FishFinders: Side view

[dallanc]

How useful is sideview in a fish finder? The ability to track fish to the sides of the boaT? I know they dont show depth. I'm just researching fish finders for a next years purchase and was wondering if people think its useful or not.


-DallanC

[FatBass]

I like the sidefinder feature!
I bought one 3 years ago and used it in my float tube first. I made a floating transducer holder and was able to point the side beam around and know where to throw my lure. It worked wonderfully! I also used it ice fishing and didn't think the sidefinder feature would be helpful but I was really surprised. Even though most of the fish I was targeting were perch on the bottom, every now and then I would spin the transducer around and see fish coming in from the sides, reel up and nail a trout.
When I got my boat it really helped in knowing where to cast even though I think the locations were +/- about 10 feet of where the graph said.