually idle faster and work the programs much easier.

[j10b]

not true.....

There is a software upgrade for the current HDS to make it into the structure scan (not sure on cost). You will soon be able to buy the HDS structure scan that not only looks out at side scan like hummingbird but they also have a verticle scan. And from what I have seen it does blow away the new hummingbirds. Not only is the screen clearer and more detailed you can actually idle faster and work the programs much easier.

1: You dont need the side scan when fishing a tournament
1a: you need to be at an idle to use it

2: you NEED the Downscan in a tournament. You can see the fins of a fish with it
2a YOU DO NOT need to be moving to use the downscan.

[brambo0311]

Just for the record and you will only find this out after you buy a HB side image is if the water isn't gin clear it's a POS and you might as well leave it on demo mode so you can get excited. I know HB sponsored people are gunna flip a lid, but the side Imaging is a joke. My 998 worked great in Folsom but that's about it. When it got muddy in the spring it didn't show a thing. My unit was stolen and I did a little dance when my insurance gave me money for a new graph. I bought a lawerance and it's twice the graph. Besides 90% of the time all a care about is depth. No graph shows the fish that will bite.

[Delta is beast]

humminbird

[Triton Mike]

Just for the record and you will only find this out after you buy a HB side image is if the water isn't gin clear it's a POS and you might as well leave it on demo mode so you can get excited. I know HB sponsored people are gunna flip a lid, but the side Imaging is a joke. My 998 worked great in Folsom but that's about it. When it got muddy in the spring it didn't show a thing. My unit was stolen and I did a little dance when my insurance gave me money for a new graph. I bought a lawerance and it's twice the graph. Besides 90% of the time all a care about is depth. No graph shows the fish that will bite.

Dude are you serious doesn't work in muddy water?? LMFAO!! It doesn't get any dirtier than Red Alabama Clay where I fish and I see structure, fish, cover perfectly. If all you care about is depth save your $$ and get a flasher LOL.

[mark poulson]

Just for the record and you will only find this out after you buy a HB side image is if the water isn't gin clear it's a POS and you might as well leave it on demo mode so you can get excited. I know HB sponsored people are gunna flip a lid, but the side Imaging is a joke. My 998 worked great in Folsom but that's about it. When it got muddy in the spring it didn't show a thing. My unit was stolen and I did a little dance when my insurance gave me money for a new graph. I bought a lawerance and it's twice the graph. Besides 90% of the time all a care about is depth. No graph shows the fish that will bite.

Dude are you serious doesn't work in muddy water?? LMFAO!! It doesn't get any dirtier than Red Alabama Clay where I fish and I see structure, fish, cover perfectly. If all you care about is depth save your $$ and get a flasher LOL.

I use the HB in club tournaments, when I'm out of spots, and searching for deeper stuff that no one is on.
I fish Castaic a lot, and the water there is dropping steadily, so every week it's a "new" lake.
Yesterday, I idled into a cove, saw some deeper structure on the side of a point, and caught fish on it.
I agree with Triton Mike, the HB works great in off colored or muddy water.
Granted, it is more of a search tool, but it finds hidden structure great.
If the new Lowrance is that much better, I may have to sell a couple of my kids to move up to it, but, so far, if all I ever have is the HB, I'm happy.

[CharleyA]

I actually have one of the final prototype HDS Structure Scan units on my Ranger as we speak. They sent it to me two weeks ago to get my opinion and help them work out a few menu options and bugs. To be honest, I have never run the HB in my boat but have fished quite a few times in the back seat with guys who have them and certainly know how to use them. My opinion is that this Lowrance unit has now one-upped the HB for a couple of reasons:

*HDS has the downscan and it really does work great. It helps you get a clearer perspective of what the Side Scanning (rt/lt) screen is showing you and it that portion works exactly the same as the HB Side Imaging

*You can also overlay the downscan screen over your broadband (200/83) sonar screen which gives you even more detail/resolution of what's happening under your boat.

*The contrast and color pallettes options on the HDS really help bring out the detail in what you are seeing. I've been on Folsom, Delta and Clear Lake(pea soup areas) with it and based on density of water in each I can adjust no mater what clarity or level of sediment in the water and get great imaging. I mean GREAT imaging. You can see structure, fish and bait like never before. It's as close to video of what's down there as you could ever imagine.
I almost feel like i'm seeing too much. It actually makes it harder to decide what to fish.

*The HDS now has the LCG 4000 antennae available that takes waypoint accuracy down to kess than 15ft. I frequently lock down to 13.7 EPE with the new antennae. For those who know, that is as close as you're ever gonna get with the military still controlling those Sats. So in a nutshell, when you cursor over to that big bolder on the side of that rockpile and drop a waypoint on it. It's there when you go back to fish it and not 25 ft to the left or right of where you thought it was. Only thing left to do is teach yourself to adjust you boat position based on where your antennae is installed on your boat. I still choose to have mine near the transom since that's where the Structure Scan transducer is mounted and you always want what you are seeing on your sonar to match up with your current GPS position as close as possible.

*The HDS screens on the 7's and 8's (which is what most of you are or will by buying are taller as opposed to the HB which is wider. I feel this is an advantange because since side-imaging scrolls top to bottom you want to keep those images on screen longer to help with perspective.

If you have any questions give me a call anytime and I can take you out on the Delta and show you how it works anytime we are both free. Also know that my West Marine stores should be some of the very first retailers in the country to have the unit available later this year. Call or email me if you want to be on our waiting list and I can even help you get it installed at a great price though it's easier than I thought to get it networked, mounted and wire-up.

See you on the water!!

Charley Almassey
West Marine District Manager
West Marine Pro Angler
CharleyA@Westmarine.com
M 925 200-9825

[mark poulson]

Thanks Charley.
That's the best description of the Lowrance I've read anywhere.
And, since being in the back seat you get to see the console unit up close and personal, I'll take you word for the comparison, too.
Unfortunately, until this economoy turns around, I won't be upgrading anything on the boat.
I'm just glad I bought it while I still could afford to.

[backseatfishergirl]

thanx for all ya'lls help ... totally will be contactin for the offer to check out the hds ...thanx again

[brambo0311]

I never got my 998 set up right Then and nethier did a few others I know. When the water got nasty I couldn't see fish or bait on it anymore.

And yes I do use my flashers still, and you can find bait and fish with a flasher.

My point is it doesn't work half as good as they make it out to be. I need a graph myself for dash and will get a lawrance to interface with the one up front.

[Triton Mike]

Charley, Good analysis and thank you. An argument can be made that when you use SONAR the data will stay on the Humminbird longer because it's wider as the data goes from side to side vs up and down that you see with SI. . You give some you lose some. I really expected Lowrance to blow this out of the park because they had 5 years to do what Humminbird already has done.. They simply reversed engineered it and added some things (downscan). Ball is now in Hummbirds court to counter. It's gonna be interesting.

Mike